Stress Can Kill

Ever heard the expression “You Are What You Eat?”  Well…..what about , “You Are What You Drink!!

The human body is made up of 58 to 75% water depending on your body size – 85% of your brain, 80% of your blood and approximately 70% of your muscle is water.   Now considering that it’s that high of a percent, it’s obvious that your body needs water in order to function properly.  That should be pretty obvious, right?  However, many people make the mistake of thinking they can drink ANY liquid and that it’s an equal substitute for water.  WRONGO!!

Okay, so I was one of them……..drinking two Dr. Peppers a day and good ole sweet southern iced tea and rarely squeezing in water at all.  Honestly, I just didn’t want any water………it didn’t do anything for me, or so I used to think.   Then along came a friend of mine whom I hadn’t seen in about a month because they worked at a different campus than I did.  I was really surprised to see how they had lost a lot of weight – 15 pounds to be exact.  When I asked him how he did it, he said he cut out all liquids and drank only water.  He couldn’t believe that just making that one change for him made that big of a difference.

So I started doing some research on water:

Water helps remove the dangerous toxins that your body takes in from the air you breathe, the food you eat and the chemicals used in the various products you use on your skin and hair. Other things water does for your body is to cushion your joints. Water carries oxygen and nutrients into all your cell and  also helps regulate your body temperature.

Some of the negative effects to your body if you do not have enough water are that your blood pressure can fall to dangerously low levels. Blood clots may form. Your normal kidney function is impaired and  you may get terrible constipation which we all know is miserable!

Waiting to drink water when you feel thirsty means that you’re already too late.  Thirst is one of the first signals of dehydration.  Other warning signs of dehydration are dry skin and eyes, increased incidence of urinary tract infections and headaches.

Depleting your body of a much needed nutrient is like playing Russian Roulette with your life – it can have THAT much of an impact to your health.  When you deprive your body of water, you are putting stress on your body that can end up having a long term effect on your health.

Next time you think you want that soda – pick up a glass of water instead.  Put in a slice of orange or lemon.  It will refresh you and the more water you drink, the more you will want.  Trust me – if you drink the recommended daily allowance of at least 64 ounces of water a day for at least a week and then you STOP – you will start to crave the water.

Try it – your body will thank you!