Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient study. It is a technique that has been done for hundreds of years as part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The goal of this procedure is to restore the well being and the health of the individual. While it may seem strange, acupuncture uses a method of inserting needles into specific points in the body. It should only be preformed by a skilled individual, one that has received training in it. Needles are a major factor in acupuncture. The needles used in acupuncture are not the large size syringes that people are familiar with from their doctor?s office. These are solid needles that are about the size of a dressmaker?s pin and smaller.Energy, or qi, flows throughout the body. Qi concentrates its flow through major pathways, called channels or meridians. On each channel are points where qi can be manipulated by a skilled practitioner. These are the places the acupuncturist chooses to needle.
Why It Works
Acupuncture points are located throughout the body. Today, stainless steel needles are used. They are about .01 to .02 in thickness. The procedure treats the body as a whole. It works to improve the function of several systems of function that are associated with several physical organs in the body. If there is a problem with the systems or a disease is present, acupuncture tries to address this by attempting to modify the activity of one or several of the systems of function. They do this with a combination of heat, needles, and pressure on the sensitive parts of the body which are called acupuncture points. They help to restore the body through a method of yin and yang.
There are six yin channels and six yang channels. There are three of each in each arm and three of each in each leg. There are yin and yang points throughout the body including the hands and the feet. The goal is to restore the balance of qi in the body. Qi is a term used to describe vital energy. This is the very foundation of being alive and functioning in Traditional Chinese Medicine technologies. If there are deficiencies of qui, there can be pain and illness. Pain is supposed to mean that there is a blockage or a poor flow of qi.
What Happens During Acupuncture
When you visit an acupuncturist, you will already have insured that the individual is capable of performing the procedure because they have been trained. This individual will determine which points to treat based on questions that they will ask you . They will then use diagnostic skills to determine and observe the left and right radial pulses. They will look at the tongue coating and notice if there are teeth marks around the edges of it. Through the choice of points to needle, a practitioner can balance the body?s qi and thereby alleviate the symptoms of disease or illness. In order to make lasting change, the patient must have a series of treatments. The body becomes habituated to certain imbalances and though the patient may feel better after a treatment to correct this, it is natural for the body to go back to its familiar way of being. This may explain why acute problems, such as an injury, generally respond more quickly to acupuncture treatments than long term ailments.
After the needles are inserted, the patient can expect to lie on the table with the needles for about twenty to thirty minutes. In some cases, this will be longer. During this time, there is rarely any discomfort. It can be a very relaxing time for the patient. After this rest, the acupuncturist will remove the needles and perhaps do a bit of massage if there is a painful area. They will make recommendations about when the patient should return and any other types of treatments that may be beneficial to the patient.Benefits and Side EffectsSome conditions in which acupuncture has been shown to show some benefits include tennis elbow, depression, headache, lower back pain, chronic heart failure, labor, menopausal symptoms, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. It is important to note that they don?t necessarily cure the condition but can help to relieve or benefit it in some way.
Acupuncture has few side effects and these are typically limited to bruising in the local area. Some patients will feel tired after a treatment but this is typically because they are in a greater state of relaxation than their body is used to. Some other patients feel energized. Most people feel a sense of well being, though there are those who feel little change after the first couple of treatments. Rarely does someone feel worse and often that is only a temporary worsening of symptoms and then greater relief sets in.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
How to Drink More Water
Start your day with a glass of water. As soon as you wake up, gulp down a glass of cool water. Your body has been without fluids for 6-8 hours, so it's probably dehydrated. Drinking a tall, cool glass of water as soon as you wake up is a wonderful way to start you day. It also helps make you feel full, so you'll eat less for breakfast. Now, even though we have most of a day to suck back all that water, it is actually more difficult that you might think.
Here are some tips to help you make sure you get your daily intake:
Drink a glass of water before you start a meal. Water helps make your stomach feel full, so drinking a glass before eating - or at the very least while eating - will help you eat less food. Have another glass of water while you're having the meal. Again this is another way of making yourself full so that you can actually rise from the table eating less but feeling full just the same. Instead of drinking it one gulp, take sips after each morsel. It will help the food to settle faster so that you get that feeling that you are full faster.
