Dieting for Good Health

How Does Dehydration Affect the Eyes?

The eyes rely on water to help keep them lubricated in the form of tears. Lubrication is necessary to keep eyes moist, remove bacteria, and remove dust particles and other small particles that get in the eyes.

When the body is dehydrated, there is not enough water to go around to remain hydrated. The eye will typically dry out. They can become itchy and scratchy. You might have a scratching sensation when you blink like there is something in your eye.

Other related eye symptoms of dehydration could include:

Red Eyes
Blurred Visions
Problems Focusing
Burning Sensation in the Eyes
Headaches

WHY DRINKING WATER IS GREAT FOR YOUR HEART!

To make your body function actively, all of your organs and cells need enough water. There are many benefits to drinking water. Some of them are:

Joints and spine disks contain cartilage (80% water). Long-term dehydration can lead a person to joint pain. Water acts as a lubricant for the joints.
Water helps in producing mucus and saliva. Saliva supports the digestion of food and keeps the mouth moist. Drinking water helps in keeping the mouth clean.
Blood contains more than 90% of water and aims to provide oxygen to all other body parts. So, drink more water to produce more oxygen.
Drinking water provides smooth and fresh skin.
Severe dehydration can cause cognitive problems. It affects brain function and hormone production. Drinking plenty of water can improve the thinking process.
Water helps in removing waste from the body. It also maintains blood pressure. Due to dehydration, the blood becomes thick, and blood pressure increases.
Lack of fluid can worsen a person’s asthma and allergies. People should try to keep their airways hydrated.
Drinking water can prevent the formation of stones in the kidney.

Top 5 Benefits of Drinking Water

1. Increases Energy & Relieves Fatigue
Since your brain is mostly water, drinking it helps you think, focus and concentrate better and be more alert. As an added bonus, your energy levels are also boosted!

2. Promotes Weight Loss
Removes by-products of fat, reduces eating intake (by filling up your tummy if consumed prior to meals), reduces hunger (hello natural appetite suppressant!), raises your metabolism and has zero calories!

3. Flushes Out Toxins
Gets rid of waste through sweat and urination which reduces the risk of kidney stones and UTI’s (urinary tract infections).

4. Improves Skin Complexion
Moisturizes your skin, keeps it fresh, soft, glowing and smooth. Gets rid of wrinkles. It’s the best anti-aging treatment around!

5. Maintains Regularity
Aids in digestion as water is essential to digest your food and prevents constipation.

Here are all the benefits of drinking water for your skin:

1. Improves Skin Tone
Drinking enough water helps the body to flush out toxins while giving you healthier skin. Studies have revealed that drinking just two cups of water [1] can increase blood flow to the skin which gives it an even tone.

2. Prevents Premature Aging
Staying hydrated helps increase elasticity in the skin as it stays moisturised for longer. Heightened elasticity in the skin implies delayed sagging of the skin and no premature appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

3. Faster Healing
If you have been out in the sun and got sunburnt, drinking water can speed up the healing process. Applying some aloe vera to sunburnt areas also proves to be immensely soothing.

4. Reduces Puffiness
When the skin looks puffy, it is actually retaining water to protect you from dehydration. This occurs when you don’t drink enough water. Staying hydrated will reduce swelling and puffiness in your face.

5. Prevents Acne
Drinking ample water balances the oil and water content on the skin of your face. This helps to prevent excess oil and sebum secretion, which means fewer clogged pores and acne.

Adult acne is getting more common these days due to busy lifestyles and lack of hydration. A study [2] revealed that 4-6 people out of 100 in the age groups of 20-40 have adult acne.

6. No More Itchy Skin On The Face
Dry skin [3] always tends to itch. It can even develop dry flakes and crack due to lack of moisture. Drinking enough water ensures your skin doesn’t get dry enough to itch.

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7. Tighter Skin
Due to sudden weight loss, your skin can start to sag. To prevent your skin from sagging and to tighten it in areas where the sagging is prominent, like the upper arms, thighs, waist and jawline, drinking water helps as it revives the skin’s elasticity.

8. Maintains Your pH Balance
Sensitive, acne-ridden skin or problem skin due to various issues, can be revived to a healthy version with water. Your skin can glow and be free of blemishes if you drink enough water that will help to balance your body’s pH levels [4].

