Water plays a key role in many of our body’s functions, including bringing nutrients to cells, getting rid of wastes, protecting joints and organs and maintaining body temperature. Water is the first-choice beverage for best hydration.
Drinking the right amount of water for your personal health and activity level is important. Prachi Chandra, Lead Clinical Nutritionist at Sakra World Hospital in Bengaluru, shared, “Most people have been told they should drink 8-10 glasses of water each day. However, different people need different amounts of water to stay hydrated. Most healthy people can stay well hydrated by drinking water and other fluids.”
Benefits of drinking water:
1. Our body needs water in order to digest food properly. Without enough water, you may experience irregular bowel movements, gas, bloating, heartburn, and other discomforts that can disturb quality of life.
2. Water aids in breaking down soluble fibre from your diet to keep your digestion process on track.
3. Mineral water is especially beneficial look for products enriched with sodium and magnesium once you are having loss of electrolytes due to sweating.
4. Dehydration can slow down blood circulation and affect the flow of oxygen to your brain.
5. A lack of fluids can also cause electrolyte imbalance causing irregular functioning of heart.
6. It can also help boost your metabolism and substantial reductions in body weight, body mass index, and body composition.
7. Staying hydrated helps your joints stay well-lubricated, which helps reduce friction by creating more of a "cushion" between the bones leading to smoother-moving joints and fewer aches and pains.
8. Studies show that when we are dehydrated, our body stores more heat. This in turn lowers your ability to tolerate hot temperatures. The sweat which is a built-in cooling mechanism of the body is critical in preventing heat stroke and other potentially deadly heat-related conditions.
9. Staying hydrated with plenty of water can help dilute the concentration of minerals in your urinary tract, flush harmful bacteria from your bladder and can aid in preventing urinary tract infections and stones.
10. Sufficient water intake supports your body’s natural detoxification systems, which remove waste and harmful substances through urination, breathing, perspiration, and bowel movements. Hydrating with plenty of water supports your own powerful, built-in detox processes and can help enhance your overall health.
Hydration tips for fasting days:
According to Prachi Chandra, if you want to prevent dehydration especially during fasting periods then here are some practical tips -
i. Drink 8-10 glasses of water along with low calorie beverages (coconut water, diluted fruit punch, lemon juice, thin buttermilk, kanji, ORS, mineral water, herbal teas, flavoured milk, vegetable soups or vegetable juices, broths etc.) in between Suhoor and Iftar time.
ii. Should consume a glass of water/ beverage before and after each prayer during Ramadan time.
iii. Whether you feel thirsty or not drink a glass of water/beverage every half an hour.
iv. Consume water based fruits and eat water based vegetables also at the time of breaking the fast and during meals.
v. Don’t eat too salty, too sweet or too spicy foods as they will increase your thirst.
vi. Prefer eating curries or semi-gravies form rather than dry vegetables.
vii. Always consume dried nuts & dried seeds in pre-soaked form.
viii. Caffeine will cause you to urinate more frequently. This can make it difficult to stay hydrated. It can also make you feel anxious or jittery, so limit the intake of caffeinated beverages to 1-2 cups per day.
ix. Sip water or beverages slowly, don’t gulp them.
x. Don’t drink water at extremes of temperature, either too hot or too cold. Drinking lukewarm water at the end of Iftar will help in reducing thirst throughout the day.
Source: Hindustan Times
Bd-pratidin English/ Afia