- Have a glass of water at every meal time. Breakfast, Mid-morning, Lunch, Mid-afternoon, Supper.
- Drink water prior and after exercise. Naturally if you are exercising more water will be required than the daily recommended.
- Make an appointment with your glass of water. Schedule certain times of the day to chug back 8 ounces at once. After you wake up in the morning, on your way to work, during a commercial, etc.
- Have a water race with a friend or family member. The extra competition will help motivate you.
- Before drinking that coffee or pop, force yourself to get another glass of water down. You will probably not even want anything else after that.
- When you go to the bathroom (and you will be going frequently at first), refuel yourself with another glass before going back to whatever it was that you wer doing. - Measure how much water you need in a bottle or measuring cup, then you can see your goal for the day.
Try to avoid caffeine
Caffeine increases body fat. But caffeine is in essence a diuretic and diuretics dehydrate. Caffeine may increase the heart rate causing few more calorie burns but leaves a negative effect on your muscles. So the best option is to leave caffeine.
Surely, eight glasses of water a day
For an average person, eight glasses of water a day is essential. The quantity doubles if he/she is overweight or suffers from obesity. Increase your water consumption during the day. Make a timetable to remember it and don?t allow your body to feel the thirst.
Cold water or warm water
Cold water is absorbed more quickly than warm water. But it is easier to drink warm water. You can note a decrease in appetite when you start drinking more water. And water certainly supports you to maintain a healthy body. Some say that drinking cold water also helps boost your metabolism slightly. Theoretically: Your body needs a tiny bit more energy to warm the water, thus it could use a fraction more energy when processing it.
Stay away from sweetened bottle drinks, especially sodas. Hey all those colas and fizzy drinks are sweetened with sugar and sugar means calories. The more you can cut out on these sweetened bottle drinks, the better for you. So if you must drink sodas, then stick to diet sodas.
Use these ideas, or come up with your own tricks to help you reach your goal. You will notice a difference right away.
Start your day with a glass of water. As soon as you wake up, gulp down a glass of cool water. Your body has been without fluids for 6-8 hours, so it's probably dehydrated. Drinking a tall, cool glass of water as soon as you wake up is a wonderful way to start you day. It also helps make you feel full, so you'll eat less for breakfast. Now, even though we have most of a day to suck back all that water, it is actually more difficult that you might think.
Here are some tips to help you make sure you get your daily intake:
Drink a glass of water before you start a meal. Water helps make your stomach feel full, so drinking a glass before eating - or at the very least while eating - will help you eat less food. Have another glass of water while you're having the meal. Again this is another way of making yourself full so that you can actually rise from the table eating less but feeling full just the same. Instead of drinking it one gulp, take sips after each morsel. It will help the food to settle faster so that you get that feeling that you are full faster.
- Have a glass of water at every meal time. Breakfast, Mid-morning, Lunch, Mid-afternoon, Supper.
- Drink water prior and after exercise. Naturally if you are exercising more water will be required than the daily recommended.
- Make an appointment with your glass of water. Schedule certain times of the day to chug back 8 ounces at once. After you wake up in the morning, on your way to work, during a commercial, etc.
- Have a water race with a friend or family member. The extra competition will help motivate you.
- Before drinking that coffee or pop, force yourself to get another glass of water down. You will probably not even want anything else after that.
- When you go to the bathroom (and you will be going frequently at first), refuel yourself with another glass before going back to whatever it was that you wer doing. - Measure how much water you need in a bottle or measuring cup, then you can see your goal for the day.
Try to avoid caffeine
Caffeine increases body fat. But caffeine is in essence a diuretic and diuretics dehydrate. Caffeine may increase the heart rate causing few more calorie burns but leaves a negative effect on your muscles. So the best option is to leave caffeine.
Surely, eight glasses of water a day
For an average person, eight glasses of water a day is essential. The quantity doubles if he/she is overweight or suffers from obesity. Increase your water consumption during the day. Make a timetable to remember it and don?t allow your body to feel the thirst.
Cold water or warm water
Cold water is absorbed more quickly than warm water. But it is easier to drink warm water. You can note a decrease in appetite when you start drinking more water. And water certainly supports you to maintain a healthy body. Some say that drinking cold water also helps boost your metabolism slightly. Theoretically: Your body needs a tiny bit more energy to warm the water, thus it could use a fraction more energy when processing it.
