Elixir of Life - Water

If I asked you how much water you drink/intake on a daily basis, would you know?  Do you know that your body can access water from your cells if you don't get enough from your intake (which does include water from some foods like fruits and vegetables which have a high water content)?  Ever go give blood and find it very painful or even difficult to fill a vial?  That's because the water content of your body may be too low causing your blood to become "thicker" (more concentrated).  Water is needed for EVERY cell of our bodies - inside, outside, and in-between!  It's used in so many metabolic functions as a carrier or even as a garbage collector (removing metabolic by-products); it's used in lubricating/cushioning our joints, and helps maintain our body temperature.  If you don't have enough, you can suffer from heartburn, stomach pains, muscle pains, headaches, mental fogginess, water retention, etc.!  Plus, you NEED water to remove water retention!! Yet, we make it so difficult for our body to use this nutrient because we may not be getting enough of it.

The overall rule has been to drink AT LEAST 8 cups of water daily, right?  Did you know that's the average of intake for a normal, healthy person?  If you're overweight or active or leave in a dry climate or have caffeine, that amount might change.  If any of you have ever watched "The Biggest Loser", you always hear them pushing the "drink more water" thing - well, that's because water is needed to metabolize your fat stores!  If you don't get enough water, your body is going to use what it has based on priority functions and fat metabolism isn't one of them.

Guess what?  By the time your mouth is dry, you're already on your way to dehydration. Why?  Here's why...let's use this scenario: First thing this morning, you had your cup of coffee (caffeine induces excretion of water), maybe some cereal with milk (milk has water that the body has to process out).  Off to work you go - maybe you have a long commute and you bring along a travel mug of coffee or tea (more caffeine).  Now you're at work and your mouth is dry so you grab a 16oz bottle of water (good but not enough).  Let's stop here.  If we were to see what's going on inside the person in this example, they were fasting all night so the body was using what water it had stored up but then they didn't really give it substantial replacement first thing...slowly, the body slows certain functions and by the time the person gets to work and is thirsty, the blood has "thickened" which sends the information via the nervous system to the hypothalamus (brain) that water balance (input=output) is off and it needs water NOW!!  The hypothalamus then sends the message along to cause their mouth to get dry.

"Oh but if I drink TOO much water, I can die!"  I've heard this one so many times - people, that is a rare occurrence and preventable!  You would have to drink around 10-12 liters of water within a few hours to have this occur (condition known as hyponatremia).  Those that should worry about getting "water intoxification" are those with kidney disorders that reduce urine production or people that can't keep track of amounts (such as children).

So what's the formula to figure out how much water you should drink?  The Adequate Intake amount is if you burn 2000 Kcalories a day, you should intake about 2-3liters daily (that's 8-12 cups), and that includes water from food sources as well.  But, here's a general rule formula: Drink 50-75% of your body weight in ounces - If you're sedentary, make it 50% of your body weight in ounces and if you're active, make it 75%...and if you're in-between, well make your number be in-between!  Now add about 16oz more if you live in a dry climate area.  Plus, on the days you do strenuous exercise, add about another 16oz.

It's pretty straightforward and so rewarding!  Your body will thank you in so many pleasant ways :D



All information on this blog is my own pursuit of information on the road to getting my BS in Nutrition Science and as a mode of studying. 

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Nutrients

You've heard the word or at least seen it - nutrient.  What is it exactly?  Obviously, it has something to do with nutrition - right.  Nutrients are, basically, chemicals derived from food that our bodies use for energy, structural materials (bone, etc.), and regulating agents for growth, maintenance, and tissue repair.  Hmm, pretty important stuff those darn nutrients.  Nutrients are broken down into various categories, depending on what is being discussed:

• Macronutrients are those nutrients that our bodies need in large amounts such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins (macro=large);
• Micronutrients are the nutrients that our bodies need in smaller portions such as vitamins and minerals (micro=small);
• Essential nutrients are nutrients (chemicals) that we require from outside our bodies.  In other words, our bodies can't produce them or we produce them in too small quantities to meet physiological needs -- there are approximately 40 essential nutrients, by-the-way;
• Organic nutrients - no, not like organic produce but it relates to the nutrients that contain at least 1 carbon molecule.  These are the vitamins of which there are 13.
• Inorganic nutrients are nutrients that do not contain any carbon molecule.  These are the minerals and there are only 16 of them that are known to be essential in human nutrition.

