“Once, during Prohibition,” said comedian W.C. Fields (1880-1946), “I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.” Of course, he was known for spiking his water, so for him it probably was not as bad as he made it sound.
Water is normally free and abundant and is necessary to replenish the body, which is composed of approximately 65 percent water. Having such a major presence in the body’s structure, water plays an obviously vital role in maintaining good health. For example, water aids digestion, flushes toxins, reduces fatigue, regulates body temperature, helps organs to function properly and, as a blood component, moves nutrients throughout the body. Plus, there is a correlation between water intake and weight control. So drinking enough water on a daily basis is essential.
The mantra for years was eight glasses of 8 ounces of water per day, or 64 ounces. No one is sure where this advice came from, but it is sometimes attributed to the Stillman Diet, which began recommending it back in 1967.
If life were only so simple.
In the last decade, a number of medical and nutrition specialists have increased the ante to 100 ounces per day (nearly 3 liters) . . . with some saying up to 20 percent of the water intake can come from food. There is even more specific advice than consuming 100 ounces of warm or cold water.
The Institute of Medicine recommends 91 ounces per day for women, 125 ounces for men . . . including the 20 percent food factor. A more specific recommendation calls for dividing your body weight by one-half and consuming that amount of water daily. The average weight for women is 169 pounds, for men it is 196 pounds.
And, just to keep something as simple as water in perspective, there are even a few studies concluding that 64 ounces per day is not necessary. But, generally, the move toward 100 ounces is becoming more the norm as a daily recommendation.
Water escapes the body in a variety of ways, so it should be replaced periodically during the day. Lungs expel up to 16 ounces of water daily just by breathing, sweaty feet account for 4 ounces, trips to the bathroom average 24 ounces of lost water daily, sleeping can result in as much as 16 ounces of water loss per night and normal perspiration aside from exercise is another 8 ounces.
The Cleveland Clinic cautions that water intake should not be confused with liquid intake. For example, liquid alternatives to water (soft drinks, juices, coffee, energy drinks) can contain 100 calories or more and a lot of sugar. The sugar content diminishes the rate water is absorbed by the body.
While comedian Fields was no friend of water, opining that water rusts pipes and
fish do disgusting things in it, nonetheless the 64 ounce recommendation is still good advice and 100 ounces per day is even better.
Water is essential for good health. And AIM powders such as BarleyLife, Just Carrots and RediBeets mix flowingly with water to create nutrient-rich beverages, delivering natural health benefits that are just a sip away.
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