Stay away from sweetened bottle drinks, especially sodas. Hey all those colas and fizzy drinks are sweetened with sugar and sugar means calories. The more you can cut out on these sweetened bottle drinks, the better for you. So if you must drink sodas, then stick to diet sodas.
Use these ideas, or come up with your own tricks to help you reach your goal. You will notice a difference right away.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Water Retention and Kidney Function
It has been well documented that the liver is able to metabolize more fat if you help out your kidneys by drinking plenty of water each day. What is not often explained is water's relationship to salt and how to tell when you are drinking enough water.
Salt
First of all, let's take a look at how our bodies deal with salt! Salt (sodium, at least) is a necessary ingredient to regulate blood pressure and fluid volumes in our bodies. Additionally, it is a top notch preservative and it tastes good!
You've probably heard the warning to not drink salt water. This warning is true and must be heeded if you find yourself adrift at sea, or on a diet. The reason is that the body can only handle a certain concentration of salt.
Retained Water
If you eat a really salty meal, you may notice that your body will experience some swelling. This swelling is retained water which is being kept by the body in order to keep the salt in solution.
So how do you get rid of retained water? Well, believe it or not, the answer is that you drink water to get rid of water! That's right. It's counterintuitive, but true. By drinking extra water, it will allow your body to flush the excess salt out and to release the retained water.
Think of it this way, your body grows to expect a particular amount of sodium and a particular volume of water. It reserves water in your body knowing more salt is to come. When you drink a gallon of water over the course of the day, your body learns that you are providing plenty of water. Eventually it begins to trust that you'll continue doing so and it lets go of the surplus.
Water retention is an interesting issue because it is one of those issues that runs completely contrary to how we would imagine it would work. Water weighs about seven pounds per gallon, so its easy to imagine that we could shed a few quick pounds by losing some retained water.
The body has such a need for water that it retains extra water if we don't supply the right amount on a daily basis - and most of us do not. By getting into a habit, or regimen, of drinking more water than our body actually needs, our body becomes convinced that it doesn't need to hoarde extra water. Once your body is convinced that you are going to provide more than enough water to simply survive, it will let loose of the extra water it has stred up in your cells.
Kidney
Secondly, let's look at your kidneys. In order to do their job properly, your kidneys require an enormous amount of water. If the water is not supplied, your body goes to Plan B, which is to enlist the assistance of your liver. Because the liver is able to metabolize fat (turn it into energy), every second your liver spends bailing out the kidneys is a second it isn't burning stored fat. Drinking more water allows the kidneys to run at their optimal level and keeps the liver available to burn fat.
For dieters, there is an additional aspect worth consideration. Because we are attempting to burn EXTRA fat (not simply the supply of fat in our daily diet), we actually create an extra water deficit. It takes water to do the normal work of processing waste from our bodies, and it takes EXTRA water to process the stored fat and waste that comes from that job.
Are You Drinking Enough Water?
Try to drink twelve (8 ounce) glasses of water each day when you are dieting, and at least eight when you reach your optimal weight. (These are guidelines that must be adjusted using common sense. There may be circumstances such as weather, type of work, body size, physical activity and many others that will require you to drink much more or less than this.) If you are more than twenty pounds overweight, you should drink an extra glass for every 20 pounds over your optimal weight.
Once you've been on this regimen for a few weeks, you should notice some changes. Many people report that their skin looks and feels better, that headaches disappear, that they require less sleep and that they simply have more energy.
Biologically though, the best way to tell if you are drinking enough water is the color (rather the lack of color) of your urine. Many people think that color in their urine is due to waste being flushed out of the body, but it is, in fact, simply due to a shortage of water. Clear urine means you are drinking plenty of water.
Another benefit to drinking plenty of water is that your natural water alarm clock (thirst) will return. Your body will begin to signal to you that it is thirsty since it is no longer in the habit of hoarding water. Listen to your body and you'll continue to lose weight and burn fat.
Salt
First of all, let's take a look at how our bodies deal with salt! Salt (sodium, at least) is a necessary ingredient to regulate blood pressure and fluid volumes in our bodies. Additionally, it is a top notch preservative and it tastes good!
