Water is a key essential to a healthy body as our bodies are roughly 60% water! The average person needs approx. 8 cups of water per day depending on activity levels.
Drinking .5-1 cup every 10 minutes of intense exercise will replace the amount of water lost in sweat for most people.
Water, being the key ingredient in keeping the body temperature cooled, is essential for a healthy body. Waiting until you are "thirsty" is not a good way to determine when the body needs water. In fact, you become thirsty after dehydration has already occured.
Dehydration can cause heat illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. This is because of the body's inability to sweat. It also causes electrolyte imbalance and malfunctions of the body systems which leads to decrease in energy and performance.
Water is found in many foods as well as liquids. It is wise to consume 16 oz. of fluid for exercises lasting less than 60 minutes. This amount is adequate to hydrate the body before activity. Water should be consume 1-2 hours prior to exercise with 6 - 8 ounces consumes during exercise every 10-15 minutes.
To hydrate the body after exercise should be done within 24 hours. Drink enough water to replace body weight lost during exercise; approximately 24 ounces to every 16 ounces of weight lost.
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Recommended Books by Fereydoon Batmanghelidj
Reviews: ***** [ five stars ]
Having bought and read the authors book Your Body's Many Cries For Water and given copies of it to friends I was interested in what he had to say in this new book and wasn't disappointed. Water is something that is written about in every religion and is depicted on cave walls thousands of years old. Early settlers here in the states sought homesteads near fresh water. Yet, American don't drink enough water and our health shows it. This is a vast contrast to the third world where fresh water projects are what people request more than any other issue.
The authors chapter 11 which details many ailments and why water is needed to reduce or remove the ailment is worth the price of the book. Chapter 12 which discusses why it has to be water and not just any liquid, is something Americans who consume more soft drinks and coffee than any other country need to read. On page 159 he discusses the importance of water in reducing obesity which is a must read in my opinion.
The author gives an excellent real life example of a woman named Shahla who would drink a glass of wine and lay pool side in order to de-stress from a hectic life and lose weight. The woman became so dehydrated from not drinking water that her body went into shock and what she ended up with was water being put into her by medical professionals and a thirteen thousand dollar hospital bill. Think of how drinking water would have prevented this from happening and ask yourself if you are making similar mistakes.
The author drives home the point that lack of water will dehydrate the brain and other organs much faster than one imagines and that one cannot wait until they are thirsty, but have to drink water throughout the day to stay totally healthy.
