WATER

You are 70% water. You can live for weeks without food, but only a few days without water. Water is used to transport things around the body, for instance, nutrients into cells and waste products out. Healthy hydration is essential for maintaining health. It will also help you to lose fat.

Kidney and liver function

These organs both have an essential role in the expulsion of toxins in the body. A good steady supply of fresh water (containing no stimulants) is therefore needed to help cleanse the liver and kidneys.

Hydration and nutrition

Good nutrition is simply getting the right materials to right place in the body at the right time. Water is the universal solvent, which helps to transport these nutrients around the body and forms part of the chemical reactions, necessary to keep you alive.

Suppressing appetite

Hunger pangs are often signs that the body is dehydrated. The early signs of dehydration are similar to hunger signals, such as light-headedness and stomach rumblings. Often it’s a good idea if you feel peckish to drink some water to see if this helps. Physically if you drink water 30 minutes before a meal, this will act to fill you up and stop you over eating.

Caffeine and alcohol

Both caffeine and alcohol drinks are diuretic stimulants. This means that any drink that contains either of these will suppress anti diuretic hormone. This means you will produce more urine and therefore become dehydrated. That is why it is a good practice to drink an equal amount of water to every diuretic drink, in addition to the 2 L per day. It might just be easier to go for caffeine free drinks and cut down alcohol.