You've probably heard the warning to not drink salt water. This warning is true and must be heeded if you find yourself adrift at sea, or on a diet. The reason is that the body can only handle a certain concentration of salt.
Retained Water
If you eat a really salty meal, you may notice that your body will experience some swelling. This swelling is retained water which is being kept by the body in order to keep the salt in solution.
So how do you get rid of retained water? Well, believe it or not, the answer is that you drink water to get rid of water! That's right. It's counterintuitive, but true. By drinking extra water, it will allow your body to flush the excess salt out and to release the retained water.
Think of it this way, your body grows to expect a particular amount of sodium and a particular volume of water. It reserves water in your body knowing more salt is to come. When you drink a gallon of water over the course of the day, your body learns that you are providing plenty of water. Eventually it begins to trust that you'll continue doing so and it lets go of the surplus.
Water retention is an interesting issue because it is one of those issues that runs completely contrary to how we would imagine it would work. Water weighs about seven pounds per gallon, so its easy to imagine that we could shed a few quick pounds by losing some retained water.
The body has such a need for water that it retains extra water if we don't supply the right amount on a daily basis - and most of us do not. By getting into a habit, or regimen, of drinking more water than our body actually needs, our body becomes convinced that it doesn't need to hoarde extra water. Once your body is convinced that you are going to provide more than enough water to simply survive, it will let loose of the extra water it has stred up in your cells.
Kidney
Secondly, let's look at your kidneys. In order to do their job properly, your kidneys require an enormous amount of water. If the water is not supplied, your body goes to Plan B, which is to enlist the assistance of your liver. Because the liver is able to metabolize fat (turn it into energy), every second your liver spends bailing out the kidneys is a second it isn't burning stored fat. Drinking more water allows the kidneys to run at their optimal level and keeps the liver available to burn fat.
For dieters, there is an additional aspect worth consideration. Because we are attempting to burn EXTRA fat (not simply the supply of fat in our daily diet), we actually create an extra water deficit. It takes water to do the normal work of processing waste from our bodies, and it takes EXTRA water to process the stored fat and waste that comes from that job.
Are You Drinking Enough Water?
Try to drink twelve (8 ounce) glasses of water each day when you are dieting, and at least eight when you reach your optimal weight. (These are guidelines that must be adjusted using common sense. There may be circumstances such as weather, type of work, body size, physical activity and many others that will require you to drink much more or less than this.) If you are more than twenty pounds overweight, you should drink an extra glass for every 20 pounds over your optimal weight.
Once you've been on this regimen for a few weeks, you should notice some changes. Many people report that their skin looks and feels better, that headaches disappear, that they require less sleep and that they simply have more energy.
Biologically though, the best way to tell if you are drinking enough water is the color (rather the lack of color) of your urine. Many people think that color in their urine is due to waste being flushed out of the body, but it is, in fact, simply due to a shortage of water. Clear urine means you are drinking plenty of water.
Another benefit to drinking plenty of water is that your natural water alarm clock (thirst) will return. Your body will begin to signal to you that it is thirsty since it is no longer in the habit of hoarding water. Listen to your body and you'll continue to lose weight and burn fat.
Benefits of Water
Weight Loss By Water -Benefits of Water
If you are eating the right food and exercising regularly but still can't get the result that you have expected, then it means that you are not drinking enough water. An essential part of the our body, water helps reduce weight in many ways. Here are just some of the reasons why everyone should be drinking at least eight glasses of water day.
Naturally suppresses appetite
Water is also a natural appetite suppressant, a glass prior to eating helps curb your appetite by filling your stomach and it can help you lose weight and keep it off permanently.Water is useful when we are trying for losing weight. Water suppresses the appetite and helps to reduce the body fat. When your stomach is full of water, you?ll feel full sooner. If you think you are hungry, drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes before eating something as you may just be thirsty. (However water should not be substituted for food, still eat your 3 meals per day and 2-3 healthy snacks per day).
Increases metabolism
There are many forms of metabolism going on in our body and one such is the metabolism of fat. The main function of the liver is to convert fat into energy. It also picks up the slacks of kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own. It affects the total productivity levels of the liver forcing the fat metabolism to take a back seat. This effect results in fat storage in the body.
