Water Diet
The Water diet is based on the basic principle that adding more water into your daily routine may encourage weight loss. The body often mistakes thirst for hunger, and drinking water can act as a mild appetite suppressant. Drinking water also helps flush toxins from the body. Toxins are naturally stored in fat tissue, and as they’re released, the body begins to burn fat. Staying hydrated can also help lower and maintain the body’s natural weight, or set point. In addition to drinking more water, followers of this plan should incorporate a healthy diet that includes water-rich foods, and an exercise plan.
Some say drinking 64 ounces of water daily, or about half of one’s body weight in ounces, is the magic number. A good rule of thumb is to drink two glasses of water at the onset of a craving, then to wait 20 minutes and see if the craving persists.
Douglas Silver Porter recommends drinking ½ gallon or 64 ounces of cold (50 degrees Fahrenheit or lower) water each day for the rest of your life. He claims you don’t need to make any other changes to your daily diet or fluid intake. He says it’s okay to drink warm water when feeling cold, but only as an exception. He also advises not adding anything to the water, including ice.
By including 64 ounces of cold water each day, Porter says you can burn up to 4,500 calories yearly, which may result in weight loss, depending on the rate at which your body burns calories. Your body burns calories by heating the water you consume to 98.6 degrees, which is the average body temperature. In addition, each pint of water consumed equals one pound of temporary body weight. While we carry this temporary weight around, our body must burn additional calories to support the weight gain, leading to a net weight loss. This is called the carrier factor.
There are some points of concern when it comes to consuming a lot of water. The kidneys need to work extra hard to process the additional liquid intake, and edema or other illness may occur, especially in those with heart disease. In addition, drinking too much water may leech important water-soluble vitamins, salts, and minerals from the body. You may also feel bloated at first from the additional liquid intake, and trips to the bathroom will become far more frequent. Lastly, having cold water in the morning may shock the system, whereas room temperature water may be gentler on the body.
Foods to include:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Whole grains
- Lean meat
- Poultry
- Fish
- Beans
- Dairy
- Nuts and seeds
- Oils
Foods to avoid:
- Processed foods
- Refined grains
- Sugar
- Trans fats
Pros:
- May greatly reduce cravings
- May lead to weight loss
- May improve circulation
Cons:
- May lead to edema
- May leech important vitamins and minerals from the body
- May cause bloating
Sources:
The Water Diet www.mentock.com (Links to an external site.)
Blake Sylvia Pens Weight Control Book www.banderasnews.com (Links to an external site.)
The Water Diet www.thewaterdiet .org (Links to an external site.)
