Water The Unsung Hero To Losing Fat

In today’s culture, many people think that if there isn’t any pop or soda around, there’s nothing to drink. Try telling most kids today to have a glass of water if they’re thirsty, and they’ll probably look at you as if you’re from Mars! Only eight glasses of water (or more) a day can keep the fat away! Water is possibly the single most important helper in losing weight and keeping it off. We take it for granted, but water is the only true magic potion for permanent weight loss.

Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body to metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. Here’s why: The kidneys can’t function properly without enough water. When the kidneys don’t work to full capacity, some of their load is dumped on the liver. One of the liver’s primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into energy for the body. But, if the liver has to do some of the kidney’s work, it can’t operate efficiently. As a result, it metabolizes less fat, more fat remains stored in the body and weight loss stops.

Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold on to every drop. Water is stored in extracellular spaces (outside the cells). showing up as swollen feet, ankles, legs, lower back, and hands. Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients.

The body perceives a threat and replaces the lost water at the first opportunity. Thus the edema, or bloating, quickly returns. The best way to overcome water retention is to give your body plenty of water. Then the stored water is released naturally. If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be to blame. Your body will tolerate sodium only so much. The more salt you eat, the more water your system retains to dilute it. But getting rid of unneeded salt is easy–just drink more water and eliminate sodium through the kidneys. A heavy person needs more water than a thin person since larger people have larger metabolic loads.

Water maintains proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss. Shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which pumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy, and resilient. Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of. All that metabolized fat is changed to water and must be “flushed out.” Drinks that contain sugar, such as Gatorade are cruel jokes on dieters and should be avoided. Read the labels and if there are no calories or ingredients listed, or there are more than 3 calories per eight ounce glass of a drink, avoid it like the plague.

In summary, the take home message is water is important, it is essential for life and will benefit you in so many ways. I have provided the take home bullet points of this article below.

• Flushes impurities from your system without going through your digestive system.
• Is the only true thirst quencher.
• Suppresses hunger, curbs appetite.
• Promotes weight maintenance/loss by assisting in the breakdown of fatty tissue.
• Moisturizes your skin from the inside out by keeping your tissues lubricated.
• Is always available

Author

Dr. Eddie Fatakhov, M.D. Eddie Fatakhov, M.D. is a board-certified physician, nutritionist, and author of “Dr. Fat Off: Simple Life-Long Weight-Loss Solutions.”