Drink More Water for Better Health

There are many reasons why you should drink more water every day if you want to improve your health, reduce the chances of suffering from a variety of medical conditions that have their root in the lack of water, as well as keeping a reign on your body weight and its propensity to retain water under certain circumstances. Here we'll look at why this is such a valuable commodity that you really should not omit from your daily diet.

The initial reaction from many people to that last phrase is that they do not omit water from their daily diet, but they get it from their food and the things they do drink, such as coffee, tea, soda and juice. Well, that's partly right in that you are getting moisture that will help keep your body hydrated. But it comes at a price.

Only plain water comes with zero baggage that other drinks come with, except for in some cases some herbal teas. Normal coffee and tea contain caffeine and will also dehydrate you because they are diuretic in nature (meaning they cause you to urinate more frequently). Alcoholic drinks are also diuretic, so while they may rehydrate you soon after drinking them, the longer term effect is to reduce your level of hydration, which, if left to reduce further can become dangerous.

Fruit juices, or any flavored drinks for that matter contain at best sugar (which will increase your blood sugar levels rapidly resulting in an insulin response) and at worst, a ton of artificial additives as well as artificial sweeteners that have dubious properties and have been linked with cancer. Fruit juices made directly from the fruit at home in a juicer is much better,. although it will still contain the properties of the fruit which is not as pure as plain water and will contain calories, fruit sugars (fructose) and in the case of citrus, high levels of citric acid.

Plain water is calorie free, sugar and additive free and is the perfect drink for detoxifying your body while re-hydrating without causing excessive urination (as in the case of diuretic drinks). If used as part of a calorie controlled diet instead of diet soda or other supposedly low calorie drinks that are full of additives, it helps to improve the effectiveness of your digestive system to that more of the food you eat is processed and nutrients more efficiently extracted while less fat is caused to be stored. When drank before each meal, your stomach is primed and will send the signals that it is full to your brain faster, reducing the chances of overeating.

As a cure for indigestion, acid reflux of heartburn, plain water is the perfect choice because it gently reduces the acidity coming up from the stomach while helping the body to return from an acid state to a more neutral state. This is important for sufferers of arthritis and gout, which are conditions set off by an excess of uric acid in the bloodstream. This excess can be better controlled by drinking plenty of plain water each day. It helps to maintain healthier kidneys (which flush excess uric acid from the bloodstream) as well as maintain a healthier red and white blood cell count while reducing the instances of thickened blood (another problem associated with constant dehydration).

Water is the only natural drink that is good for your body in so many ways. Some herbal teas can be substituted in where they are benign such as chamomile or mint, but you should always insure that you drink at least 8 glasses (2 pints) of plain water every day for the best health.

Advice on Diet

Nutrisystem Success

Articles: