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Wondrous Water

Copyright 2002, Terry Duschinski.

A friend who has spent his life working throughout the world in animal husbandry tells me that if you deny a chicken water for 24 hours, that chicken’s egg production will drop 40 percent.

This could be the chicken you enjoyed for dinner last night, because that kind of productivity decline renders the chicken economically unfeasible. If the chicken goes 48 hours without water, no matter how well you hydrate the chicken afterward you’ll never get another egg and the chicken will lose its feathers, according to my friend.

 
Sipping makes it easier to consume large quantities. Use rubber bands to keep track.

“Never is a long time,” I protested. “Are you sure the chicken will never lay another egg, simply because it went 48 hours without water? How about in 6 months or a year?”

Chickens who fail to lay a steady supply of eggs meet up with a rotisserie or a frying pan; they don’t get counseling.

I know you’re not a chicken but if you don’t consume enough water – and you may be surprised at how much qualifies as enough – you are chickening out on your fat-loss and fitness efforts.

Dr. Ellington Darden, with whom I’ve had the privilege of working on several projects since 1985, has progressed from a recommendation of the standard 8 glasses to as much as two gallons per day for people undertaking the 6-week Makeover. Dr. Darden has coined the term “Superhydration,” and he also emphasizes that the water should be ice cold – 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The chilled water will require almost one calorie per ounce in order to warm to core body temperature.

Another friend, Jim Randell, who works directly with clients in reshaping their figures and physiques, has seen the dramatic effects of Superhydration.  

So strongly do I believe in this, that if I could have you master only one recommendation on the eating side of the ledger, it would be effective hydration. The equation for the precise amount is .65 ounces for every pound of body weight. If you weigh 200 pounds, that’s 130 ounces per day, with probably an extra 16 ounces if you perspire heavily anytime during that particular day.

This may be the only thing you need to change concerning your eating habits. The workout program and .65 ounces per pound ice-cold water should burn an extra 300 calories per day. If you hold calorie intake steady, that’s a fat loss of more than 2-1/2 pounds per month, 30 pounds in a year.

Does this make your “weight problem” seem manageable?

Water is so important because the kidneys are unable to function without an adequate supply. When they do not work to capacity some of their load is dumped onto the liver. This diverts the liver from its primary function, which is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. Because it's performing the chores of the water-depleted kidneys, the liver metabolizes less fat.

Over-eating can also be averted through water intake, as water can keep the stomach feeling full between meals, thus preventing it from signaling the brain to call for more calories. When water is consumed in conjunction with foods high in fiber, this satiated feeling increases because the fiber in these foods actually absorbs the water and swells in size.  

Water is also important during fat loss in that it helps flush out waste, the level of which increases when fat is being metabolized.  

If you don't believe you can drink this much water try sipping it. Many clients use an insulated jug that has a straw built into the lid. For easy record keeping, each morning they’ll place an appropriate number of rubber bands at the upper edge of the jug. The appropriate number is however many jug-fulls is required to meet your daily water intake goal. Each time you empty the jug – completely, ice and all – slide a rubber band to the bottom edge. This is an easy way of measuring your water intake.

Coffee, colas, fruit juices or any other beverage cannot be substituted for water. The additives in these drinks destroy water’s purity. You can alter the taste slightly with a sprig of mint or a slice of lemon or lime.

I know the next question – bottled water or tap? That’s really a matter of preference. In my house, we buy six-packs of bottled water every so often, and refill them from the tap. I can’t make any authoritative statement on water quality issue, use your best judgment or personal taste.

What about bathroom visits? An increase in your water intake will certainly trigger more frequent episodes. As your body becomes accustomed to the new level, however, your visits will become less frequent.

If you start with half your weight in ounces of water, I hope you’ll try to increase water intake gradually each week. Don't wait to be thirsty. Responding to thirst will prevent only severe dehydration. It will not prompt you to drink the water you need to function at your peak.

You might want to consider that your blood is 90 percent water, your brain is 85 percent, your muscle is 72 percent, your skin is 71 percent, your bone is 30 percent, and your fat is 15 percent.

As your body experiences dehydration, you feel it first in those systems that contain the most water, places such as your brain.

A nutrition textbook has this to say about water.

“You began as a single cell bathed in a nourishing fluid. As you became a beautifully organized, air-breathing body of billions of cells, each of your cells had to remain next to water to remain alive. Water brings to each cell the exact ingredients the cell requires and carries away the end products of its life-sustaining reactions. The water of the body fluids is the transport vehicle for all the nutrients.”

Our recommendations concerning water assume that you are a healthy adult. If you suffer from any medical conditions that might adversely react to heavy water intake, consult your physician.