Water Is Important!

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• Up to 70% of our body is water
• You could survive weeks without food, but only days without water
• Being overweight actually decreases the bodies percentage of water
• Water is lost each day and therefore needs to be replaced daily
• Drinking more water will help with bloating, not cause it
• More frequent trips to the bathroom is a good thing! It means your drinking enough and your kidneys are working properly
• Water is needed to form muscle
• Drinking cold water may help you burn more calories

Our bodies need water to regulate body temperature, provide the means for nutrients to travel to all our organs, transport oxygen to cells, remove waste, and protect joints and organs. We lose water through urination, breathing, and sweating. Not drinking enough water may result in tiredness, headaches, dry eyes and mouth, water retention, poor concentration, constipation, and muscle pain.

As a general guide, 8-10 glasses of total water a day should be enough to satisfy the bodies needs. We get about 20% of our water through food and the rest comes from beverages. Physical activity and higher temperatures increase the bodies fluid needs, so add in an extra couple glasses of water a day. Juices, teas, and coffee do count towards total water intake. However, many juices contain high amounts of sugar, and coffee/teas contain caffeine, which can act as a diuretic so increasing water consumption will be beneficial.

It is very important to listen to your body’s own signs of thirst. Try not to let yourself get to the point of being really thirsty, this is a sign that your body is already dehydrated.

​Tips for drinking more water:

• While studying or working, keep a bottle or glass of water on your desk.
• Drink water with meals.
• Pack a water bottle with you in your bag or car.
• Be sure to always have a water bottle with you at the gym.
• When you are thirsty, buy a water bottle from the vending machine instead of pop or juices.
• When feeling hungry, drink a glass of water first and wait 10 minutes. Our bodies actually cannot tell the difference between hunger and thirst.
• Keep a glass of water beside the bed to drink when you wake up during the night or to drink first thing in the morning.
• When drinking juice, fill half the glass with water.
• Add lemons, or other fruits to water for flavour.

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