09 June 2009

Do You Get Enough Fluids In Your Diet?

Orange juice.Image via Wikipedia

By Veronika Plesky

Diets, especially those that concentrate on weight loss, often concentrate on what to eat. But fluids are a major part of any healthy, harmonious diet as well. Runners know this well, but the same rules apply to anyone curious about optimum health.

The human body consists of approx. 60% water. All of the biochemical responses within our body demand water. In other words; water is a must. That probably doesn't come as a surprise, but it might surprise you how easy it is to have a deficit.

Nor is it quite good enough to simply wait until you are thirsty to address your fluid demand. Elevated internal body temperature, high heart rate and poor motor performance set in when your body has experienced only a 3% weight loss from water loss.

Your body can lose about 2-3 liters of water a day, even when you are at rest, and that's in a cool enviroment.





Regrettably many of the so called sport drinks are full of sugar. While not bad in temperance in greater concentration the so called " sport drink " just becomes another soda, albeit without the bubbles.

Fruit juices can be an efficient way of getting required fluid. But keep in mind that drinks with carbs slow the body's rate of absorption of water. Here too, the amount of sugar needs to be monitored.

Caffeine drinks aren't inevitably unhealthy. In fact, in temperance, caffeine has been shown to have definite health benefits. But it's also a diuretic, a substance that increases urine output. Drinking lots of coffee can actually boost dehydration. Studies in which participants drank about 6 cups per day (642 mg/day) experienced a 3% loss of body water.

Similarly, alcohol in moderate amounts is beneficial. Red wine has antioxidants. Even beer is healthy, since some of the health effects are due to alcohol alone and hops are good for you. But they do tend also to dehydrate. They're not a exchange for the total water needed daily.

Your body require several types of nutrients all day long. Water happens to an important part of them. So don't forget about the liquid nutrient.

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