9. Prevents Heat-Related Skin Eruptions
Water prevents your body from heating up and normalises your body temperature. When your body heats up due to the weather or physical activity, drinking lots of water ensures that you don’t develop heat boils and rashes on your skin.

10. Promotes Healthy Gut, Meaning Clear Skin
Intake of water helps maintain a healthy gut and aids in proper digestion [5]. It regulates your bowel movements, and flushes toxins from your body through urine and faeces. Only when this process is smooth and your gut is healthy, your skin will remain clear and free of issues.

benefits of drinking water for hair

Drinking enough water helps energize and support hair growth from root to tip. It also helps prevent split ends and a brittle hair texture, as well as fosters a healthier scalp meaning you'll have fewer chances of developing problems like dryness, itchiness, or dandruff. Just as water hydrates and replenishes the skin, it does the same for the scalp and in turn, your lovely locks.

We naturally lose fluids throughout the day. On average, for active women and men, this can result in up to 1-2 liters of water or more, especially after intense physical activity. Ultimately, replenishing ourselves with water is a vital healthy habit we can all incorporate.

Seven reasons drinking more water may help you lose weight:
1. Water may naturally suppress your appetite.

When you realize you're hungry, your first impulse may be to find food. But eating may not be the answer. "Thirst, which is triggered by mild dehydration, is often mistaken for hunger by the brain," says Melina Jampolis, an internist and board-certified physician nutrition specialist. "You may be able to decrease appetite by drinking water if you are, in fact, low in water not calories."

What's more, drinking water can promote satiation because it passes through the system quickly, stretching the stomach. "This sends messages to your brain signaling fullness," Jampolis says.

Elizabeth Huggins, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at Hilton Head Health, adds that though the results are temporary, "consuming water shortly before eating may help decrease food intake." Research supports the theory: People who drank two glasses of water immediately before a meal in a small 2016 study ate 22% less than those who didn't drink any water prior to eating.

About two cups should fill your stomach enough for your brain to register fullness.

2. Drinking water may stimulate your metabolism.

It's possible that drinking water stimulates your body's metabolism and energy expenditure, ultimately helping with weight management, according to Huggins.

In an eight-week study published in 2013, when 50 girls with excess weight drank about two cups of water half an hour before breakfast, lunch, and dinner without any additional dietary changes, they lost weight and saw reductions in body mass index and body composition scores.

It's not magic: Drinking water appears to stimulate thermogenesis, or heat production, in the body, particularly when it's chilled. The body has to expend energy to warm the fluid to body temperature, and the more energy expended by your body, the faster your metabolism (the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy) runs. Specifically, drinking about two cups of 71°F water led to a 30% average increase in the metabolic rates of 14 healthy adults in a small 2003 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Before you fill your glass and load your plate, though, keep in mind that the effects of thermogenesis probably won't create substantial calorie deficits that result in weight loss. "Even if the effect is negligible, it is important to stay hydrated," Huggins says, noting that there are few, if any, downsides to drinking more water.

3. Drinking water could help reduce your overall liquid calorie intake.

Because water contains no calories, filling your glass with H2O instead of higher calorie alternatives such as juice, soda, or sweetened tea or coffee can reduce your overall liquid calorie intake. Choose water over the standard 20-ounce vending machine soft drink, and you'll drink 250 fewer calories, Huggins points out.

As long as you don't "make up" for those calories—i.e., walk out of the coffee shop with a muffin and water instead of your usual flavored latte—the calorie savings can add up quickly, she says.

Also interesting: Although diet soda contributes no calories, replacing diet beverages with water may be a factor that contributes to weight loss in certain groups of people. Overweight and obese women who replaced diet beverages with water after their main meal showed greater weight reduction during a weight-loss program in a 2015 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The researchers noted that the extra weight loss in those who drank water could be attributed to consuming fewer calories and carbohydrates, but more research is needed. All that said, since many diet beverages still hydrate and reduce calorie intake when used as a replacement for sugary beverages, they may help certain individuals lose weight.

4. Drinking water helps during exercise.

Water is essential to the body during exercise: It dissolves electrolytes—minerals that include sodium, potassium, and magnesium—and distributes them throughout the body, where their electrical energy triggers muscle contractions required for movement, Jampolis explains. An electrolyte imbalance can lead to cramping, but that's not the only side effect of drinking too little.

