With over 50 percent of the body being composed of water, it’s essential to stay hydrated. When the body is properly hydrated, all of the viral organs function properly, helping people maintain better levels of overall health and wellness. Here are some of the top ways that staying hydrated helps the body work just as it’s supposed to:

• Helps keep the digestive system functioning properly
• Regulates the body’s temperature
• Moves oxygen around the body, helping it absorb essential nutrients
• Responsible for eliminating the waste products the body no longer needs
• Sustains energy (even a small drop of 2 percent of our water levels can lead to a loss of energy)
• Keeps the skin fresh, young, and plump.

It’s easy to see that proper hydration is an essential element to staying healthy and well. It’s also important to consider that hydration levels can vary depending on factors such as age, temperature, and exercise, for example. As people get older, the body tends to store less water, which means older people need to consumer more water in order to decrease the risks of illness and infection. Additionally, exercise and warmer temperatures means the body will sweat more leading to faster dehydration. It’s important to increase water consumption in these circumstances.

How Much Water Should an Individual Drink?

Experts recommend that people drink between 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day, which equates to between 8 and 10 glasses.

In addition to drinking water, individuals should consume fruits and vegetables that contain large amounts of water. For example, lettuce and cucumbers are 96 percent water. Additionally, grapefruits contain 91 percent water, cantaloupe and melons are made up of 90 percent water, and strawberries have a 92 percent water concentrate.

This is one reason fruits and vegetables are so good for health – they contribute to keeping the body fresh and hydrated.

What Fluids Are the Best to Consume?

To get all the health benefits, individuals should primarily drink water. Many people don’t like the taste of just water, so they prefer to jazz it up with a slice of lemon or lime. In fact, giving water a kick is such a trend that fruit infusers are popular.

Coconut water is also extremely hydrating. It has become more popular over the years as well. While coconut water is hydrating, it does contain natural sugars, so don’t cut out water and only drink coconut water.

Tea and coffee do count toward daily water intake. However, most experts recommend limiting coffee and tea intake to around 3 cups a day.

Fruit juices and smoothies are another great way to up the intake of water. A small word of caution though. Fruit juices do contain high amounts of natural sugar, so drinking too much juice will increase calorie intake, and can lead to weight gain.

As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to drink water, and then supplement with juices, coconut water, coffee and tea.

Avoid Dehydration at all Costs

Remember that being dehydrated can cause symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, headaches, changes in mood, dizziness, and confusion.

If an individual is experiencing these symptoms and hasn’t had enough water, make sure he or she sits down and rehydrates in a cool temperature.

Dehydration can turn serious quickly, especially in babies, children, and the elderly. If an individual becomes severely dehydrated, the body stops removing waste, which in some cases can lead to kidney failure.

Hydration is vital to sustain health and life, so remember to drink enough each day.

For more wellness tips, contact Horst Chiropractic today.