Reduces stored fat deposits
Water aids in the burning of fat. To burn fat the fat cells need to first be free of excess water and toxins. One reason you may not be losing weight is your not drinking enough water so your body holds on to what water it gets for survival. Our metabolic rate is the rate in which we burn calories. Water is required for this process to function at its best. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits.
proper kidney function
Water maintains and encourages proper kidney function, which increases the efficiency of the liver's fat burning ability. When insufficient water is drunk the kidneys cannot work properly and this has an effect on our liver. It is the livers job to convert stored fat to energy. If the liver needs to do some of the work that the kidneys should be doing, than the liver can not work as it should do to metabolize fat and therefore the fat is stored rather than broken down and used as energy.
Decreases fuid retention
Enough water helps reduce water retention. To get rid of excess water, one has to consume more water. This is because if not enough water is drunk the body goes into survival mode and stores water in extra-cellular spaces. This can show up as swollen feet, legs, hands.
Helps muscles maintain their tone
Water helps maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract more effectively. Muscle tone will prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss.Drinking fluids, particularly, water, during exercise reduces cardiovascular stress and improves performance. After a strenuous workout, you have to replace the fluids you have lost. Otherwise, you will suffer chronic dehydration. Drink water before, during and after exercising, and remember that water reduces body temperature thus making the whole exercise process safer. It can help you exercise longer and more efficiently and this alone would be enough to help you lose weight but water does more ? much more.
Aids in the prevention of sagging skin after weight loss
The best medicine for your skin, water clears skin dirtiness and helps maintain a fair glow on your face. Skin that is becoming saggy, either due to aging or weight loss, plumps up very nicely when the skin cells are hydrated. It also helps to improve the muscle tone. Water does wonders for your skin it leaves you with a clear, glowing complexion as impurities have been washed out of your system.
Rids the body of excess waste
Water nourishes your cells, flushes out toxins, prevents constipation and crankiness (no relationship between the two) and it can help keep your skin healthy, youthful and glowing. The key is to keep drinking water, or you will see the weight come back. For every 25 pounds you want to lose, drink an extra glass of water. Drinking other fluids may hydrate your body but you will need to consider the extra calories and sugar in them if trying to lose weight. Also it maybe time to learn to like to drink water due to the health benefits water provides. If water is not your thing, try flavouring it with a slice of lemon or start with mixing half apple/orange or cranberry juice with water.
If you are eating the right food and exercising regularly but still can't get the result that you have expected, then it means that you are not drinking enough water. An essential part of the our body, water helps reduce weight in many ways. Here are just some of the reasons why everyone should be drinking at least eight glasses of water day.
Naturally suppresses appetite
Water is also a natural appetite suppressant, a glass prior to eating helps curb your appetite by filling your stomach and it can help you lose weight and keep it off permanently.Water is useful when we are trying for losing weight. Water suppresses the appetite and helps to reduce the body fat. When your stomach is full of water, you?ll feel full sooner. If you think you are hungry, drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes before eating something as you may just be thirsty. (However water should not be substituted for food, still eat your 3 meals per day and 2-3 healthy snacks per day).
Increases metabolism
There are many forms of metabolism going on in our body and one such is the metabolism of fat. The main function of the liver is to convert fat into energy. It also picks up the slacks of kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own. It affects the total productivity levels of the liver forcing the fat metabolism to take a back seat. This effect results in fat storage in the body.
Reduces stored fat deposits
Water aids in the burning of fat. To burn fat the fat cells need to first be free of excess water and toxins. One reason you may not be losing weight is your not drinking enough water so your body holds on to what water it gets for survival. Our metabolic rate is the rate in which we burn calories. Water is required for this process to function at its best. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits.
proper kidney function
Water maintains and encourages proper kidney function, which increases the efficiency of the liver's fat burning ability. When insufficient water is drunk the kidneys cannot work properly and this has an effect on our liver. It is the livers job to convert stored fat to energy. If the liver needs to do some of the work that the kidneys should be doing, than the liver can not work as it should do to metabolize fat and therefore the fat is stored rather than broken down and used as energy.
Decreases fuid retention
Enough water helps reduce water retention. To get rid of excess water, one has to consume more water. This is because if not enough water is drunk the body goes into survival mode and stores water in extra-cellular spaces. This can show up as swollen feet, legs, hands.
