Water is an Essential Nutrient for Diabetes

Water is essential for all but for good health water is needed for Diabetes. As people with diabetes, drinking enough water is especially crucial. Even a little dehydration can impact blood sugars.

 “60 percent of our bodies is composed of water, 75 percent in our muscles, 85 percent in our brains, its like oil to a machine,” explained Dr. Roberta Lee. 

I like that!  Water “it’s like oil to a machine.” That very much says to me the importance of water. I know a car wont function without oil.

Water is a nutrient your body needs that is present in liquids, plain water, and foods. All of these are essential daily to replace the large amounts of water lost each day.

 The amount of water in our body depends on age and gender. Also prolonged physical activity and heat exposure will increase water losses and therefore may raise daily fluid needs. Water does many things to maintain our body health. The familiar suggestion to drink eight glasses a day was nothing more than a guideline, not based on scientific evidence. Nevertheless, water is very important to everyone and especially people with Diabetes.

A study shows that staying well hydrated may lower the risk of hyperglycemia

Drinking about four or more 8-ounce glasses of water a day may protect against the development of high blood sugar French researchers report.

In a study of 3,615 men and women with normal blood sugar levels at the start of the study, those who reported that they drank more than 34 ounces of water a day were 21% less likely to develop hyperglycemia over the next nine years than those who said they drank 16 ounces or less daily. https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20110630/drinking-water-may-cut-risk-of-high-blood-sugar#1

Guidelines to ensure you stay hydrated:

·       Consume water at regular intervals throughout the day even if you’re not thirsty at the moment, don’t rely on the thirst to let us know we need water. Thirst signals weaken, as we get older.

·      Avoid juice, regular soda and beverages with sugar. These beverages tend to dehydrate you because of the sugar they have and can cause weight gain and high blood sugars. 

·      Aim for at least 34 oz. of filtered water a day. Carry a water container with you. No need to buy bottled water.

·      If you don’t like plain water, spice it up with fresh fruit slices or get flavored seltzer water or sparking water.

·      Eat more fruits and vegetables. Their high water content will add to your hydration. Approximately 20% of our fluid intake comes from food eaten. 

·      Consume water at regular intervals throughout the day even if you’re not thirsty at the moment.

The Essential Nutrient….Life giving water! Make sure you are aware how much you are getting on a daily basis.