Thirsty?

[Guest guest]

Thirsty?

By Leanne Ely, C.N.C.

Drinking enough water is an easy thing to put off. We all

know we need water, but we just can't seem to make it a

habit. Can I give you a hint? Go slow! Go get yourself

a glass of water right now.

There are so many benefits to this water thing and a lot of

them will affect your ability to function at peak levels. Let's

start from the top. First off, you should know that water is

one of the four basic nutrients the body needs -- protein,

carbohydrates (preferably complex), fats and WATER. So

it isn't an option to NOT drink water, unless you want to

nutritionally short change your body. Water may have no

" nutritional value " as in no vitamins or minerals really to

speak of, but because it's so important to body function,

it is considered a nutrient.

A doctor named Feyedoon Batmangheildj was held as a

political prisoner in Iran and did a study on the effects of

water as a cure. He had no medicines to treat patients

with in prison, just water. The results he achieved by

offering only water were astounding. He wrote a book

called " Your Body's Many Cries for Water " to chronicle

this study. It was a difficult book to read (only because

the author was very clinical) but the information was

fascinating.

*75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated (half the

world population is likely to be dehydrated).

*The thirst mechanism in 37% of Americans is so weak,

it is mistaken for hunger (because they don't drink water!).

*Even mild dehydration will slow down metabolism as

much as 3% (weight loss aid!).

*In a University of Washington study, one glass of water

shuts down midnight hunger pains in almost 100% of

dieters (odds are, it will work for you!).

*There is preliminary research that indicates that 8 to 10

glasses of water a day (8 oz. glasses) could significantly

ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

*Lack of water is the NUMBER ONE trigger of daytime

fatigue (now you know how to get up and get going again!).

*A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term

memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on

the computer or reading printed material (body water drops

when we don't drink our water!).

*By drinking a mere 5 glasses of water a day, you decrease

the risk of breast cancer by 79% and you are 50% less likely

to develop bladder cancer (WOW!).

Have you run to the kitchen to get yourself a glass of water

yet? LO

Before you go overboard, keep reading. It is possible to drink

too much water. Balance is key and moderation of course,

is critical. Too much water can result in hyponatremia, or

water intoxication. This kind of problem can happen with

marathon runners and athletes who consume massive

amounts of water before a big event or obsessive/compulsive

people who don't know where to stop. Some of us need to

constantly remind ourselves to strive for balance!

On another note, excessive thirst can be a sign of diabetes

or another ailment. If you just can't seem to quench your

thirst, please see your doctor for a complete work up.

Don't forget -- bottoms up! :-)