"When muscle cells are dehydrated, they break down protein (aka muscle) more quickly and build muscle more slowly, so your workouts are much less effective," she says.

What's more, the body loses fluids more quickly during exercise because it generates heat that's shunted to the skin's surface, where perspiration and subsequent evaporation (a cooling process) help with temperature regulation.

Staying properly hydrated also helps maintain your blood's volume, so you can optimize the expansion of blood vessels at the skin's surface to release heat, Jampolis says.

"If your body can't dump excess heat via sweating, you're setting yourself up for heat exhaustion or worse," she says. "Being adequately hydrated can improve your workouts by decreasing fatigue, which can allow you to work out longer and burn more calories." That's why it's so important to hydrate before and throughout your workout, not just when you start to feel thirsty.

5. Water helps the body remove waste.

Drinking water facilitates the production of urine, which is largely made up of water, and the movement of f***s, since water keeps stools soft. In other words, the more hydrated you are, the easier it is for your system to move things along and the less likely you are to suffer from constipation and bloating.

In addition, adequate hydration promotes kidney function, flushes harmful bacteria from the urinary tract, and prevents kidney stones, which can occur with more concentrated urine, according to Huggins.

6. The body needs water to burn fat.

Upping your water intake may increase lipolysis, the process by which the body burns fat for energy, according to a 2016 mini-review of animal studies published in Frontiers in Nutrition. "We're not certain of the mechanism, but mild dehydration decreases lipolysis, which may be due to hormonal changes," says Jampolis, who was not associated with the review. Another theory posed in the animal studies: Water expands cell volume, which could play a role in fat metabolism. However, it remains unproven among human subjects.

7. Water may improve motivation and reduce stress.

When you're dehydrated, you may experience symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, and confusion—and who makes healthy decisions under those conditions? Dehydration, the researcher of the 2016 mini-review found, also may be linked to sleepiness and reduced alertness. And another study, published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, found that dehydration increases your body's production of cortisol, the stress hormone.

"These symptoms could affect your motivation to exercise, cook at home, and make better food choices," Jampolis says.

How much water should I be drinking to lose weight?

This is where things get a little tricky, so let's start with a baseline: Drinking 64 ounces of fluid a day is the rule of thumb to keep your system operating at peak efficiency, according to the Cleveland Clinic. On a daily basis, the National Academy of Medicine recommends that women get 2.7 liters (about 91 ounces) of water per day.

But the amount of water you should be drinking to lose weight may be different from how much someone else should be having, according to Planells. For example, if you work out regularly, you will naturally need more water than those who don't. The same is true for women who are breastfeeding vs. those who aren't. So there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer to how much you should be drinking. But at a minimum, it should be 64 ounces. That's eight cups of water every day.

Benefits of Drinking Water

Getting enough water every day is important for your health. Drinking water can prevent dehydration, a condition that can cause unclear thinking, result in mood change, cause your body to overheat, and lead to constipation and kidney stones. Water has no calories, so it can also help with managing body weight and reducing calorie intake when substituted for drinks with calories, such as sweet tea or regular soda.

Water helps your body:

Keep a normal temperature.
Lubricate and cushion joints.
Protect your spinal cord and other sensitive tissues.
Get rid of wastes through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements.

Six reasons why drinking water may help you lose weight

1. Water is a natural appetite suppressant
Drinking water may aid weight loss.
When the stomach senses that it is full, it sends signals to the brain to stop eating. Water can help to take up space in the stomach, leading to a feeling of fullness and reducing hunger.

A person may also think that they are hungry when they are actually thirsty. Drinking a glass of water before reaching for something to eat can help to curb unnecessary snacking.

In a 2014 studyTrusted Source, 50 overweight females drank 500 milliliters (mL) of water 30 minutes before breakfast, lunch, and dinner, in addition to their regular water consumption, for 8 consecutive weeks.

The participants experienced a reduction in body weight, body fat, and body mass index. They also reported appetite suppression.

A studyTrusted Source from the previous year had yielded similar results.

2. Water increases calorie burning
Some research indicates that drinking water can help to burn calories.

In a 2014 studyTrusted Source, 12 people who drank 500 mL of cold and room temperature water experienced an increase in energy expenditure.

They burned between 2 and 3 percent more calories than usual in the 90 minutes after drinking the water.

Water may also temporarily increase the body’s resting energy expenditure, or the number of calories burned while resting.

