BT Water Facts: DRINK, DRINK, DRINK !

More than half of the human body is made up of water, it is easily accessible to most of us and it is vital to good health, yet how many people drink the recommended amount every day? Despite the importance of maintaining good hydration, most of us fail to meet our body’s needs on a daily basis, resulting in a number of negative effects, including reduced energy, fat loss and athletic performance.

In fact, more than 90 per cent of cases of low energy during the day (and particularly the late afternoon) are a result of dehydration. This is indicative of the significant impact water (or lack of it) can have on us. Most people rely on thirst as an indicator of when the body needs water, however by the time your body sends this message, you are already dehydrated. In addition, thirst is sometimes misinterpreted as hunger, so we often eat when we should be drinking – which further exacerbates the problem. There is no ‘gold standard’ for hydration, and no clear definition of recommended levels.

Body of Water - quick facts   The human body contains 55% to 75% water (depending on body composition) The brain is 75% water Muscles are 75% water Bones are 22% water Benefits of good hydration: Joint Lubrication Assists in the removal of toxins Increases physical and mental alertness and performance Helps to energize the body Assists fat loss

Remember that hydration is very individual and each person should strive to stay as hydrated as possible. When water consumption is first increased, urination also increases, but does generally decrease as your body adjusts accordingly. Experts tell us that your chances of hymponatremia (over hydration) are increased only when consuming over 24 ounces per hour, that’s approx. 2 ¾ gal. in your typical 15 hour day. By drinking water at each meal (4-5), and while exercising 1 time each day its easy to consume ¾ gal. for most adults. Those who exercise more vigorously or more often may naturally consume slightly more water per day. Why should I drink water and not soft drinks or tea/coffee? Soft drinks and tea and coffee generally contain high concentrations of caffeine, which is a diuretic (releases fluid). This makes making hydration more difficult. For this reason, you should carefully monitor your intake of these types of drinks. Soft drinks may also have very strong PH (acid) levels. When the body’s blood-acid level rises it has a profound effect on energy, general health, joint pain and fat loss. Water plays a major role in helping the body to offset rising acid levels. High acid levels force the body - amongst other things - to store excess acid in fat stores. The body will resist releasing fat for energy if there are high concentrations of acid in the blood. A lot of obese people are not just overweight, they are over-acidic. So to maximize your body’s ability to burn fat you need to drink adequate amounts of water. We recommend fresh, filtered water.