| Volume 5, Number 5 |
SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE HEALTH SERVICE
|
February
2001
|
THE WONDERS OF WATER
"No matter how busy you are,
make time to drink water."
Water is everywhere in the human body, accounting for about 60% of its total
weight. The brain is 75% water. The blood is 90% water. We can only survive
about 4 days without water, although we can go for a couple of weeks or
more weeks without food.
Water is essential for good health. Water keeps your energy up, weight down,
muscles strong, joints supple, digestive system smooth, insulates when you
are cold, keeps your skin, eyes, mouth and nose moist, it removes waste
and transport nutrients. Water keeps your whole system in physical balance
and drinking enough water every day is necessary to help keep your body
working at its best. The benefits of drinking water seem endless.
We lose water constantly through perspiration, urine, sneezes, breathing,
and even through tears that bathe our eyes and eyelids to keep them moist.
You lose nearly 10 cups of water daily through normal bodily functions.
If water you lose is not replaced, you can become dehydrated. Headache,
fatigue, lightheadedness, muscle cramps and dulled thinking are all signs
that your body may be suffering from mild dehydration and running on empty.
Severe dehydration, a net water loss of as little as 4% of body weight,
can cause muscle spasms, plummeting blood pressure, delirium, fainting,
kidney failure and even heart attack.
As a general rule, drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water everyday (whether
you feel thirsty or not), and more in hot weather, maintains the level your
body needs. Most people actually get about as much water from solid food
as they do from beverages. The body treats the water from both sources the
same. Fruits and vegetables supply the most water - providing one more reason
to eat plenty of produce! Aim to get at least half your quota from water
itself, the rest from healthy beverages or solid foods, especially fruits
and vegetables.
|
FOOD
|
PERCENT WATER
|
WATER PER SERVING (oz.)
|
| Apple, 1 |
84
|
3.9
|
| Orange, 1 |
87
|
3.9
|
| Banana, 1 |
74
|
2.9
|
| Watermelon, 1/2 cup |
92
|
2.5
|
| Grapes, 1/2 cup |
81
|
2.2
|
| Tomato, 1 |
93
|
3.9
|
| Carrot, 1 |
88
|
2.1
|
| Iceberg lettuce, 1 cup |
96
|
1.8
|
| Rice, 1/2 cup/cooked |
69
|
2.4
|
| Chicken Breast (no skin) |
65
|
1.9
|
POUR IT ON!
The following factors increase the amount of water you should consume: