Our body needs all the necessary nutrients to perform daily tasks. Due to the hectic lifestyle, we seldom have a chance to prepare a well balanced meal for ourself. What we do after a busy, tired day, we just grab something convinient to eat (like fast food meal, hawker center - like fried noodles etc.). These are the food normally high in calorie, cholesterol etc, and is lack of basic balanced nutrients that required by our body.
| What our body needs | What our body gets daily |
| Minerals, Vitamins, Plant Protein | Salt, sugar |
| Essential Amino Acids | Animal Protein |
| Essential Fatty Acids | Animal Fat |
| Fibres | Cholesterol |
| Herbs | Refined Food |
| Water (2-3 litres daily) | Caffeine |
|
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Water: function of water in our body
How much water do you drink a day? Most of us do not drink enough plain water!
The above picture has illustrated the function of water in human body. Basically water makes up major percentage of every part of our body such as muscle, blood, brain, bones etc. The water plays an important role in our body:- Carry nutrients and oxygen to our cells
- Release waste out of our body
- Regulate body temperature
- Improve metabolism
- Protect and cushion internal organ/ joint etc.
The human body is anywhere from 55% to 78% water depending on body size. Symptoms and consequences of not having enough water include:
- Headache / Migraine (water composes 75% of brain)
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Dry mouth / skin
- Dizziness
- Muscle cramps
- Kidney problems
- >20% dehydrated - risk of death
Everyday our body lose fluid through urination, perspiration, breathing, exercise. On average, we lose about 1.7 litres of fluid everyday, however, the exact amount may vary on individual level dependant on daily activity level, environment and health condition.
How much water should we drink everyday?
There are quite a few answers recommended by experts on how much water intake is needed by healthy people, though most advocates agree that 2 litres of water (approximately 8 glasses) daily is the minimum to maintain proper hydration. In fact, the daily water intake depends on body size, activity level, climate and health condition.
The more flexible approach is by observing the urine output. If you produce about 1 - 2 litres of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day and you rarely feel thirsty, you probably have enough water intake.
Guidelines on good drinking habit:
- drink 500ml water in between meal and with each meal
- drink water before, during and after exercise
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