Water

WELCOME BACK!
I am so excited to start this adventure through the nutrients.  And what better nutrient to start with than water?  It's hard to consider water a nutrient as when you think about it, there really isn't much to water.  But it is extremely important to our survival. 
Human beings can survive without food for 30-40 days, so just over a month, but without water, you wouldn’t last more than 5 days. Each individual body contains approximately 70% water although water content varies from person to person and even one body part to another. Water is responsible for transporting nutrients from one part of the body to another as well as for nearly every single bodily function such as digestion, circulatory, excretion and as already mentioned, absorption.  Water helps maintain normal body temperature as well as it is essential for carrying waste material out of the body. 
When there is a decrease in water content occurs in the body, so does the volume of blood.  This sends a signal to your hypothalamus gland in your brain to send out a signal that your body needs water which then causes a slight rise in sodium levels in the blood.  Most people only consume enough water to quench the thirst in the throat which means that your body is not getting enough water to support all the other bodily functions that require water.  If we do not consume enough water for the body to function optimally, dehydration is the first sign. 
As we age, our body’s sense of thirst begins to dull as well as our body’s water reserves are lower, making it even more important to ingest enough water throughout the day even when we don’t feel thirsty. 
Good quality water is beneficial for nearly all disorders known to mankind including bowel and bladder as well as headaches can be reduced simply by drinking adequate amount of water. If not enough water is consumed, toxins can build up in the system causing symptoms such as a sore head. Other symptoms of low water in the systems are:
Anxiety attacks
Food intolerance 
Stomach acid/heartburn
Muscle pains
Colitis
Hot flashes and many other discomforts and disorders.
Without enough water, we basically poison ourselves with our own metabolic waste.  The kidneys are responsible for removing waste products such as uric acid, urea, and lactic acid.  When enough water is not consumed, damage occurs in the kidneys.
The digestive and metabolic systems both require water for certain enzymatic and chemical reactions to occur. 
 
Other symptoms of inadequate water are:
Poor muscle tone
Digestive problems
Poor functioning organs including the brain
Joint and muscle soreness
And paradoxically, water retention.  
Consuming enough water can also slow down the aging process.  Who doesn’t want to look younger?!?!
Drinking water will also prevent or improve:
Arthritis kidney stones
constipation
arteriosclerosis
obesity
glaucoma
cataracts
diabetes
hypoglycemia and many, many other diseases.
Just by increasing the amount of water you consume each day, you can improve your overall health.  You should be consuming half your body weight in ounces each day which would equal to 100 oz for a 200 lb person.  Which equals to only about 10 cups a day.  And I know that sounds like a lot, but remember, a cup is not the size of a large coffee you get from in the morning.  Go into your kitchen and pull out your 1 cup measuring cup.  Now measure 10 cups into a jug.  See? That’s not that much. You can do that, easy! I challenge those of you reading, if you want to improve your overall health, try making just one change.  For 30 days, just drink 10 cups of water a day and see if you notice any difference. 
Tune in tomorrow when we begin to discuss the macro nutrients: Protein, Fat and Carbohydrates!