Drinking cold water may further enhance water’s calorie-burning benefits, because the body expends energy, or calories, by heating up the water for digestion.

3. Water helps to remove waste from the body
When the body is dehydrated, it cannot correctly remove waste as urine or f***s.

Water helps the kidneys to filter toxins and waste while the organ retains essential nutrients and electrolytes. When the body is dehydrated, the kidneys retain fluid.

Dehydration can also result in hard or lumpy stools and constipation. Water keeps waste moving by softening or loosening hardened stools.

Water also helps the body to recover from digestive problems, such as diarrhea and indigestion.

When waste builds up in the body, people may feel bloated, swollen, and tired. Bloating can add inches to a person’s waist.

Staying hydrated is a good way to avoid retaining waste, which may add a few extra pounds.

For more science-backed resources on nutrition, visit our dedicated hub.

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4. Drinking water can reduce overall liquid calorie intake
Water is a calorie-free alternative to energy drinks or juice.
It is easy to accumulate liquid calories by drinking soda, juice, or sweetened coffee or tea.

Most people also ignore how many calories they consume in sports drinks or alcoholic beverages.

Replacing even a few high-calorie drinks each day for water or other no-calorie beverages, such as herbal tea, may have long-term weight loss benefits.

Authors of a 2012 studyTrusted Source found that replacing two or more high-caloric beverages for non-caloric drinks every day for 6 months resulted in an average weight loss of between 2 and 2.5 percent in a group of females with obesity.

In a studyTrusted Source from 2015, female participants drank 250 mL of water after lunch each day while attending a 24-week weight loss program. They lost 13.6 percent more weight than women in the same program who drank the same volume of diet beverages after lunch.

Results of a large-scale studyTrusted Source showed that men and women who replaced one serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage for water or a low-calorie drink every day for 4 years gained 0.49 fewer kilograms (kg) than a similar group who had made no changes.

The same study found that adults who replaced at least one serving of fruit juice with water or a low-calorie drink gained 0.35 kg less than their counterparts.

5. Water is necessary to burn fat
Without water, the body cannot properly metabolize stored fat or carbohydrates.

The process of metabolizing fat is called lipolysis. The first step of this process is hydrolysis, which occurs when water molecules interact with triglycerides (fats) to create glycerol and fatty acids.

Drinking enough water is essential for burning off fat from food and drink, as well as stored fat.

A mini-reviewTrusted Source from 2016 found that increased water intake led to increased lipolysis and a loss of fat in animal studies.

6. Water helps with workouts
One of the most important components of any weight loss plan is exercise.

Water helps muscles, connective tissues, and joints to move correctly. It also helps the lungs, heart, and other organs to work effectively as they ramp up activity during exercise.

Being hydrated reduces the risk of things that can get in the way of a good workout, such as muscle cramps and fatigue.

Always drink water before, during, and after exercise to avoid dehydration.

How Drinking More Water Can Help You Lose Weight

Drinking water can help burn calories and reduce hunger cravings. Replacing sugary drinks with water can also lower caloric and sugar intake. But drinking water alone is not enough for major weight loss.

For a long time, drinking water has been thought to help with weight loss.

In fact, 30–59% of US adults who try to lose weight increase their water intake.

Many studies show that drinking more water may benefit weight loss and maintenance.

What are the benefits of Eating healthy?

1. Heart Health

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for adults in the United States.

The American Heart Association (AHA) states that almost half of U.S. adults live with some form of cardiovascular disease.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a growing concern in the U.S. The condition can lead to a heart attack, heart failure, and a stroke.

It may be possible to prevent up to 80% of premature heart disease and stroke diagnoses with lifestyle changes, such as increasing physical activity and healthful eating.

The foods people eat can reduce their blood pressure and help keep their hearts healthy.

The DASH diet, or the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet, includes plenty of heart healthy foods. Eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, choosing fat-free or low fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and vegetable oils
limiting saturated and trans fat intake, such as fatty meats and full-fat dairy products,limiting drinks and foods that contain added sugars,restricting sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day — ideally 1,500 mg daily — and increasing consumption of potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

High-fiber foods are also crucial for keeping the heart healthy.

Dietary fiber helps improve blood cholesterol and lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

The medical community has long recognized the link between trans fats and heart-related illnesses, such as coronary heart disease.

