WATER!!

[maria angelica sassone]

Life is water, there is no life without water . The fact that water constitutes about 60 % of body weight in men and about 50 % in women ample proof of its importance to human life . Since the fat or adipose tissue contains little amount of water, the total percentage of water in the obese individual is less than that introduced the non-obese . The relationship between total body weight of water and fat-free body weight , lean body weight is known , is fairly constant : in an adult the total weight of water represents about 72 % of lean body mass . This water area is divided into three compartments: the water inside the cells or intracellular space , interstitial fluid (between cells) and intravascular fluid , which circulates within the blood vessels. As a curiosity it should be noted that the ECF has an ionic composition similar to seawater , although more dilute. These three aqueous compartments are in continuous exchange for maintaining a proper balance within the body.

total dependency to the water

Water is a truly remarkable food and essential for life: food and gas are transported in an aqueous medium , the waste products leave the body through urine and feces , water regulates our temperature , lubricates joints and helps our decisively to give structure and shape the body by providing rigidity to the tissues, because this precious liquid is not compressible . In addition , proper hydration helps keep skin smooth and young, with acute or chronic dehydration causes skin to wrinkle and crack easily.

Although the loss of water can often exceed consumption , its content in the body remains relatively stable over time and in case of imbalance, a new intake of fluid in a short time to adjust the water level that our body needs .

A sedentary adult in an environment free from excessive heat and humidity, is approximately two gallons of water a day , which comes from three sources: the liquid you eat (about 1200 ml ) of the food consumed (approximately 1000 ml), and produced within the body as a result of metabolism , which equals about 350 milliliters. Fruits and vegetables are foods that contain more water .

Where water is removed

Body water is lost through urine , skin , respiration and defecation. For urine excrete little more than a liter a day , and this road becomes crucial to eliminate certain products resulting from the metabolism , especially urea, the end product of protein degradation . The more protein including a diet , more water is required to expel the waste generated .

Another small amount of water is lost through the skin, as sweat produced by the sweat glands. This sweating is often invisible, but under normal conditions are secreted between 0.5 liters and 0.7 liters , an amount that is multiplied when the outside temperature increases. Sweating is the cooling system is more important than the body. Finally, the water loss through the breath and feces is approximately 0.4 liters .

Drink without waiting for the thirsty

With the sun and heat and sweat more , consequently, fluid loss increases. If this is added the more liquid is lost , the lower the body's ability to regulate temperature , it is understood how crucial it is to replace that water. But we should not wait to feel thirsty to drink water: and dry mouth is a symptom of dehydration, and the instinct to drink is lost with progressive dehydration . Therefore, one should not rely on thirst and should regularly drink 8-10 glasses throughout the day. The more moisture , the greater amount of water consumed . Heat , humidity and exercise are the ideal conditions to bring up a box of dehydration. A 2% loss of body water results in loss of 20% of physical energy , the depletion is accelerated by the loss of fluid and when you lose 20 % of the water body is increases the risk of serious complications.

But apart from the sun, heat and exercise, other factors require special fluid intake : the fever, and , especially , diarrhea and vomiting , the incidence increases in summer because of gastroentiritis , more frequent at this time of year.

Symptoms of dehydration

Thirst, dry mucous membranes and skin , burning sensation and heartburn , drowsiness , extreme fatigue, and if it's serious , sunken eyes , rapid pulse , low blood pressure , fever , fluid retention (as organs like the kidneys begin to fail , which may include the collapse and death) are some of the symptoms of dehydration.

No sólo la sed to claim ...

• Drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water, and if it's summer and regular exercise, eat an extra intake of fluid without waiting for thirst to alert .
• Diets rich in fats and proteins require more fluid to eliminate their metabolic remnants , since these foods contain less water than other products.
• The heat , humidity and exercise significantly increased the water requirements of our body.
• Those with kidney stones, gravel or urinary tract infections should drink more fluids.
• Coffee , alcohol , tea and similar beverages are diuretics and increase fluid removal in the urine. Beware of them .
• Infections , fever , vomiting and diarrhea cause a rapid loss of fluids , which the elderly and children are more sensitive , which must be replenished immediately. A preparation of pharmacy or a homemade serum (water with a pinch of baking soda and a squeeze of lemon and sugar ) will help to restore immediately the necessary liquid .
• Aging is associated with desiccation , loss of water, which affects all body tissues , but especially to the skin. Optimum moisture from childhood helps maintain youthful skin.

Misconceptions

Many people are concerned because they think they want to retain fluid and not drinking water. But a healthy person does not retain liquids, the body perfectly still manages to maintain balance and if there is excess fluid increases the removal of urine. It is the opposite , the "defect of liquid " , which should concern us, because it is more than likely as a result we suffer from constipation and joint and tendon problems , skin looks more wrinkled and expel the urine more concentrated and dense, which favors the formation of stones , gravel and even urinary tract infections. Only in case of kidney, liver , heart or varicose veins can be highly developed , for medical indications , reduce fluid intake.

Another common mistake is to go to the sauna to lose weight. In the sauna exclusively lose fluid must be replenished immediately. In addition, through the fluid and salts lost electrolytes also that we replaced. The best thing for this is the fruit juice , especially orange .

Not to take diuretics to lose weight. Diuretics can not eat without the express direction of the medical , as they cause side effects that must be controlled.

The water is not fattening : the excess is removed . But in addition , have you thought that eat at 14 degrees and 37 degrees and remove this implies that we have used a lot of energy to heat ? It is conceivable , therefore, that water not only fattening , but thinner .