What is a water diet?

Vitamin water is an interesting topic, but what about plain water, and topics of water diet, water and weight loss, and water fasting?

After completing a page about vitamin water I feel a need to add a special page about plain water - and here it is!

Virtually every question about nutrition has several different (sometimes opposite) answers.

I could hardly believe that plain water which looks so ordinary, can be the subject of discussions and arguments - but this is a reality! There is no consensus even about suggested daily water intake, let alone more advanced stuff like a water diet.

On this page you'll find some basic facts that can give a good start to your own research.

Before approaching a topic of water diet, let's refresh our memory with basic facts about water.

But can you specifically name all the functions of water in your body?

Here they are:

• Transportation
  Water carries other nutrients and essential elements throughout the body and transports out the body wastes.

• Lubrication
  Water contained in and around body tissues defends against shock. Your brain, eyes, and spinal cord are among the body’s sensitive organs that depend on a protective water layer. The digestive system could not work without water: moving food through the digestive tract would be impossible. Your joints also depend on water as a lubricant for smooth movements.

• Biochemical processes
  In order to digest proteins and carbohydrates, your body needs water as part of the chemical reactions which transform these nutrients into simpler forms for further absorption.

• Body temperature regulation
  Water changes temperature slowly. Being a good heat storage substance, it is able to help regulate body temperature. Evaporation of water from body surfaces (sweating) also helps cool the body.

• Water contains no calories and no cholesterol.
• Water is a natural appetite suppressant.
• Water helps the body metabolize fat.

Wait a minute...
No calories, appetite suppressant, fat metabolism... It looks like all these qualities make water a perfect component for any weight control program! It turns out that it is true, and we'll get back to this shortly in the section about the water diet.

• On the average, food gives about 20% of total water intake, and the remaining 80% comes from drinking water and other liquids.
• The human brain is made up of 95% water. Your blood is about 82% water and lungs are about 90%.
• Overall, depending on age, water makes up to 75% of human body weight
• Reduction by 2% of body water will cause dehydration symptoms to appear: thirst, dry mouth, headache, decrease in sweat and urine discharge. Reduction by 5% causes severe dehydration, with symptoms of dizziness, problems with focus, fatigue. Loss of 10% of body water may be fatal.
• Water keeps muscles from cramping, and also participates in muscle contraction

However, a common guideline is "8x8".
Every day, drink 8 glasses of water, 8 ounces each (about 240 ml).

You may see claims that the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 excess pounds. Strangely enough, none of the sources where I reviewed that made this claim, provided any idea as to how to determine the amount of this "excess weight".

In cases of demanding physical activity, exposure to high temperature or sickness, water intake should be increased. Special consideration should be given to children, as children have a lower sweating capacity than adults, and cannot efficiently tolerate high temperature. A water diet also requires increased amounts of water (read on for more details).

The 8x8 drinking rule appears in a majority of information sources, starting with NIH (National Institute of Health); here is a reference link.

There are, however, other theories, which state that this requirement is much overstated, as are overstated claims of "chronic dehydration" in the population of developed nations.

For example, physician Heinz Valtin, MD, from Dartmouth Medical School claims that the 8 glasses rule is more of an "urban myth" than a medical recommendation – and it appears to lack any scientific support. He emphasizes, though, that this conclusion is limited to healthy adults living in a moderate climate. Doctor Valtin also states that intakes of fluid equal to and greater than 8 x 8 are desirable for the prevention of some diseases, such as kidney stones.
You can see an article with more details here.

Has this anything to do with the water diet?
Well..., the water diet assumes much higher water intake than the 8x8 rule…

Just from the list of water features, one would guess that water can play a major role in any water control program. I saw articles about water diet which assert that "clean water is a true magic potion for losing weight". But, really - to what extent does water help to loss weight?...

I decided to leave the magic alone, and tried to look for some real connection between water and weight loss.

• Water retention
  It may happen that given certain health conditions, your body would start keeping water "to itself". Lack of proper hydration is one of reasons your body switches to an "emergency" regimen, and starts storing liquids.

  If this happens, body parts - usually legs and hands - begin to swell from extra water stored between body cells. Quite a paradox: extra liquid is stored as a result of... lack of liquid!

  A simple, straightforward (and also paradoxical!) remedy is...
  to drink more water!

  Once the body feels the water abundance, there will be no more reason to store water. In this case weight loss could be achieved as a result of getting rid of extra liquids (but not the extra fat).

  WARNING: There are several causes – and remedies – for water retention. You should always consult your physician, or medical professional, if you see symptoms of your body storing excess liquids!
  
  

• Water fasting
  Water fasting is a whole science by itself. There are many books about it, and whole institutes have been established to research water fasting, and to assist those who want to try it.
  
  Here are several basic facts which will give you an idea of what water fasting is about:
  
  • Water fasting IS NOT the same as a water diet!
    
  • The main purpose of water fasting is not weight loss, but cleansing from toxins (detoxification, or just detox).
  • Water fasting assumes total abstinence not only of solid food, but also of liquid foods (soups, juices). A food abstention period can vary from one day to 30 days, and more.
  • Water fasting requires necessary preparation periods before and after fasting, when the digestive system slowly moves from one mode of functioning to another.
  • Many interesting phenomena have been reported by people who undertook water fasting. Most common observations include elevated energy levels, increased alertness and clarity of mind and the absence of hunger after a couple of days.
  • If you decide to try water fasting, do your homework first! Consult with your doctor and ALSO with a medical specialist in water fasting.
    
    
    REMEMBER: Water fasting is not for everyone, and if not undertaken properly, may cause severe health damage!
    
    

There are two different meanings.

Sometimes the term "water diet" is used as another name for the so-called "lemonade diet", also known under names such as "lemon cleanse" and "maple syrup diet".

This is another method of body cleansing, or detoxification. Instead of drinking plain water, as in the "classic" water fasting technique, during a lemon diet you would drink a special mix of water with fresh lemon juice, organic maple syrup (grade B) and cayenne pepper. (As you can see, this is not a "pure" water diet.) Body weight loss usually occurs during a lemonade diet, but this is not its main purpose.

Extra water fills your stomach, so you do not feel hungry, which makes you eat less. At the same time, water has no calories, so there is no problem with getting extra fat as a result of drinking more water.
(A Coke diet would not work. It must be water diet. :-)

In addition, plenty of water helps your liver perform one of its main functions: metabolizing body fat, or, simply put - transforming body fat into energy. If there are not enough liquids in your body, the liver "takes on" some functions of the kidneys, and does not process fat efficiently. A water diet gives your body extra liquids, and this helps your liver burning that fat.

So, the water diet sounds fairly simple, doesn't it – until you start it.

These tips may help you, if you decide to give it a try:

• Make water handy at all times. Carry a bottle of water with you. Put a giant mug on your desk. Have some bottled water in your car.

• Don't like drinking plain water? Add some taste! A slice of lemon or two drops of lime juice would make all the difference.

• Make your water diet as fun as it can be! Use your favorite cocktail glass, for example.

• Drink cold water; it tastes better and it is better for your body. Of course, if it is cold outside, you can drink warm water, too.

If you wonder whether the water diet works, check out the following video!