Hydration

Hydration is important, but why? What exactly happens in our body that makes being so well hydrated essential to our survival, longevity and well-being.

Over 50% of our body weight is from water; And did you know? Water is involved in every single biochemical reaction in the body.

If you remember elementary school science, we were been taught that a water molecule is made of 2 hydrogen atoms attached to an oxygen atom. Water molecules attract each other and the more you have them bonded together, the larger the body of water is.

Water is everywhere in our body: Inside and outside of every cell that we have. Water also acts as a solvent for chemically charged molecules or ions- Also known as electrolytes.
The electrolytes that are essential to our well-being include:

• Sodium

• Potassium

• Magnesium

• Calcium

• Chloride

• Bicarbonate

• Phosphate

• Sulfate

Which have to be kept at very specific concentration in comparison to the amount of water in our body for proper chemical reactions to occur and over-all functionality. As we can gather from this information, now you may see that taking in electrolytes does not actually hydrate you.
Losing water through breathing, tears, exercising, sweating etc, does contribute in depleting our body of very important electrolytes, however; taking in electrolytes in and of itself does not actually hydrate us. We still need to have the proper amount of water in our body.

Water is involved in everything that happens in our body! They make up tears, saliva and mucus and other secretions which as involved in the lubrication and passageway of our eyes, nose, mouth and genitals which plays a very important role in protecting us from harmful bacteria, viruses and pathogens. In other words, being well hydrated supports your immune system.
Proper lubrication is also needed in the chest cavity where some of our most vital organs like our lungs and our heart slide against one another. The same goes for our joints; it keeps them well lubricated so our bones don’t rub against each other which creates stiffness and wear and tear of the bone.
What’s more is water makes up the bulk of our blood which is needed to transport oxygen and glucose to all of our organs including our brain and also aids in removing toxins from the body through elimination.

Did you know? Being well hydrated can speed up your metabolism by up to 30%!

The daily recommended dose of water on average for women is about 2L of water a day. For men it is 3L of water a day.

What happens when we are dehydrated? Everything slows down and stiffens up. Our bio-chemical processes can not happen as smoothly, it causes irritability, inability to concentrate, constipation, headaches, dry skin and dizziness.

Tips to keep you hydrated:

• Go pick out a great water bottle that you like that can be next to you at work and at home. Seeing it close by will help you remember to drink.

• Set out alarms on your phone that remind you to drink.

• Every time you go to grab a snack, have a glass of water first. Sometimes we feel hungry when we are really just thirsty.

• Eat water rich foods such as cucumber or watermelon.

• Don’t be hard on yourself and be patient. We all have busy lives and picking up a new habit can be hard. Do trust that with patience and repetition, this will become a habit! And it will be worth it for your metabolism, digestion, energy levels, over-all well being and longevity. 

Still unsure or have questions? Please come in to your closest Amaranth location and ask one of our friendly and knowledgeable staff to point you in the right direction. We will be more than happy to help you. See you soon!

Nino Euzen, Wellness Lead.