Thursday, March 31, 2011

Water and Dieting


Dieting seems to be on every one's mind these days.  Whether you're trying to lose weight or simply maintain weight, everyone is trying to find the easiest solution.  One of the simplest ways to lose or maintain weight is by drinking water.  Many people forget how important water is to the way our bodies work.  Water is essential for digestion and kidney function among other requirements.

In all cases, drinking water and dieting go hand in hand.  It's important to know that although the body is made up of 60-70% water, it needs water for all body processes to run smoothly.  While dieting, drinking even a glass of water before and after a meal can make you feel fuller and cause you to eat less. Feeling fuller will help a dieter eat less and therefore burn more calories.  Feeling fuller due to the water intake also causes the dieter to stop eating before you are really full of food.

The extra water can help boost metabolism along with exercise. Drinking at least one pint more of water can help anyone expend 50 more calories a day.  The water that is taken in helps to digest food as well as assists the kidneys in expending and expelling waste and extra burned fat from the system.  Diets that also include high-protein content require even more water to break down stored fat and flush it from the system.  High protein diets need more water for absorption as well.

Water and dieting are also very important when throwing exercise into the mix.  For every hour of walking that you do, you should drink a cup of water.  This is after drinking a glass one hour before the walking starts and then another glass after the walking is over.  Keeping hydrated during exercise helps with the movement of lactic acid in the muscles and helps in replacing the water that is lost through perspiration.

Dieting without water can prove to be less successful for weight loss.  Water works with dieting for the betterment of the body. They help to keep it healthy and happy.







For more on Diet and Weight Loss