Helps muscles maintain their tone
Water helps maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract more effectively. Muscle tone will prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss.Drinking fluids, particularly, water, during exercise reduces cardiovascular stress and improves performance. After a strenuous workout, you have to replace the fluids you have lost. Otherwise, you will suffer chronic dehydration. Drink water before, during and after exercising, and remember that water reduces body temperature thus making the whole exercise process safer. It can help you exercise longer and more efficiently and this alone would be enough to help you lose weight but water does more ? much more.
Aids in the prevention of sagging skin after weight loss
The best medicine for your skin, water clears skin dirtiness and helps maintain a fair glow on your face. Skin that is becoming saggy, either due to aging or weight loss, plumps up very nicely when the skin cells are hydrated. It also helps to improve the muscle tone. Water does wonders for your skin it leaves you with a clear, glowing complexion as impurities have been washed out of your system.
Rids the body of excess waste
Water nourishes your cells, flushes out toxins, prevents constipation and crankiness (no relationship between the two) and it can help keep your skin healthy, youthful and glowing. The key is to keep drinking water, or you will see the weight come back. For every 25 pounds you want to lose, drink an extra glass of water. Drinking other fluids may hydrate your body but you will need to consider the extra calories and sugar in them if trying to lose weight. Also it maybe time to learn to like to drink water due to the health benefits water provides. If water is not your thing, try flavouring it with a slice of lemon or start with mixing half apple/orange or cranberry juice with water.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Weight loss by Water
Water: Weight Loss By Drinking Water
It's calorie-free, inexpensive and easily obtained. Most people drink when they are thirsty, but usually not enough and certainly not when trying to lose weight.
Drinking fluids, particularly, water, during exercise reduces cardiovascular stress and improves performance. After a strenuous workout, you have to replace the fluids you have lost. Otherwise, you will suffer chronic dehydration. Drink water before, during and after exercising, and remember that water reduces body temperature thus making the whole exercise process safer. It can help you exercise longer and more efficiently and this alone would be enough to help you lose weight but water does more – much more.
The Liver
The function of your kidneys is to filter your blood (which is mostly water). And one of the functions of your liver is to metabolize fat. If you don't consume enough water, your kidneys can't function properly, so your liver starts to help perform kidney functions. So, if your liver is busy helping your ailing kidneys, you can't burn as much fat. Let me repeat that: No matter how much you exercise, if you don't drink enough water, your liver will not metabolize fat for you, because it is trying to help your kidneys.
Too Much Water?
Being hyper-hydrated (consuming too much water) is not in any way harmful , and actually helps your body metabolize fat. The greatest ill effect of excess water consumption is that you will visit the washroom more often. Consider it a chance to fit in a little more exercise into your daily routine.There have been a few cases of long distance runners who have died from drinking water to toxic levels, but this is extremely rare, and their situation is very unique, so it is nothing for a normal person to worry about.
Retaining Water
You may have a medical condition that causes you to retain water, probably because of excess salt (sodium) in your system. The solution is simple: drink more water. Your body retains water for the same reason it retains fat: your body thinks that it's hard to come by. If you teach your body that food is abundant, it will stop storing it. If you teach your body that water is abundant by drinking more of it, your body will stop storing it.
Other Benefits
The more water you drink the healthier your skin becomes, because it has to be moisturized from the inside and out It also contributes to joint lubrication, reducing the risk of injury in any activity. Water is the best cure for constipation, and should be your first choice, even before increasing fiber or taking laxatives.When you are active, you should drink even more water, especially on hot days, to replace what you lose in sweat. Do not wait until you're thirsty, because that is your body telling you that it is already under-hydrated. Try to keep yourself over-hydrated for best health.
Do Water Alternatives Work?
Juice will fill you up, and contains sugar which you should try to minimize in your diet. So, it's really not a substitute for simple, clear water. And even though coffee is made with mostly water, it does not count since it is a diuretic and actually strips water from your system. Colas are also full of that diuretic caffeine, besides their ultra-high sugar content, so soft drinks should be the first item to stop consuming if you're trying to lose weight. Replace those "alternatives" with a glass of water, and you'll feel better and start losing pounds and inches.
