Here at Vancouver's Downtown Wellness Centre, we take a holistic approach to your health and wellness. Yes we offer chiropractic care, orthotics, acupuncture, massage, and even sauna treatments, but these services are all brought together by our overarching approach to complete care.
One of the best ways to improve your overall health is to stay hydrated and consume more water. "Why" you ask? Here are 5 reasons:
The scientific community generally agrees that approximately 60-70% of one's body mass constitutes pure water. Though H2O unquestionably is ubiquitous in all aspects of daily life, staying hydrated and getting enough to drink is something about which we ought to be increasingly conscious. Though it seems reasonable and logical to drink water merely to avoid dehydration, there are numerous other health benefits researched and documented by the scientific community that are worth knowing. Here are a select few important reasons to ensure you stay hydrated:
1. Maintaining a Healthy Circulation System
The circulation system is often overlooked as a crucial part of the human body, and nowhere is proper hydration more important than here. Drinking plenty of water permits the body to perform optimally much in the same way that one's car requires sufficient fluids and coolant. Nutrients are transported through water, human waste is created and excreted in water, and body temperature is also managed through the secretion of water.
2. Ensuring a Healthy Body Weight
Science has repeatedly shown that hunger is a complex signal not easily understood in as far as the way our body often simply craves the fluid/water content of our food rather than the food itself. As a result, individuals who struggle with appetite control and weight management who are hoping to lose weight are often advised to start with their water intake. This is particularly important before and around mealtimes, as water can satisfy and dull the signals that make us hungry in the first place.
3. Keeping the Digestive System Moving
The function of vital internal organs like the liver and the kidneys depends on a plentiful supply of fluids. The essential fats and fiber we consume in our food are dissolved with water in a process that is particularly water-intensive. Toxins are also transported and removed from the body primarily with water as a movement agent. To ensure one avoids frustrating constipation, lethargy, and gastrointestinal distress, it is often wise to start with the simplest solution: improving fluid intake.
4. Protecting our Vital Soft Tissue
While it may be common fact that bones are coated in cartilage, the rubbery tissue itself is not often understood. In fact, cartilage is composed of approximately 85% water by weight, meaning that proper joint health, mobility, and function requires a continual source of water. When the joints are properly lubricated and hydrated, our soft tissues and spinal cord as a whole can be properly protected at all times during daily activity.
5. Optimizing the Power of the Brain
Dehydration can cause a number of cognitive performance challenges with processing and analyzing information. Notably though is the way in which our brain tissue shrinks when insufficient fluids are present. This strains the organ, requiring it to work harder to output the same level of operating efficiency. When the body has enough fluids, both literal and figurative headaches can be mitigated and even prevented.
