Water: The Blood of the Earth

When was the last time you had some water? If you are thirsty right now, you are already well on your way to dehydration. Your body is composed of roughly 60% water so when we are dehydrated (most of us spend our days constantly dehydrated to some degree) we are affecting the performance of the majority of our body. Everyone knows the should drink water, some even know how much they should be drinking. Here’s my take on the importance of drinking water and avoiding dehydration:

• Improve your mood: happiness is key to a healthy life and dehydration affects your mood and will make you grumpy and confused. Think clearer and be happier by drinking more water.
• Train harder: proper hydration contributes to increased athletic performance. Water composes 75% of our muscle tissue hence being dehydrated leads to weakness, fatigue, dizziness and electrolyte imbalance.
• Reduce joint pain: Drinking water keeps the cartilage soft and hydrated.
• Improve Gut health: Our digestive system needs water to function properly. Waste is flushed out in the form of urine and sweat, without water we don’t flush out waste and it collects in our body causing a myriad of problems.
• Prevent headaches & Migraines: Headaches can be caused by dehydration, so drinking water can prevent or alleviate that nasty head pain. Next time your head hurts, try drinking water.
• Glowing skin: Our skin is the largest organ in our body – regular and plentiful water consumption can improve the color and texture of your skin by keeping it building new cells properly.
• Feed your body: Water is essential for the proper circulation of nutrients in the body. Water serves at the body’s transportation system and when we are dehydrated things just don’t circulate like they should.

How much do you need to stay hydrated throughout the day? Aim for 1 litre for every 25kg of body weight.. So if you weigh 75kg you need 3 litres per day. In addition I tend to add 0.75-1 litre for every hour of training.