Who should drink water?
All of us of course, but pregnant women, nursing mothers, people wanting to lose weight and athletes should be especially careful to drink a sufficient amount. When it is hot or humid, upping water intake is also wise.
Water can be especially helpful for people with a history of kidney stones because it dissolves calcium in the urine, reducing the risk of stone formation. Among physicians, urologists are probably most likely to extol the virtues of water. And it has been documented that drinking water mostly before 6 P.M. can reduce the likelihood of nocturnal bathroom visits.
It is interesting to note also that water helps prevent urinary tract infections, both for men and for women. Dark-coloured urine often suggests you are not drinking enough water.
Here’s how to start drinking more water every day. Get into the habit by starting with a glass of water with every meal, preferably with a glass during your meal and then add a glass between meals.
It's calorie-free, inexpensive and easily obtained. Most people drink when they are thirsty, but usually not enough and certainly not when trying to lose weight.
Drinking fluids, particularly, water, during exercise reduces cardiovascular stress and improves performance. After a strenuous workout, you have to replace the fluids you have lost. Otherwise, you will suffer chronic dehydration. Drink water before, during and after exercising, and remember that water reduces body temperature thus making the whole exercise process safer. It can help you exercise longer and more efficiently and this alone would be enough to help you lose weight but water does more – much more.
The Liver
The function of your kidneys is to filter your blood (which is mostly water). And one of the functions of your liver is to metabolize fat. If you don't consume enough water, your kidneys can't function properly, so your liver starts to help perform kidney functions. So, if your liver is busy helping your ailing kidneys, you can't burn as much fat. Let me repeat that: No matter how much you exercise, if you don't drink enough water, your liver will not metabolize fat for you, because it is trying to help your kidneys.
Too Much Water?
Being hyper-hydrated (consuming too much water) is not in any way harmful , and actually helps your body metabolize fat. The greatest ill effect of excess water consumption is that you will visit the washroom more often. Consider it a chance to fit in a little more exercise into your daily routine.There have been a few cases of long distance runners who have died from drinking water to toxic levels, but this is extremely rare, and their situation is very unique, so it is nothing for a normal person to worry about.
Retaining Water
You may have a medical condition that causes you to retain water, probably because of excess salt (sodium) in your system. The solution is simple: drink more water. Your body retains water for the same reason it retains fat: your body thinks that it's hard to come by. If you teach your body that food is abundant, it will stop storing it. If you teach your body that water is abundant by drinking more of it, your body will stop storing it.
Other Benefits
The more water you drink the healthier your skin becomes, because it has to be moisturized from the inside and out It also contributes to joint lubrication, reducing the risk of injury in any activity. Water is the best cure for constipation, and should be your first choice, even before increasing fiber or taking laxatives.When you are active, you should drink even more water, especially on hot days, to replace what you lose in sweat. Do not wait until you're thirsty, because that is your body telling you that it is already under-hydrated. Try to keep yourself over-hydrated for best health.
Do Water Alternatives Work?
Juice will fill you up, and contains sugar which you should try to minimize in your diet. So, it's really not a substitute for simple, clear water. And even though coffee is made with mostly water, it does not count since it is a diuretic and actually strips water from your system. Colas are also full of that diuretic caffeine, besides their ultra-high sugar content, so soft drinks should be the first item to stop consuming if you're trying to lose weight. Replace those "alternatives" with a glass of water, and you'll feel better and start losing pounds and inches.
Who should drink water?
All of us of course, but pregnant women, nursing mothers, people wanting to lose weight and athletes should be especially careful to drink a sufficient amount. When it is hot or humid, upping water intake is also wise.
Water can be especially helpful for people with a history of kidney stones because it dissolves calcium in the urine, reducing the risk of stone formation. Among physicians, urologists are probably most likely to extol the virtues of water. And it has been documented that drinking water mostly before 6 P.M. can reduce the likelihood of nocturnal bathroom visits.
It is interesting to note also that water helps prevent urinary tract infections, both for men and for women. Dark-coloured urine often suggests you are not drinking enough water.
Here’s how to start drinking more water every day. Get into the habit by starting with a glass of water with every meal, preferably with a glass during your meal and then add a glass between meals.
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