Prevent Dehydration, The Single Most Hidden Cause Of Illness!

Every time you make a 15-minute phone call your body uses one tablespoon of water.

Water is a more important nutrient than Vitamin C. Our bodies are about 60% water and our lives depend on it. "It is a nutrient itself - the most important nutrient, " says Felicia Busch, a dietetic consultant in St. Paul, MN and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. A lack of water will kill you faster than a depletion of any vitamin, mineral or other nutrient. The important factor about water is the fluid itself, which is vital for our body's systems.

Drinks containing concentrated nutrients, such as milk, sugar-sweetened soft drinks, and salty tomato-based juices, count more as food than drink since they themselves increase your body's water needs.

A reduction of 4 to 5% in body water will result in a decline of 20-30% in your work performance.

Is it possible to drink to much water? Assuming you are drinking your fluids throughout the day there's no worry about "washing away" vitamins, minerals or any other substances, since your kidneys do a great job of holding onto what the body needs. Also any excess water not needed is easily passed out as urine within a few hours.

You only run a risk of too much water if you guzzle an excessive amount all at once. This could cause a very rare event called water intoxication and can be life threatening if not treated. An overdose of water overwhelms the body's cells, in part by diluting the electrolytes, sodium and potassium. This causes the cells to balloon up and disrupt normal body functioning. In the brain, swelling occurs, causing disorientation and even death.

For most people the problem is not too much water but not enough. Most don't realize water is top on the list of essential nutrients. Water makes up most of your body composition (an average 150-pounds person contains 42 quarts of water); it's the medium in which chemical reactions occur in your body; it's a lubricant for muscles and joints; and it serves as a vehicle to rid your body of unwanted metabolites and wastes through urine.

You need about 1 milliliter of water for every calorie you consume. Translated to cups, you require about 8 cups (2 quarts) if you consume 2,000 calories a day. This figure rises if you exercise heavily, since you'll lose anywhere from 1 to 2 quarts of sweat an hour, especially in warm weather.

Not counting beer, other alcoholic beverages, coffee, and sodas with caffeine, all of which boost urine production and fluid loss, you should be reaching for 2-4 quarts of water and other fluids throughout the day.

Your urine color, which serves as a good gauge of your hydration status, should be pale yellow. Dark urine suggests you are not drinking enough fluid. (Your urine will be a bright yellow color after taking a vitamin pill due to the excretion of the B vitamin called riboflavin).

A great resource for more water facts is "Your Body's Many Cries For Water" by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D. An outstanding and enlightening book!