It seems too simple: drink more water and lose more weight.
This everyday substance, coming out of our tap, sold at the supermarket by the case, can it really help you shed those excess pounds? As too good to be true as it sounds, it can, yes, it really can.
A recent study in Germany showed that those men and women who drank 17 ounces of water increased their metabolism by 30 percent.
And, these increases in metabolism occurred just a few minutes after the consumption of water, meaning that the body was already burning off more calories, more efficiently, within 10 minutes! The reasons for this increased rate of metabolism are several.
First, the burning of calories at the cellular level requires a good supply of water, without which metabolism must slow down.
Second, because the liver is important in regulating and maintaining the metabolism, it must be free to do this job at an optimal level.
When the kidneys aren't getting enough water, they don't work as well, and the liver must step in to help with their function in the body.
This means the liver must slow down in its work of metabolizing fat.
Another problem with under-hydration is that it results in a lowering of blood volume.
This means that the muscles and organs aren't getting a full supply of oxygen.
In this case, you will fatigue more easily during workout, leading to drop-offs in your exercise routines.
And because water is necessary for good muscle tone and for the lubrication of the joints, not getting enough water will lead to muscle and joint soreness.
Water is also what the body uses to flush itself of toxins.
These toxins can come in from the environment, from our food and our air, and they slow us down and make us feel tired.
Other toxins are the natural result of the burning off of calories, much like the way an engine creates fumes when burning gasoline.
Further weight loss requires us to get rid of these toxins as soon as they are produced.
Another way water helps in weight loss is that it makes us feel more full, with less food.
Water decreases the appetite, naturally and effectively.
It also swells the fiber in our stomachs, leading to a feeling of being satiated.
What's more, without plenty of water, our ability to digest food and extract its essential nutrients is badly compromised.
Given all these weight-loss benefits of water, how much should you drink? Estimates vary, but you should probably be drinking about 8 8-oz glasses of water a day for optimum health and efficient metabolism.
This can be increased during and after exercise and during periods of increased weight loss.
It may seem like the easiest thing in the world, just drink more water.
And it is! Increasing your daily intake of water is one of the simplest, but most effective, ways to take off that extra weight.
This everyday substance, coming out of our tap, sold at the supermarket by the case, can it really help you shed those excess pounds? As too good to be true as it sounds, it can, yes, it really can.
A recent study in Germany showed that those men and women who drank 17 ounces of water increased their metabolism by 30 percent.
And, these increases in metabolism occurred just a few minutes after the consumption of water, meaning that the body was already burning off more calories, more efficiently, within 10 minutes! The reasons for this increased rate of metabolism are several.
First, the burning of calories at the cellular level requires a good supply of water, without which metabolism must slow down.
Second, because the liver is important in regulating and maintaining the metabolism, it must be free to do this job at an optimal level.
When the kidneys aren't getting enough water, they don't work as well, and the liver must step in to help with their function in the body.
This means the liver must slow down in its work of metabolizing fat.
Another problem with under-hydration is that it results in a lowering of blood volume.
This means that the muscles and organs aren't getting a full supply of oxygen.
In this case, you will fatigue more easily during workout, leading to drop-offs in your exercise routines.
And because water is necessary for good muscle tone and for the lubrication of the joints, not getting enough water will lead to muscle and joint soreness.
Water is also what the body uses to flush itself of toxins.
These toxins can come in from the environment, from our food and our air, and they slow us down and make us feel tired.
Other toxins are the natural result of the burning off of calories, much like the way an engine creates fumes when burning gasoline.
Further weight loss requires us to get rid of these toxins as soon as they are produced.
Another way water helps in weight loss is that it makes us feel more full, with less food.
Water decreases the appetite, naturally and effectively.
It also swells the fiber in our stomachs, leading to a feeling of being satiated.
What's more, without plenty of water, our ability to digest food and extract its essential nutrients is badly compromised.
Given all these weight-loss benefits of water, how much should you drink? Estimates vary, but you should probably be drinking about 8 8-oz glasses of water a day for optimum health and efficient metabolism.
This can be increased during and after exercise and during periods of increased weight loss.
It may seem like the easiest thing in the world, just drink more water.
And it is! Increasing your daily intake of water is one of the simplest, but most effective, ways to take off that extra weight.
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