Does Your Body Cry for Water?

Water

Our modern lives have strayed so far from the rhythms of nature that most people no longer drink water. Our days begin with coffee or tea, graduate to sodas or other sugared drinks by lunchtime and then some imbibe a couple alcoholic beverages in the evening.

None of those liquids replace clean water in hydrating our cells; years of habitually not drinking purified water leaves us dehydrated. Many chronic symptoms will reverse themselves within weeks, or even days of drinking plenty of good water.

Water has a crucial role in every function of your body and is the second most essential nutrient for human life. Water carries nutrients to all the cells, transports hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters and other essential components to and from their correct destinations. Water also carries waste products away from the cells.

Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Some common problems associated with dehydration are: heartburn, ulcers, constipation, excess weight, bowel pain, asthma, headaches, high blood pressure, poor sleep, depression and diabetes to name a few. Nearly all of the major systems in your body depend on water.

Water: Mayo Clinic Report

How much water should you drink each day? — a simple question with no easy answers. Studies have produced varying recommendations over the years, but in truth, your water needs depend on many factors, including your health, how active you are and where you live. Though no single formula fits everyone, knowing more about your body's need for fluids will help you estimate how much water to drink each day.

Water is your body's principal chemical component, comprising, on average, 60 percent of your weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues.

Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water. A couple of approaches attempt to approximate water needs for the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate.

The average urine output for adults is 1.5 liters a day. You lose close to an additional liter of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements. Food usually accounts for 20 percent of your total fluid intake, so you if you consume 2 liters of water or other beverages a day (a little more than 8 cups) along with your normal diet, you will typically replace the lost fluids.

Dietary Recommendations

The Institute of Medicine advises that men consume roughly 3.0 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

Even apart from the above approaches, it is generally the case that if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce between one and two liters of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate.

Factors that influence water needs. You may need to modify your total fluid intake depending on how active you are, the climate you live in, your health status, and if you're pregnant or breast-feeding. (article continued at(http://www.advancedscientifichealth.com/ashWaterMayoClinicReport.asp)


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Water, Toddlers and Young Children

Drinking Water for Toddlers is Essential

Children often see all sorts of concoctions on television that make water appear very unexciting and unappealing. How can water compete with a soda or kool-aid? Providing water for a toddler early on is important for your child health, and encouraging him to drink it as part of his routine, makes the task less daunting. If you wait to introduce water to a toddler once he’s tasted yummy beverages like Kool Aid and cola, he will probably wrinkle his nose and ask for something else after one sip. From an early age we always provided our son with his own water bottle and encouraged him through example. So far that has worked well. Here is some information on why water is so important and some additional tips to help get your young one to drink more water.

Why Is Water So Important?

Adults are thought to be comprised of nearly 50% water and infants as much as 75%, so water for toddlers is a necessary beverage in order to maintain good health. Water will cool down our bodies, lubricate our joints, and make our muscles work smoothly. If your body runs short, you can become dehydrated, and that is a condition that can become deadly if left untreated.

How Much Water Does a Child Need?

Young children are said to need about 1-1/2 ounces of water per pound of their body weight each day. The amount of water for toddler’s daily need will vary as a result, but it is easy to calculate the correct amount if you know how much your child weighs. Be careful not to go overboard however, since too much water can be just as dangerous as not enough. Water will fill you up without providing any calories, so it can decrease the appetite of a growing toddler if given in large quantities too often.

What Counts as Water?

Your child refuses to drink the stuff no matter what you try. So, how can you provide enough water for a toddler who resists traditional methods? The answer is simple – feed them water-rich foods! Most juice, soups, vegetables and milk have high water content, that is somewhere around 80%. Juice popsicles, fruit smoothies and water with a splash of Kool Aid are good choices too.

Tips for Getting Your Toddler to Drink More Water

Keep the water COLD, because there is nothing less tasteful to a child than a glass of room-temperature water. Another good idea is to purchase a special cup that the child knows will only be used for water. Water from a brightly colored pitcher will attract young ones to drink, but the absolute best method for a reluctant water-drinker is ice. Cubes in fun shapes work especially well, but ordinary ones will do the trick also. Be sure to watch your child with ice since it can be a choking hazard. Water for toddlers is SO important, so you need to do whatever it takes to get them to drink it regularly!

Please visit the ASH website for valuable tips for good health. Advanced Scientific Health is an ever-growing pool of knowledge as members are constantly seeking health truths and sharing their findings with others. Please visit: http://www.ashnow.com/999751

Jackie Whalen
ash_now@yahoo.com
http://ashnow.com/999751

DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational purposes only, and not intended to replace the orthodox physician-patient relationship. If you are sick, you are advised to consult a physician, and together, along with your newly gained knowledge, work toward the resolution of your illness.