Hydration Mastery: Proper Hydration to a Healthier Life

How important is proper hydration to our health? Your hydration level could actually become a matter of life and death.

Water is essential to the health of your heart. Water is essential for your heart’s function, which is to pump blood. Your heart will be able to pump blood more efficiently if you keep it properly hydrated. It is also important to maintain a healthy blood flow because it helps your muscles remove waste products (which are the bi-products of your activity) and work more efficiently.

“Your heart will work less hard if you are well hydrated,” said John Batson MD a sports medicine doctor at Lowcountry Spine & Sportin Hilton Head Island S.C. and an American Heart Association Volunteer.

It would be a gross understatement to say that hydration is important for our health. Dehydration is a serious health condition that can lead to a variety of issues, from headaches or swollen legs to life-threatening illnesses in hotter climates such as heatstroke.

How many ounces of water should I drink each day? Everybody is different so there isn’t a simple answer. The amount of water that you need will depend on several factors including your lifestyle, the climate where you live, and any existing health conditions.

People with Cystic Fibrosis sweat have high levels of sodium. They should be cautious to avoid dehydration. Certain medications can cause fluid loss.

If you notice your urine color is darker than normal, it is time to increase your fluid consumption.

You can easily determine the amount of fluid you need by weighing yourself both before and after exercise. This routine is especially important if you are exercising in hot temperatures.

Batson said that a high school football player in protective gear, going through drills, and wearing protective equipment can lose as much as 5 pounds of sweat during a single practice.

Batson said that those in better physical shape will sweat and drink more even if they do not feel tired.

When you do not sweat, you may be dehydrated or at risk for heat exhaustion.

For most people, water is the best thing to drink to stay hydrated. Sources of water also include foods, such fruits and vegetables which contain a high percentage of water. Sports drinks with electrolytes, may be useful for people doing high intensity, vigorous exercise in very hot weather, though they tend to be high in calories.

Clustered water is a special form of water that readily and quickly permeates through the walls of our cells faster than regular water. This means we can actually drink less volume of water, yet have similar or better hydration – that is proper hydration.

As our cells are properly hydrated this allows for the efficient delivery of nutrients, the removal of toxins and better cellular communication. In addition to being properly hydrated, drinking clustered water also raises your energy level.

It is recommended to steer clear of fruit juices or sugary drinks, such a soda. These types of drink can be hard on your stomach and their high sugar content as other health issues, plus can actually make you thirstier. In addition to the sugar content many sodas also contain caffeine, which acts as a diuretic and will cause you to lose more fluids.

Another great tip to stay properly hydrated is to drink some clustered water or regular prior to your exercise. Then while exercising continue to hydrate as well as after you are finished. This will then keep you from having to play catch-up and stop your heart from having to strain.

How important is it to our health to be properly hydrated? Your hydration level could actually become a matter of life and death.

As an example, water is vital to your heart’s health. Water helps your heart to perform it function; pump blood. Keeping your heart properly hydrated allows your heart to more easily pump blood through your blood vessels and into your muscles. With proper blood flow, it also helps the muscles to remove waste (bi-products from your activities) so they can work efficiently.

“If you’re well hydrated, your heart doesn’t have to work as hard,” said John Batson, MD a sports medicine physician with Lowcountry Spine & Sport in Hilton Head Island, S.C., and an American Heart Association volunteer.

To say that proper hydration is vital to our health would be an understatement. Dehydration can be a serious condition that can cause health issues ranging from swollen feet or headaches, to even life threatening illnesses when you are in warmer climates, such as heat stroke.

It is important to drink enough fluids, and not only for those who exercise or are athletes. You can become dehydrated even if you’re not doing any physical activity and are just sitting in the hot sun during a summer day. You need fluids all the time.

Anyone with a heart problem, who is overweight or older than 50 years old should pay attention to their hydration. It is important to have a sufficient supply of regular or clustered water. Your body will thank you for making proper hydration an unconscious habit.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.