How drinking water can help flush fat

Our fitness expert, Myke Gray, is frequently asked how much water you should really drink to achieve great health and fitness. Here he tells you everything you need to know.

One of the first questions I ask a new client is how much water do you drink each day?

Much has been written on this subject, but I will try to shed some light on how important this nutrient is to our health and well being.

1. Approximately 65-70% of the human body is water; it would make sense to give our body what we are most made of.

2. We use approximately ½ litre of water a day just to perform the function of breathing.

3. We lose approximately ½ litre of water a day through body heat.

4. In a 24-hour period we lose approximately 1.5 litres in urine.

5. Muscle is approximately 70% water. Dehydration, insufficient water in the body, limits your ability for you to maintain muscle mass, not just the vanity muscles that you stare at in the mirror, but also the more important ones like your heart and liver.

6. Glycogen, the energy source that is made of glucose, is stored in the skeletal muscles and the liver. Dehydration limits the amount of energy that you can store in the body. Glucose is what the brain needs to survive and is its main food supply.

7. Water, along with fibre, is a major factor on a healthy digestive system. If you are dehydrated it stops food from being passed through the body. Which can cause constipation leading to other serious problems like bowel cancer and IBS, caused by rotting food that hasn’t been removed from the body.

8. Drinking water can help you lose weight. When you are dehydrated your metabolism slows down which in turn stops you from burning fat. The slower the metabolism the fewer calories you burn.

9. Most people will die in four days if they don’t drink any water.

10. Drinking water helps dilute the toxins that your kidneys have to deal with on a daily basis.

Studies have shown that up to 70% of the population are dehydrated at anyone time. The average human body uses between 2-2.5 litres of water a day, including breathing, sweating and urination.

We get about a litre a day from food, so we need to get about a litre and a half from fluids. There is nothing better than water but obviously I would rather you get it from other sources than drink nothing at all.

I recommend drinking water in-between meals, as drinking water with food can dilute the hydrochloric acid released in the stomach, needed for protein absorption.

Kick start your morning with a glass of water instead of tea or coffee, and give your body the nutrient it needs more than anything else in the world.

Find out more about Myke by visiting his website or MySpace page. Myke can provide online nutritional advice. You can reach him on 07879410467 or mykegray@btinternet.com.