Water, Water Everywhere

by Leanne Ely
As seen in Healthy Foods, Vol 4, Issue 12 (3/21/03)

I need to pontificate at least once a year about the benefits of water for your health. It's been awhile, so I'm going to give it you with both hoses--you really need this stuff!

Water may be the best weight loss tool you have in your Healthy- Foods arsenal. Besides naturally suppressing the appetite, it helps the body actually metabolize STORED fat! Decreasing water intake may cause fat deposits to increase and stepped up water drinking can help shrink them. Why? Kidney function! Not enough water means the kidneys dump some of their workload onto your poor liver. In return, that puts the liver into overtime working on other things besides one of his main functions: metabolizing stored fat. But if the kidneys are slacking and the liver is working two shifts, something's gotta go and guess what it is? Yep, metabolizing fat.

And if you're overweight, that means your metabolic capacity is greater which in turn means, you need to drink more water. A good rule of thumb for anyone is eight 8 ounce glasses per day. But for every 25 pounds of excess weight, you need another glass. If it is hot outside, you'll need even more.

But what if you're not thirsty? Most of us don't understand that we're under hydrated until we reach the point of true hydration and suddenly natural thirst returns. The body becomes balanced, endocrine function is improved and no more fluid retention--all for just drinking the water your body needs!

So bottoms up!