It's a common fact that water is an absolute necessity for regulating and maintaining our bodies and their countless functions. Despite the obvious statement that water is essential to our wellbeing, how many of us can actually explain why?
Our bodies, in all of their glorious mysteries, fascinating triumphs, and even shortcomings, provide us with essential clues and the feedback necessary to keep us functioning from day to day. It's our job to navigate our body's roadmap to wellness, and with a few helpful facts and important reminders, we will have you well on your way to a happy, healthy body.
Even as you are reading this, your body is hard at work performing the daily miracles that keep you alive and functioning. Your body is comprised of roughly 60% water, which is essential to many different functions. From maintaining cell life, transporting vital nutrients, enabling and sustaining chemical and metabolic reactions, regulating body temperature, and eliminating harmful toxins, you simply would not be able to function without the help of handy H20. Water is also responsible for protecting and cushioning your organs and spinal cord and powering your brain- basically, water is the driving force of health and vitality.
Water is responsible for powering the blood that circulates oxygen, minerals, vitamins, glucose and other nutrients to every part of your body. It also enables the biochemical breakdown of the food that you eat and clears away the cells rejected waste products through digestion and elimination. Powering every cell through the balance of fluid and electrolytes, there is no cell or bodily function that does not heavily rely on water.
Though the average adult loses more than 80 ounces of water each day through breathing, sweating, and waste elimination, the same person takes in less than 32 ounces of water a day. This is a startling fact, particularly when applied to brain function. The human brain is comprised of approximately 85% water, the life force that provides the brain with the electrical energy to carry out all functions (which explains why you can get a headache when you are dehydrated). From the production of neurotransmitters and hormones to thought and memory processes, brain cells require two times more energy than any other cells in the body, with nerve transmission accounting for half of all the brain's energy.
Maintaining your body's water levels is a necessity. From maintaining the tiniest of molecules and intricate brain functions to powering the processes your body completes each moment, drinking water is essential to your health. Factors such as climate, activity level, illness, and pregnancy can change necessary daily intake, but the average adult male should consume around 13 cups of water daily while the average woman's consumption should be about 9 cups to maintain an optimal fluid level.
Equipped with a few essential facts and armed with the awareness of your body's water needs, you're now well on your way to a happier, healthier body. Now go fill up that water bottle!
