Most people do not realize how important water is for weight maintenance and overall good health. Christine Clark, Ph.D., director of sports nutrition at Penn State University says, "People don’t realize that water is one of the six classes of nutrients." Your body uses water to convert food into energy; it is also used to carry nutrients throughout your body and to regulate body temperature. Through ordinary activity alone, a sedentary person can lose 2.5 quarts of water in a day. When you are exercising, you can lose between .8 and 1.5 quarts per hour. In order to maintain optimum hydration, all of this fluid must be replaced.
By drinking eight glasses of water per day and more when exercising, you will maintain optimum levels of hydration. Dehydration can actually make you look heavier; this is because fluids are held just under your skin. Drinking more water each day is also good for your heart. A study by Loma Linda University showed that men who drank at least five eight ounce glasses of water per day were 54% less likely to have a fatal heart attack then those who drank two or fewer. According to the researchers, the water dilutes the blood making it less likely to clot. Drink plenty of water, five to eight glasses per day minimum.
Drink up!
Joyce Hearn
www.joycehearn.com
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