Water is FOR your SOUL

We need water for our overall health, that's a given. But if you are like me with all sorts of pains from arthritis or any other condition causing you pain, water is a holy grail. How hydrated you are can have an impact on your joint health. Staying hydrated can help keep inflammation down and prevent pain flares.

Water makes up 60 percent of our body weight as adults. Water helps maintain fluid balance, energy level, digestive health, waste removal, and regulation of body temperature, and movement. These water functions can tie in to how water can benefit you as a person with joint pain.

The general recommendation is to drink 6 to 8 8-ounce (total 64 ounces or 2 liters) glasses of water a day. This amount is influenced by weather, activity level, medications, and diet. Please check in with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your water intake as some health conditions like kidney disease need a reduced amount of water.

The thing that lubricates, cushions, and protects the joints is the synovial fluid. water is shown to be a much-needed part of this production so that the joints can move properly and smoothly. A deficiency in the synovial fluid can lead to damage and joint inflammation.

Water helps encourage the growth of Cartilage tissue as the water helps the tissues transport the nutrients between cell, maintaining health cartilage.

Water aids in the flushing of toxins from your body. If there is not enough water and toxins are not moving, this can lead to inflammation.

Research has suggested that dehydration can trigger inflammation. Water reduces the inflammation by maintaining fluid balance. Staying hydrated helps reduce inflammation by preventing joint friction due to inadequate synovial fluid. Friction increases inflammation so it is important that your joints are not dehydrated.

Water has also been shown to help in weight loss and help decrease your stress. Excess weight can make joint pain worst, so it is good to try to stay your ideal weight. While water won't "cure" your stress, water can help reduce the impact of stress hormones.

Some simple changes you can make in order to try to increase your water intake is carrying a water bottle; add fruits like lime or lemon to add flavor to your water; set reminders; try apps or tally your water intake on a piece of paper; commit to replacing at least one calorie containing beverage with water each day until it becomes habit

You could also try this Water Challenge in this image.