Reasons Why Fluids Are Essential
It is said that the average human has between 60,000 – 70,000 thoughts each day. If so, why not make them positive? For every action we take in life, there is a reason for it. We eat because we want to stay healthy, we bath because we want to be clean, we read because we want to know, we work because we want to achieve and so on and forth. Question now is–why do we drink fluids-fluids like water and so on? Am sure you can already come up with one or two in your head, like–we drink because we want to quench thirst, because we want to stay hydrated and all. Truth is, there are more vital reasons we drink than these.
Meanwhile, many drinks have sprung up in one unique way or the other to solve one problem or the other, and that explains how important fluid is to our health. We have the first ever fluid-‘water’, packed in bottles, sachets, dispensers etc. — Then drinks (soft drink, wine-alcoholics and non-alcoholics etc.). We also have juice drinks or the most recent one, smoothies; made from fruit and vegetables.
Here are some reasons why we drink fluids:
- We drink fluids like water to maintain balanced body fluids
Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.
- To have a feeling of satiety
According to Katie Ferraro, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator based in San Diego, drinking fluids expands the stomach which in turn starts sending satiety signals to the brain. Meanwhile, though many drinks come handy, one needs to be smart about selecting choice of fluids to drink! Here is a simple guide-look for beverages that do not have added sugars. If you drink juice often, choose 100% fruit juice over fruit drinks, keeping in mind that caffeine is a stimulant, so a cup of coffee should never be a replacement for a good night’s sleep, so to speak!
- To help us consume regular meals
Drinking fluids like smoothies helps us consume regular meals. Many people skip meals. This often leads to over eating at the next meal and as such making poor meal choices at times. Breakfast is the most commonly skipped meal. So a good smoothie for breakfast that contains carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fat is considered a good meal replacement.
- To quench Thirst
When you’re thirsty, the body’s thirst mechanism is tuned to tell you when you need to hydrate. Don’t overhydrate! Better little drops of water per minute than totally running out and getting thirsty. Do the ‘Bathroom Check’ to know what your level of water intake is. When you’re well hydrated, your urine will be “pale lemonade or straw” in colour, if it’s “clear”, you’re drinking too much, and if it’s the colour of “apple juice”, drink more!
- To build better bones
On average, women who drink moderately seems to have higher bone mass than abstainers. Alcohol appears to boost estrogen levels; the hormone seems to slow the body’s destruction of old bone more than it slows the production of new bone says Debra Gordon; a freelance medical writer with more than 20 years’ experience in the healthcare and medical fields
Finally, drinking fluids like water helps keep our skin fresh. This is because our skin contains plenty of water and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss–according to Atlanta dermatologist Kenneth Ellner, MD. But don’t expect over-hydration to erase wrinkles or fine lines off your body, but note that dehydration makes your skin look even more dry and wrinkled, which can be improved with proper hydration, so once you are adequately hydrated, the kidneys take over and excrete excess fluids.”
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