IT'S THINK THIN THURSDAY!

Man oh man, where did the past week go? I can't believe it's Thursday already. My post today is about H20 and how beneficial it is to our bodies. This comes courtesy of Ladies' Home Journal, who sends me a healthy living email every single day. I find them extremely informative.

Water is one of the most important elements of the human body. It makes up approximately 70 percent of our muscles, and about 75 percent of our brains. It is also an essential part of a healthy diet and plays a vital role in the proper functioning of the body. Some of water's many benefits:
Transports essential nutrients throughout the body and rids the body of waste
Acts as a lubricant for the body, moistening eyes, mouth, nose, and skin
Helps maintain adequate blood volume
Helps regulate body temperature, especially in warm weather
Helps prevent constipation
Helps medications to work
Helps prevent urinary tract infections
Acts as an appetite suppressant
Is calorie-free
Boosts metabolism when drunk cold (we burn 2 calories per glass as we warm it up to body temperature)

A Dieter's Dream
Drinking water also forces fat to be used as fuel. How does this work? Without water, the kidneys are unable to function properly, so the liver picks up the slack. But the liver cannot properly metabolize stored fat as energy. The result is a decrease in fat metabolism, leading to more fat stored in the body. So, drinking lots of water helps avoid extra fat deposits.

How Much Do You Need?
The standard advice from nutritionists is to get at least 64 ounces of water daily. This is called the 8 x 8 rule (eight 8-ounce glasses). If you are trying to lose weight, it is especially important to stay hydrated. A good rule of thumb, experts say, is to drink half your daily water consumption between the time you wake up and lunch, and the other half between lunch and bedtime.

If you are exercising, you might want to drink a bit more. Drink 8-10 ounces approximately 30 minutes before exercising. You should also drink some water while exercising; about 3-4 ounces every 15 minutes. Finally, when you're through exercising, drink another 8-10 ounces to make up for the water you lose through prespiration.

Healthy adults of all ages need at least 8 cups of water every day. Children should have 6-8 servings, but the serving size depends upon the child's age. For children age 2 and under, a serving is half a cup; for kids age 3-5, it's 3/4 cup. For kids 6 and up, a serving is one cup.

Bottoms-up, everyone - go grab yourself some water!
Laurie