Now that we have all of that cleared up, I'd like to discuss these nutrients :D  You knew that was coming, right?  Right.

There are six classes of nutrients required by our bodies.  They are:

1. Carbohydrates - macronutrient; provides energy; organic
2. Lipids (aka fats) - macronutrient; provides energy; organic
3. Proteins - macronutrient; provides energy; organic
4. Vitamins - micronutrient; organic
5. Minerals - micronutrient; inorganic
6. Water - inorganic

 NOTE: There are other compounds in foods that our bodies utilize (fibers, phytochemicals, etc.) but these are not considered nutrients...just wanted to clarify that.


Macronutrients. When the body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for energy or fuel, the bonds between the nutrient's atoms break and releases the energy into our bodies.  Some of the energy is released as either heat or it's used to send electrical impulses (messages), to synthesize body compounds, and to move muscles.  If either of these macronutrients is not used up in the body, what do you think happens?  Yep, it gets stored in the body for some day in the future when the intake is inadequate or during the night while you sleep or even for in-between meals.  Speaking of which, your body continues to use energy (your brain especially) while you sleep therefore depleting stored reserves and helping you to lose weight - that's why it's so important to get enough hours of sleep if you're trying to lose weight!  And, did you know that our brains (since we've sidetracked a bit about that fine organ) use glucose for fuel and that our bodies produce that from the carbohydrates we eat?  The only animal product that has enough carbohydrates for this are dairy products...take that, Atkins dieters. Click here to learn more.  These same macronutrients (carbs, protein, & fats), also provide the foundational materials to build tissues and regulate many of the body's activities/functions. (FYI - Protein is NOT a major energy provider but is more of a structural building block. It also helps to regulate digestion and metabolize energy.)
 
Vitamins. Obviously, vitamins don't directly provide energy to the body but they do play their part. These little (micronutrients) powerhouses help the macronutrients release their energy and they do a bunch of other things throughout the body too.  Each of the 13 vitamins has a starring role in the body because almost every action in the body requires the help of vitamins.  Also good to know - vitamins can only function properly if they are intact.  Their molecular organic complexity makes them vulnerable to being destroyed by heat, light, and chemical agents!  This is why steaming veggies for a very short time (or eating them raw) is a preferred and healthier method of preparation.  Just for fun, here are the 13 vitamins: 

1. Vitamin C (water soluble);
2. Eight (8) B vitamins (water soluble) - thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, B12, folate, biotin, and pantothenic acid;
3. Vitamin A, D, E, & K (fat soluble).

 Minerals. These also don't fuel the body's energy needs but they are important to the body's structures.  There are only 16 known essential minerals in human nutrition, even though they are studying others to figure out if they have a significant function.  Being inorganic, minerals are pretty much indestructible but they can bind to other substances that might get in the way of the body being able to absorb them.  They can also be lost during food-refining processes or when cooking because they seep into the preparation water that is thrown out. Major minerals are equivalent to macronutrients in that they are needed in large amounts and trace minerals are needed in smaller amounts.

1. The major minerals are: calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, & sulfate.  For more information on the major minerals, go here.
2. The trace minerals are: iron, iodine, zinc, chromium, selenium, fluoride, molybdenum, copper, & manganese.  To learn more about trace minerals, go here.

 Water.  Everyone has heard of how important water is to the proper function of our bodies, right?  It must be really important if a 150lb body contains about 90lbs of water! It's used in metabolic reactions, helps transport vital materials to cells, helps carry away cell waste products...it's really important.  We can go (on average if we're healthy) about 8 weeks without food but we can die in a matter of hours without water.  

So, drink your water and make sure you're getting all of your nutrients!

All information on this blog is my own pursuit of information on the road to getting my BS in Nutrition Science and as a mode of studying. Most information and data was taken from my textbook "Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition" by Rolfes, Pinna, & Whitney, ISBN-13: 978-0-495-55646-6

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