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In caring for ourselves, we often don’t know where to start. The acronym of NEW START can help. The 3rd letter stands for:
WATER:
Water plays a huge role in our lives. Everything from brushing teeth and showering, to keeping our cars cool, to growing our food, keeping our pets healthy, and even recreationally at beaches, pools or lakes.
Optimal Function
Your body needs to be hydrated in order to function at its optimal level. If there isn’t enough water in your body, essential functions like circulation and cognition don’t go as smoothly as they should. Your organs won’t get the nutrients they need, and your body will perform its job less efficiently.
Mood
Dehydration can also affect your mood. If you haven’t been drinking enough water, you can feel tired, cranky or irritable. You might even imagine that you’re hungry, when what your body is actually craving is water. Other liquids like coffee and tea can be diuretics and will often make the dehydration even worse.
Productivity
Hydration is important for thinking clearly. If you’re dehydrated, your productivity may suffer. It’s important to remember that your body loses water all day, and you should replace water continuously throughout the day… Water is what helps carry the signals between the brain and the body, without them those signals are trudging through sludge, slow and sometimes unresponsive altogether.
The Role of Water in the Human Body
Water is life, and our bodies need water more than they need food, sleep, or exercise. An important component of every bodily function, water is the major portion of our digestion and elimination systems. It also cushions and lubricates brain and joint tissue. Water transports nutrients and carries waste away from the cells. It helps regulate body temperature. Our bodies are composed of water. The entire human body is about 66% water. Our bones are composed of 22% water, muscles are 76% and blood is 83%. Lungs are 90%, and our brains are actually 95% water.
It is easy to see why water and hydration play such a critical role in being healthy. Hydration is the replacement of body fluids lost through sweating, exhaling, and elimination. It’s just as important at the office or on the couch as it is in the gym. Proper hydration does more than just keep you from getting thirsty. It actually does the following for your health:
- Water is the main property of blood, which carries nutrients to cells and carries wastes out of the body.
- Water helps convert food into energy.
- Water protects and cushions vital organs.
- Water regulates body temperature.
- Water is essential for our senses to work properly. Hearing waves are transmitted through fluids in the ear, light is reflected through fluids in the eye, and food and odors must be dissolved in water for taste and smell.
