Day 25 of the Yoga Challenge! Drink More Water!

What happens if I don't drink enough water?

1. Dehydration accounts for over 90% of illness.  When your body loses more fluid than it takes in, dehydration slows down the activities that are so crucial to your survival. Dehydration causes tiredness; digestive, mental and emotional problems; blood disorders and in extremity, death.
2. Fatigue resulting from dehydration can affect your memory, mental focus and work performance.  While tea, coffee and energy drinks temporarily reduces fatigue it does not replace the need for pure water.  Water refreshes you and keeps you energized.
3. Joints and Muscle Pains are reduced when your body is hydrated. Water lubricates and insulates your joints and muscles.  Lack of water triggers lactic acid to form in the muscle causing your joints and muscles to become sore and stiff.  This can impede movement and agility.
4. Kidney Stones form when your kidneys are unable to remove toxic wastes from your organs efficiently and the wastes are not flushed out of your system quickly enough.  Toxins build up in the blood and kidney stones form causing extreme pain and discomfort.
5. Water Retention occurs when you are dehydrated because the body reacts to the deficit by retaining whatever water is in the body.  This in turn affects the body's ability to flush out toxic wastes as the body will not release fluid to do so.  When you are dehydrated your body goes into survival mode which causes constipation, fatigue and weight gain.

Why is water so good for me?

1. Your blood is over 80 percent water and needs water to make healthy new blood cells.

2. Your bones are over 50 percent water and, you guessed it, need water to make healthy new bone cells.

3. Drinking more water actually helps lessen pain in your body by getting your lymphatic system moving. The lymphatic system is a network of nodes, tubes, vessels, and fluid that move waste out of your tissues. It requires water to function properly.

4. Water helps to eliminate wastes and toxins from your body through the lymphatic system, kidneys, and intestines.

5. Water lubricates your joints and helps reduce joint pain and protect against wear and tear.

6. Water regulates your metabolism so if you’re overweight chances are you may need more water.

7. Water balances body temperature.

8. Water helps to ensure adequate electrical functioning so your brain and nervous system function properly. Your brain and nervous system send out electrical signals to function properly. Researchers estimate that your brain gives off about the same amount of electricity as a 60 watt light bulb. So, there’s some truth to the image of a light bulb going on when someone has a good idea.

9. Water alleviates dehydration and most people are chronically dehydrated.

10. Every cell and organ in your body requires adequate water to function properly.

11. One of the quickest and easiest ways to improve your health is to start drinking more pure water every day. 

12. Be sure to drink water an empty stomach or you’ll simply be diluting your digestive enzymes and making your digestion less effective.