Our body needs water to function and survive. Water keeps the delicate tissues in our body moist. It also regulates body temperature, lubricates joints and helps flush out toxins. Water is very necessary for good health as it helps in digestion and removes waste products. It also carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells. Our body is made up of 75% of water at birth. Our cells gradually dry up and that is why we need to keep ourselves hydrated.
The easiest way of staying hydrated is to drink plenty of water. The recommended amount is six to eight glasses of water. Again, different people need different amounts of water to keep themselves hydrated. Some may need more and some may need less than the recommended 6-8 glasses. One way to know if you are drinking enough water is to check your urine. If it is light yellow or colourless, then you are drinking enough water. Dark yellow or amber urine shows that you may be dehydrated.
Water is not the only liquid that keeps you hydrated. You can keep yourself hydrated by eating or drinking other food. Liquids like tea, juices, milk, soups and coffee add to the amount of liquid you consume. All food contain water to some extent. Some food contain more water than others like cucumber, watermelon and tomatoes, which contain more than 95% water in them.
Lately, health enthusiasts have been saying that eating water laden vegetables and fruits is better than drinking lots of water, as sometimes water passes straight through and does not get absorbed by the cells which defeats the purpose. Hydration is all about absorbing and holding the water in the body. Eating hydrating food is better than drinking unlimited amounts of water as when you eat these hydrating foods, other molecules in the food help the cells to absorb the water and retain it. The water in the food is absorbed more slowly because the water is inside the structure of the food. This slow absorption also means that we retain it in our body for a longer time.
Another advantage of food with high water content is that it is usually low in calories, which may also help you lose weight. As we all know watery food makes us feel fuller for longer. You are not only eating water, but also lots of fibre and plant nutrients, which are very important for good health, and build immunity against many diseases. Hence it is recommended that these water rich food should be eaten raw, as cooking them leaches out the water and nutrients.
Cellular water loss is also said to cause aging. Our body has 75% water content at birth and it reduces to almost 50% when we reach middle age. When there is lack of adequate water supply, the structure of the skin cell deteriorates and leads to signs of aging. Since skin can only be beautiful when it is healthy at the cellular level, we need to provide our cells with nutrition filled with water.
So go for food with high water content and keep yourself healthy and hydrated.