Friday, February 20, 2009

Water - getting enough

Getting enough water is important for everyone, not just vegans. We seems to forget how important it really is.

Here is an excerpt from: Water Info Sheet. Click here to read the whole article.

Truly the most amazing molecule of life is water. Two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen bound by polar covalent bond.

With a pH of 7, it is neither acidic or alkaline, but neutral. 1 Water freezes at 0°C, boils at 100°C, and weighs 1 kg for every liter. While we can go weeks without food, months without love, years without doctors, we can only go days without water. It is second only to the air we breathe. We are about 60 to 80% water, the brain is about 85% water.

A few things water does (not a complete list):
Aids red blood cells in collecting O2. 2
It is used in every cell, every body function, every muscle, and every joint. 3
Needed to make neurotransmitters - like serotonin. 4
Needed to make hormones - like melatonin. 5
Water helps with sleep. 6
Prevents toxin & waste build up. 7
Aids in weight loss by helping with appetite control (often we interpret thirst for hunger), prevents water retention, and decreases fat deposits themselves. 8
Increases the ability of the immune system - even helping reduce some cancers. 9
Needed for memory & brain function. 10
Needed to keep blood at proper viscosity which can help reduce risk of: stroke, heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.11 (Women who drink 5+ glasses of water/day are 41% less likely to die from a heart attack. 12)

So, how much do you need? Well a good rule of thumb is about half your body weight in ounces. 22 For example: If you are 120lbs that is 60oz or just under 8 cups. If you are 200lbs that is 100oz or just over 12 cups, check with your doctor as needed. For those using metric - The formula is your weight in Kg x 34 = ml needed per day.

Get your water today!

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