From The Inside Out Mag.
For Personal Healing, Spiritual Growth & Development

I used to drink a lot of juice and occasionally I would have pop. Both of which are high

in sugar. Instead of getting water when I was thirsty I would get juice or a pop. It didn’t occur to me that I was depriving my body of an ingredient that it needed most -WATER! I never could understand why I would still be thirsty after I drank a bottle of juice or pop. Although juice is made from fruits, it is not the healthiest choice because it does not contain the beneficial fiber found in fruits and can pack a lot of sugar, even if it is unsweetened.

 WHAT’S WRONG WITH JUICE OR POP?

The answer to that question depends on the beverage you choose to drink and how much of it you’re drinking. Drinking a beverage besides water, IN MODERATION, is fine. If you over indulge in drinking juice, pop, coffee or alcoholic beverages, they can actually leave you more dehydrated than you were prior to drinking them. Many of these drinks have calories that must be digested. Some also contain refined sugar which needs to be metabolized. Since you need water for digestion and metabolism, you end up losing water from these drinks! The main ingredients of most of these beverages consist of; high fructose corn syrup, sugar, colorings, phosphoric acid, caffeine, citric acid and natural flavors.

WHAT ABOUT SUGAR-FREE DRINKS?

They are no better. Sugar-free diet drinks are usually artificially sweetened with harmful chemicals like aspartame. Those chemicals can put more strain on your body than plain white sugar. As mentioned earlier, alcohol and caffeine dehydrate your body. Research shows that they work as diuretics. Although switching from regular pop to diet pop may save you some calories, some studies suggest that drinking more than one pop a day(regular or diet) may increase your risk of obesity and related health problems such as type 2 diabetes.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON’T DRINK ENOUGH WATER?

The body cannot survive without water. Water consumption helps the body breathe, because it moistens the lungs. Lung functions can use up to a pint of water every day, decreasing the body's moisture through exhalation. When that liquid isn't replaced, it makes it difficult to breathe. People, who don't drink enough water can also gain excess body fat, have poor muscle tone and a decreased ability to digest food. Not getting enough water puts a lot of unnecessary stress on your body. It also plays a role in the development of many serious health problems. You may find yourself always feeling exhausted and worn out, along with experiencing headaches and fainting spells. If your body does not get enough water, your blood will thicken. This can increase your chances of having a stroke. It can also damage your heart. If you don’t drink enough water your body will be forced to get rid of its wastes in a much more concentrated form. This may leave you with some unwanted symptoms such as body odor, strong smelling dark-colored urine and bad breath. Not to mention dehydration also speeds up the aging process. Unfortunately many people do not like drinking water and would rather drink something else.

HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD I DRINK?

On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day and spread those out through the day. That's about 2 quarts. The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise often or if the weather is hot and dry.

WATER HELPS YOU LOSE WEIGHT.

Water is an important component of weight loss. It suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. How? The kidneys can’t function properly without enough water. When they don’t work to their full capacity, some of the waste gets dumped onto the liver. One of the liver’s primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. If the liver has to do some of the kidney’s job then it can’t operate at its full potential. As a result, the liver metabolizes less fat and more fat then remains stored in the body and efficient weight loss stops.  Some evidence also suggests that drinking colder water helps burn calories because it’s absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water causing the body to raise the temperature of the cold water to be equal to your body temperature.

OTHER BENEFITS OF DRINKING WATER

• Fluid retention is alleviated.
• Drinking water also assists in preventing bladder and colon cancers.
• Endocrine-gland function improves.
• Natural thirst improves.
• Metabolic functions improve.
• Nutrients are distributed throughout the body.
• Blood volume is maintained.
• Transports oxygen to cells, flushes toxins, and protects your joints and organs.
• Keeps your skin vibrant.

Water is the soup of life! It makes up 60 to 70 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. If you are serious about your health drink more water and drink less of everything else. Nothing beats water for giving your body the fluids it needs. You’ll be surprised, but the more water you drink the less you’ll crave those other beverages!

* This website and its content are: NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR YOUR PHYSICIAN OR THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR OWN DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING ANY LIFESTYLE CHANGE, EXERCISE OR DIET PROGRAM.

By Debra Flowers

More Featured Articles