Water: the Underrated Nutrient

Is Water That Important?

YES! It's one of the most important nutrients. A lot of people don't give much thought to water. Let me ask you something: how much water do you drink in a day? If you don't have the answer or if you're guessing, you probably don't drink enough.

Water constitutes 65 to 70% of the human body. Your blood is made up of 82% water, your brain 95%, your lungs 90%. Did you know that 50% of all diseases could be tremendously reduced or eliminated by staying hydrated throughout the day? Even when dieting, people calculate the amount of calories they consume from fat, carbs and protein, but don't pay any attention to their water intake. Let's clarify something here: water is the most important nutrient when you want to lose fat. That's right! The Most Important. Also, studies have shown that restriction of water promotes fat retention.

Statistics show that 95% of all the people in the US are dehydrated; drinks like coffee, tea, sodas and alcohol will contribute to dehydration. To prevent dehydration it's best to sip on water throughout the day. Eating more fruits and veggies during the day will help maintaining fluid balance. It will help, not replace drinking water.

A correct balance of water in your body is crucial. Small dehydration is the common cause for fatigue during the day. For an athlete, dehydration will reduce strength, endurance and will often cause cramping.

What Are Some Benefits of Drinking Water?

• Maintain and improve a proper digestive system
• Reduce fatigue
• Reduce risk of disease (bladder disease, colon disease)
• Healthy skin
• Healthier joints
• Healthier bone
• Help weight loss

So How Much Water Do I Need?

The average person needs between 8 to 12 cups of water a day. This is for an inactive person. For active people and athletes, obviously those numbers are too low. The general rule to calculate the amount of water needed per day is fairly simple: Take your weight, for example 200 pounds, divide it by 2, which gives you 100. So you should drink 100 ounces of water a day. The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate amount for men is roughly 3 liters. For women it's 2.2 liters a day. I would add that an athlete should drink at least a gallon (around 4 liters) of water a day.

Just keep in mind: By the time you're thirsty you are already dehydrated. So drink up!