As you may know, water makes about 60% of our body weight and that should be enough to make you think about the importance of proper water consumption.Fluid losses occur all the time in our body, from urine, skin evaporation, breathing and even stool.Because of this we need to keep in check the delicate balance of our body fluids. The functions of these body fluids are as important as it gets.The presence of enough water enables our digestion, circulation, creation of saliva and many more processes to function properly and maintain our health.

How much water should you consume in a day?

You have definitely heard the advice that recommends you drinking 8 glasses of water a day(about 1.9 liters) to maintain a good health. This is not far from the truth and it can prove to be a really good guidance for most people, but even though it is a simple question the answer is really complex.The recommended amount by the Institute of Medicine for men is about 3 liters and for women 2.2 liters. There are a lot of factors that makes proper water consumption an individual feat as it depends on many variables.One important factor that you may want to take into account is activity level coupled with the rate at which you usually sweat at. If you sweat a lot all the time you should increase your water consumption proportionally.If you also do a lot of sports, weight lifting and cardio exercises you need to increase your daily water intake by at least 15%.It is not unusual for a sportive to drink 6 liters of water a day. Remember that alcohol should not count as a water source because by drinking it you can experience severe dehydration wich in turn will mess up your organism.

The benefits of drinking water:

1.Drinking the right amount of water can help you loose weight

Don’t expect to magically start to loose a great amount of weight just by drinking 10 liters of water a day. But take a note that by replacing other beverages that contain high amounts of calories and sugar with water will definitely not only help you loose a good amount of weight in a short time but also increase your metabolism in the long time and make you a lot healthier than before.

2.Water helps you kidney to function propperly
This might be more important than you think.One of the main toxins in the body is blood urea nitrogen that is secreted in the urine and as this is a really important body fluid process the right amount of water is required.

3.Proper hydration  assures better skin condition
Water helps your skin look good by making sure there is enough moisture around your skin cells.This cannot be compensated with the use of moisturizing creams because they don’t strike at the root of the problem. In cases of dehydration, in order to conserve water, your body will retain it for other more essential purposes and therefore your skin suffers. Just remember however that by drinking water you will not magically erase your already existing wrinkles, this is just a conditioning step for preventing problems in the future.

4.Drinking water helps building muscles and strength
As muscles demand a high quantity of oxygen their effectiveness can be influenced by the amount of water in your body.By proper hydration you ensure that your muscles will perform for longer periods of time and work harder so that you can build more muscle.

5.Water assures optimal bowel function
In case you don’t consume enough water and dehydration occurs, your bowl movements will slow down to the point where you can get constipated.Both water and fiber are necessary for a good digestion but if you neglect the first one your body will use the limited supply of water it has for other prioritary functions and neglect the bowl forming process along the way.


6.Drinking water keeps you smart
It will definitely not make you a genius over night but the right amount of water will make sure your brain functions at it’s maximum capacity all the time. Being made of almost 80% water, the brain is a priority for our bodies when it comes to water distribution.Not only that, but our cognitive function needs a lot of oxygen which, as with the muscles, is transported through body liquids mainly made out of water. Drinking plenty of water also supports good nerve functions through the maintenance of electrolyte levels.

7.Water is good for your joints
This benefit is not as well known as the others but it can make all the difference in the world if you have problems in this area. A good water supply will ensure to greatly benefit you joints strength and durability mostly thanks to lubrication and the need of moisture.

Tips to get you to drink more water:

• always keep a bottle of water close to you
• drink it through a straw to make it more entertaining(great for children)
• drink one glass of water when you wake up(your body needs it)
• eat more fruits and vegetables
• flavor your water or drink healthy juices