Drinking enough water every day is absolutely necessary for good health.
Water carries all the nutrients from our food through the bloodstream to the body tissues and it is a necessary ingredient for many of the body’s chemical reactions. Water also helps to transport out waste material and balance our body temperature.
Mild dehydration can occur quickly and cause fatigue and a loss of focus. If it gets more severe, it can cause things like cramps and headaches, and eventually constipation. There is little doubt that drinking enough water is a critical part of everyone’s diet. The standard consensus among health professionals is six to eight 8-oz glasses a day are needed for proper hydration.
When you start eating more raw foods, you may find you’re not as thirsty or don’t need to drink as much water as before. Raw fruits and vegetables have a high volume of water in them, so your body is getting a good part of the hydration it needs from these foods alone. An apple is 84 percent water, an orange is 87 percent, and a tomato contains 97 percent water.
Listen to Your Body
This doesn’t mean you should stop drinking water if you listen to your body and observe how you feel, if you pay attention, it will tell you what it needs. A visual sign of dehydration to watch out for is the color of your urine. It should be clear or at most a light yellow. If you haven’t just taken vitamins that contain riboflavin, and your urine is a bright to dark yellow, you very well may be dehydrated.
Caffeinated drinks like coffee and soda contribute to dehydration, as well as sugar and alcoholic beverages of all kinds. If you’re overweight, and you are sluggish, or depressed, your body might be telling you to make some dietary changes, and raw foods might be one way to offset your water shortage. After you begin eating more raw foods, with their higher fiber and moisture content, you may start to lose weight and feel more energy.
Can You Drink Too Much Water
There can be dangers in drinking too much water. Too much water in a short period of time will dilute your sodium and other electrolytes to a point where your normal body functions are affected. This would require a lot of water and is not normally a concern, except maybe after losing salts while doing a long, intensive exercise, like running.
A sensible and easy way to meet your water needs is to just keep water around you and instead of trying to count glasses, take regular drinks all through the day when you feel thirsty. If you stay away from the caffeinated and sugary drinks and the high sodium processed foods, all of which dehydrate you, you will find it easy to meet your water needs.
Find Your Balance Point
By eating more water-rich raw food, as well as drinking pure water throughout the day, your body will reach a balance point that will bring you to new levels of both physical and mental energy, and a healthier life. Find the water that tastes the best to you. You may have good tap water, or you may prefer spring or mineral water. Choose the one that you like best and drink it regularly.