Limiting certain types of fats can also improve heart health. For instance, eliminating trans fats reduces the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This type of cholesterol causes plaque to collect within the arteries, increasing the risk of a heart attack and stroke.

Reducing blood pressure can also promote heart health. Most adults may achieve this by limiting their salt intake to no more than 1,500 mg per day.

Food manufacturers add salt to many processed and fast foods, and a person who wishes to lower their blood pressure should avoid these products.

2. Reduced cancer risk

A person may eat foods that contain antioxidants to help reduce their risk of developing cancer by protecting their cells from damage.

The presence of free radicals in the body increases the risk of cancer, but antioxidants help remove them to lower the likelihood of this disease.

Many phytochemicals found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes act as antioxidants, including beta carotene, lycopene, and vitamins A, C, and E.

According to the National Cancer Institute, there are laboratory and animal studies that link certain antioxidants to a reduced incidence of free radical damage due to cancer. However, human trials are inconclusive and doctors advise against using these dietary supplements without consulting them first.

Foods high in antioxidants include:

berries, such as blueberries and raspberries
dark, leafy greens
pumpkin and carrots
nuts and seeds

Having obesity may increase a person’s risk of developing cancer and result in poorer outcomes. Maintaining a moderate weight may reduce these risks.

Researchers found that a diet rich in fruits reduced the risk of upper gastrointestinal tract cancers.

They also found that a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and fiber lowered the risk of colorectal cancer, while a diet rich in fiber reduces the risk of liver cancer.

3. Better mood

Some evidence suggests a close relationship between diet and mood.

In 2016, researchers found that diets with a high glycemic load may trigger increased symptoms of depression and fatigue in people who have obesity but are otherwise healthy.

A diet with a high glycemic load includes many refined carbohydrates, such as those found in soft drinks, cakes, white bread, and biscuits. Vegetables, whole fruit, and whole grains have a lower glycemic load.

Recent research also found that diet can affect blood glucose levels, immune activation, and the gut microbiome, which may affect a person’s mood. The researchers also found that there may be a link between more healthful diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, and better mental health. Whereas, the opposite is true for diets with high amounts of red meat, processed, and high fat foods.

It is important to note that the researchers highlighted a necessity for further research into the mechanisms that link food and mental health.

If a person suspects they have symptoms of depression, talking with a doctor or mental health professional may help.

4.Improved gut Health

The colon is full of naturally occurring bacteria, which play important roles in metabolism and digestion.

Certain strains of bacteria also produce vitamins K and B, which benefit the colon. They may also help fight harmful bacteria and viruses.

A diet high in fiber may decrease inflammation in the gut. A diet rich in fibrous vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains may provide a combination of prebiotics and probiotics that help good bacteria thrive in the colon.

These fermented foods are rich in probiotics

yogurt
kimchi
sauerkraut
miso
kefir
Prebiotics may help improve a range of digestive issues, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms.

5. Improved memory
A healthful diet may help maintain cognition and brain health. However, further conclusive research is necessary.

A 2015 study identified nutrients and foods that protect against cognitive decline and dementia. The researchers found the following to be beneficial:

vitamin D, C, and E
omega-3 fatty acids
flavonoids and polyphenols
fish
Among other diets, the Mediterranean diet incorporates many of these nutrients.

6. Weight loss

Maintaining a moderate weight can help reduce the risk of chronic health issues. A person who has more weight or obesity may be at risk of developing certain conditions, including:

coronary heart disease
type 2 diabetes
osteoarthritis
stroke
hypertension
certain mental health conditions
some cancers
Many healthful foods, including vegetables, fruits, and beans, are lower in calories than most processed foods.

Maintaining a healthy diet can help a person stay within their daily limit without monitoring their calorie intake.

7. Diabetes management

A healthy diet may help a person with diabetes:

manage their blood glucose levels
keep their blood pressure and cholesterol within target ranges
prevent or delay complications of diabetes
maintain a moderate weight
It is vital for people with diabetes to limit their intake of foods with added sugar and salt. They should also consider avoiding fried foods high in saturated and trans fats.

8. Strong bones and teeth

A diet with adequate calcium and magnesium is important for strong bones and teeth. Keeping the bones healthy can minimize the risk of bone issues later in life, such as osteoporosis.

The following foods are rich in calcium

dairy products
kale
broccoli
canned fish with bones.

Happy Dieting!

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