Water & Human Body

It is no parable anymore that water is very essential for healthy living. A well balanced diet must be made up of water and other major constituents. Hence water plays a major role in many mechanisms in the human body which makes drinking water an indispensable constituent in the human diet and an undisputable asset for the body as outlined below. 

Importance of water in the human body

Two third constituent of human body is dependent on water.

•  Composes 73 % of the human brain. 
•  It makes up 83% of the human blood. 
•  Water serves as a major agent of detoxification. 
•  Regulation of temperature and that of metabolism is facilitated through water. 
•  Water provides for effective lubrication. 
•  It composes up to 22 % of the human bones and cushions the joints. 
•  Water helps in the breaking down of food to energy. 
•  Water has its part to play in the transportation of nutrients and oxygen to the bodycells. 
•  As far as the absorption of nutrients is concerned, water has its role to offer. 
•  Water protects and cushions the body vital organs. 
•  It makes up 75% of our body tissues. 

Daily requirement of water for human body 

• On a regular basis, human body needs 2 to 2.5 liters of water. 
• It is important to note in this regard that food items with enriched moisture also add to the body’s need for water. 
• Thus consumption of food item leads to the intake of 1 liter of water. 
• So it is important that drinking water takes care of the remaining water supply varying from 1.5 to 2 liters is provided. 

Symptoms of dehydration or water loss

• There are some specific symptoms of dehydrations including thirst, hunger and exhaustion. 

• Thirst is one of the most common signs of dehydration. It is an obvious condition calling for the intake of water. 

• With sufficient consumption of water, urine should appear clear in color. Change of coloration to pale yellow is one of the signs of dehydration. 

• Weakness, decrease in the production of urine, dryness of mouth, muscular cramps and feeling of nausea are also some of the associated symptoms of dehydration. 

•  It is natural to lose water and loss of water results owing to causes of perspiration, bowel movement and overall metabolism of the human body. 

•  It has also been established that loss of water should be replenished by consumption or drinking of water. 

Say no to a sedentary lifestyle, We are designed to move

Regular movement of our bodies is essential to life. Many people however, do not 

move enough to keep healthy!

Sitting always and getting increasingly less active for the most of one’s daily life is called sedentarism – now a major disease of the modern society, leading to about 2 million deaths annually.

Sedentarism itself can’t kill, but leads to life threatening diseases and conditions like: hypertension, cardiac diseases, depression, stress and diabetes.

As the society gets increasingly “automatized”, movements get substantially 

limited over time, diminishing life quality and performance in daily activities.

• Physical activity is the solution!, MOVE! Beyond regular exercises such as “gyming”, 

• it is also about simple actions as climbing the stair often, walking instead of driving, 

• washing your own car, forgetting the remote controls, walking to a canteen, getting off your system and walking up for regular tea breaks, walking up to colleagues e.t.c.

• Get the small actions on and grow into the regular exercises at the gym, running, jugging, e.t.c. 
• but  what you can’t do is stay still for too long a time everyday!!

Regular physical activity promotes health and improves the performance of daily 

activities.

Get moving and keep moving regularly and consciously!

                                                                                            Thanks!         

Is sugar that bad?

The sugar we eat is either from its natural source like the fructose and the glucose from our everyday fruits (orange, apple, pineapple, banana), honey, lactose in our milk, cheese; sucrose and maltose in our sugar canes and beets and added sugars present in our sweetened beverages.

Why do we need sugar?

           Sugar serves as a source of energy to the 

      body.  It serves also as a source of glucose for body 

      metabolisms

Good and bad sugar?

Added sugar is the type of sugar we get from our sweetened beverages, table sugar and other food products. This type of sugar is easily absorbed by the body hereby increasing the level of blood sugar at a rate higher than those from our raw fruits foods. This is because our fruits are made up of fibres and other nutritive constituents that slow down sugar absorption. We are advised to eat more of fruit sugars and less of added sugars to avert the risk of sugar related health issues like high blood pressure, obesity, cardiovascular problems etc.

Health effects?

      Excess consumption of sugar can expose one to the risk of having dental caries which is caused by sugar loving bacteria, and yeast infections too. These microorganisms are being favoured to grow in environments with high sugar concentrations which our body eventually provides.

      When there is excess sugar in the body, the hormones insulin stipulates the body to store up the glucose in fat cells; this increases the chances of diabetes, obesities and cardiovascular diseases.

      Low levels of sugar in the body can lead to Hypoglycemia a medical emergency that involves an abnormally diminished content of glucose in the blood.

What amount?

v  Recommended Daily Sugar Intake for Men: 36 grams or 9 teaspoons (9 cubes) 

v  Recommended Daily Sugar Intake for Women: 20 grams or 5 teaspoons  (5 cubes)

v  Recommended Daily Sugar Intake for Children: 12 grams or 3 teaspoons  (3 Cubes)

Do you know that?

o   a bottle of soft drink  contains about 9-10 teaspoons of sugar

o   a bottle of tonic drink contains about 6 teaspoons of sugar

o   a can of malt contains much more sugar than that of a coke.

Let’s try and take as few as possible especially not in between meals.