Water, the real secret to a perfect shape

Foods and Properties , Healthy Habits , Nutrition

Diet, sports, work, errands to run: so many thoughts every day! We spend our lives taking notes of dates and times, fearing to forget them. Yet, often, we forget the most important. Every day, our body consumes a lot of water and it is absolutely necessary replenish it to give to the body the correct hydration to conduct its many functions. That's why, no matter how busy we are, we should strive to drink as much water as possible.

All the benefits of water

Almost all of the chemical reactions performed by living organisms take place in watery environment. Water plays an essential role for the human body. It contributes to the good functioning of many physical activities:

protection of joints and internal organs
construction and lubrication of tissues
digestion, absorption, circulation, excretion, transport of nutrients
maintenance of body temperature

The most precious Functional Food

The human body is made of about 60% to 75% of water: essential to the life of every species on earth, water was recently listed among the Functional Food. By virtue of their specific functions, water is contained in larger amounts in plasma and muscles. Daily, to improve the body's physiology, the body expels liquids in various ways. The natural breathing process consumes large volumes of water, as well as the secretive activities of feces and urine. The regulation of body temperature occurs through perspiration, a process that consumes liquids and has thermoregulatory function. This activity has a variable incidence due to changing factors like temperature, the percentage of moisture in the air and type of physical activity conducted.

The body is able to replenish a daily quantity of water equal to 1/3 of a liter, deriving it independently from the oxidation of other substances. Such amount is yet insufficient to properly perform all bodily functions.

Dehydration: thirst is the first alarm bell

The well-being of the body is closely related to its ability to dispose of liquid, which is why it is crucial to replenish the water lost daily. Thirst is the first sign: a stimulus that should never be ignored, since it allows you to control the level of hydration of the body

To counteract the symptoms of dehydration drinking or, in the alternative, consuming water-containing foods is the way to go. Most of vegetables contains an average of 85% of water, cooked meat contains about 50%, and spaghetti (sometimes recommended during the Ideal Fit Plan and Keep Fit Plan) contains about 60%.

How much water should we drink daily?

Let's start remembering that, especially during the most hot days, it is essential to replenish the exact amount of fluids lost during the day. Although it is not possible to determine the fixed amount of water, you can calculate that, according to the average water requirement for a healthy adult, the volume necessary to the body well-being is 2.7 liters per day.