You’re stranded in the desert of your classroom. Desks stretch into the horizon and there is no sign of a drinking fountain. The sweat drips from your brow and you pant like a Saint Bernard. But never fear, your Nalgene water bottle is near! “I get thirsty in class,” said senior Michelle Galvin. “(Water) is healthy and refreshing.” The body can survive without a daily supply of many vitamins or minerals, but it cannot go long without water before it weakens and tires. Water is lost through breathing, sweating and urinating. “Your body is mostly water and so you need to replace it,” said a registered dietitian at Kalispell Regional Medical Center, Debra Raunig. “You’re constantly losing water through your breathing and sweat. A lot of people don’t drink enough water.” Water accounts for sixty percent of a person’s body weight. This water serves as a cushion for joints and organs, and water increases the volume of blood in the vessels, according to Raunig. In addition, water can aid in relaxation and can perk a person up by lowering body temperature and constricting blood vessels. Water is also involved in many cell processes within organs. “It’s a cleansing agent for the body,” said Raunig. “It keeps your kidneys healthy and it prevents urinary tract infections.” It has been widely advertised that eight 8-ounce glasses of water will replenish the water lost daily through bodily functions. Often this amount will vary according to daily activities, such as exercise. “I was feeling sluggish in my sports,” said senior Aaron Ober, who participates on the Flathead swimming and cross-country teams. “My coaches told me to drink water. So I did and I’m vibrant. My (endurance) has grown as a result of having a water bottle.” The recommended 64 ounces of water can come from coffee, soda, vegetables or meat, according to Glamour magazine. But coffee and soda both contain caffeine, which acts as a diuretic. Drinks containing too much caffeine can lead to under-hydration, heat strokes or difficulty thinking, said Raunig. So when students find themselves lethargic or thirsty in class, they should grab that water bottle. Said Galvin: “It wakes me up in physics.” |
