THE ELIXIR OF LIFE: WATER
Muscle 75%
Blood 80%
We all know that a well-balanced diet is
important to our overall health and well-being, but
we sometimes forget the other critical part of sound
nutrition: WATER! Water is the medium for all
body fluids, including blood, lymph, digestive juices
Liver 70%
and urine. It balances acids, moves nutrients into
cells, and acts as a solution for holding electrolytes
Kidney 80%
(the salts that conduct electrical currents in the
body.) Water lubricates joints in the body, and helps
regulate body temperature by getting rid of excess
heat through perspiration and breathing. The body’s
need for water is almost as important as the body’s
need for oxygen. A man’s body is about 60Skin 70%
65% water and a woman’s body is about 5060% water. Males have more water because they
tend to have more muscle mass, and muscle holds
Fat 20%
more water. Women tend to have more body fat,
which contains much less water. The diagram
shows how water is distributed throughout the body.
Proper hydration is essential for good health.
This means that individuals must be sure that they
are meeting the body’s need for water. Dehydration
due to water loss can have a significant effect on the
body. A 10% loss of water in the body is a major
health risk, and a 20% loss can result in death.
Bone 25%
Although we can live for weeks without food, we
can only live for days without water! There are
many ways to determine whether or not you are
Connective
drinking enough water, such as checking the color of
Tissue
your urine. Other than the first urine of the
60%
morning, which tends to be darker, the urine should
be clear or very light in color. Don’t worry about
the extra trips to the bathroom to monitor your
hydration. Think of them as a way to get your body up
If it were possible to drain all of the
water from a 160 pound man, his
and moving!
dehydrated body would weigh only 64
Many people think that it is only that it is
pounds. This diagram shows where
important to drink water in the hot summer months or
much of the water in the human body is
when they are engaged in strenuous activity. Even
distributed.
though it is very important to replace water during
these times, it is more important to remain properly hydrated all year long. Remember,
you lose water through breathing and sweating, which you do all of the time!
The following recommendations can help ensure that your body has
adequate water to keep you working in top condition:
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 Drink at least eight to ten 8oz. glasses of water every day.
Start to drink water before engaging in physical activity, since the body loses water
faster by sweating than it can absorb into the digestive system.
Use water to cool your skin during physical activity.
Wear light, lose clothing in hot weather to help sweat evaporate.
Do not count on thirst as a guide to your water needs. By drinking water when you
are thirsty you will quench your thirst before you actually replenish your water
supply.
Do not try to lose weight by not replacing water after physical activity.
ANTICIPATION GUIDE
ELIXIR OF LIFE: WATER
I. BEFORE READING: Indicate whether
you agree or disagree with the statement by
writing an “A” for “Agree” or a “D” for
“Disagree” in the column.
A/D
II. DURING READING: If you were
correct, place a √ on the line. If you were
incorrect, place an X on the line. If the
statement is false, correct and rewrite it
in the space below.
STATEMENT
Water is the medium for all body fluids.
√/X
Water dries up joints and does not regulate body temperature.
Men have less water in their bodies than women.
You can determine if you are getting enough water by checking the
color of your urine.
III. AFTER READING: Answer the following questions based upon the information in
the reading.
1.
Why does a man’s body contain more water than that of a woman?
2.
What percentage of a man’s body is made up of water? A woman’s?
3.
What are some of the ways that water is lost from the body? What condition
can this cause?
4.
How can you use the color of your urine to determine whether or not you are
drinking enough water?
5.
How much water loss can lead to death? Why do you think this is so?
6.
How much water is recommended daily?
7.
What percentage of each body part is composed of water?
Liver________ Bone_______ Skin________ Fat________ Muscle______