How Eight Glasses a Day Keeps Fat Away
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Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to
increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits.
Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat.
Here's why: The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When they
don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver.
One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable
energy for the body. But, if the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it
can't operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat, more fat
remains stored in the body, and weight loss stops.
Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body
gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to survival and holds onto every
drop. Water is stored outside the cells. This shows up as swollen feet, legs,
and hands.
Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along
with some stored nutrients. Again, the body perceives a threat and will replace
the lost water at the first opportunity. Thus, the condition quickly returns.
The best way to overcome the problem is to give your body what it needs- plenty
of water. Only then will stored water be released.
If you have a constant problem with water retention excess salt may be to blame.
Your body will tolerate sodium only in a certain concentration. The more salt
you eat, the more water your body retains to dilute it. Just drink more water.
As it is forced through the kidneys it takes away excess sodium.
An overweight person needs more water than a thin one. Larger people have larger
metabolic loads. Since we know that water is the key to fat metabolism, it follows
that the overweight person needs more water.
Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone by assisting muscles with their natural
ability to contract and also by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent
the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss - shrinking cells are buoyed
by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy, and resilient.
Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has a lot more
waste to get rid of - all that metabolized fat must be shed. Again, adequate water
helps flush out the waste.
Water can help relieve constipation. When the body gets too little water, it
siphons what it needs from internal sources. The colon is one primary source.
The result is constipation. When a person drinks enough water normal bowel function
usually returns.
So far we have discovered some remarkable truths about water and weight loss:
How much water is enough? On the average, a person should drink 8 - eight ounce
glasses every day. That's about 2 quarts. However, the overweight person needs
one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. The amount you drink
should also be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and
dry.
Water should preferably be cold - it's absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water. Some evidence suggests that drinking cold water can actually help burn calories. When the body gets the water it needs to function properly, its fluids are perfectly
balanced. When this happens, you have reached the "breakthrough point." What does
this mean?
If you stop drinking enough water, your body fluids will be thrown out of balance
again, and you may experience fluid retention, unexplained weight gain, and loss
of thirst . To remedy the situation you'll have to go back and force another "breakthrough."
Metabolic Medical Centers
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