Water, what is it?
Water is the colourless fluid in rivers, taps, oceans, lakes, rain, clouds, dew, snow and fog. It can be found in three forms; (1) gas – Steam (2) liquid – water (3) solid – Ice. Water is used in washing, cooking, swimming etc. But in this post I’ll be focusing on water’s drinking use.
The importance of water to the human body
Water can be described as a miracle fluid to the human body just like fuel to a car. 2/3 of the human body is made up of water and as we go about our daily activities our body burns out body water. For our bodies to be hydrated, and for all the organs in our body to function properly, it is very important that we constantly replace the water our body looses in our various daily activities. We should keep the right amount of water in our bodies.
Nutrients in water
Water is made up of two parts of Hydrogen and one part of Oxygen (H2O). Water has no calorie.
Hydrogen
H is the fuel that generates the enormous energy in the sun. The sun powers the earth. Just as hydrogen powers the sun and the sun powers the earth, hydrogen in water powers the human body.
Oxygen
O2 is a colourless, odourless gas very important in the respiratory system of the human body.
What type of water is safe to drink?
Any water safe to drink must be odourless, not have any organism living in it, colourless, and void of metal.
Ocean, Stream or river
These are all natural sources of water but very unsafe to drink. They have to be purified before they could be safe to drink.
Tap
Depending on your location on the surface of the earth,tap water could be very safe or very unsafe to drink.
Scotland has the best water in the world, drinking tap water in Scotland is very safe.
Boiled – hot, warm or cold
Boiling water would kill germs if it contains any. Boiled water can be drunk hot, warm or cold. cold water is very refreshing on a hot afternoon, however, it is advised to drink warm water first thing in the morning.
Distilled
Bottled
Iced
Benefits of drinking water daily
- It hydrates the body
- It cleanses the body of waste
- It regulates the body temperature
- It boosts body metabolism
- It transports important nutrients to all the body cells
- It flushes toxins from the blood giving a glowing skin
- It prevents kidney stones
- It prevents diseases such as cancer
- It aids digestion
- It helps in weight loss
- It balances the lymph system, this helps the human body prevent and fight infection
How much water should I drink daily?
If you live or visit the hot tropics, drink 2 litres a day and 1.5 litres for the temperate regions.
Have you ever drank .5lt of water in one quick gulp? Felt bloated? Don’t gulp your water down, sip it through the day.
Drinking water with African meals
Most African meals are cooked in oil or cooked with oil. There is also a lot of fatty meat served with most African meals. To aid digestion and to avoid oil clogging up your system, it is advisable to drink warm or hot water with African meals.
African meals are also high in carbohydrate content. It is very advisable to drink a glass of water before the meal. Take sips of water during the meal as well. And at least half a glass after the meal.
**Water on an empty tummy is always the best!