I believe that when you’re healthy, you’re beautiful. That’s why, as a physician, my emphasis is on returning my patients to the state of health and happiness they had as toddlers—when their cells were fully hydrated, their skin glowed, and their outlook was worry-free.

Last week I wrote about the mental/emotional platform for inside-out beauty (aka, Modern Wellness). This week, I want to talk about building beauty on the cellular level, where the key to Modern Wellness is hydration—ingesting enough water, and then keeping it where we want it: inside the cells.

The human body, as most of us know, is mostly water! When people say “Water is life,” they’re speaking a biological truth. However, though we’re born with a body water content as high as 78%, by our first birthday most of us are already down to only 65% water!

As we age, we tend to dry up, so that the average water content of an adult is 55%-60%. Males average a higher percentage of water than females because muscle holds more water than fat and women naturally have more fatty tissue than men. (By this same understanding, obese men and women have a lower percentage of water than leaner adults.) By the time most of us are old enough to retire, our water content is down to just 50%.

We can change that, however!

Your body will signal you to drink (or eat your water) when you’ve lost around 2%-3% of your water content. But even before you feel thirsty, you will begin to lose mental performance and physical coordination—typically at around 1% dehydration.

Although not all of your body’s water content is inside the cells, that’s where two-thirds of it is. And that’s where we want to keep it. (The other third is in extracellular fluid between cells—and much of this is waste water, waiting to be eliminated.) It might surprise you to learn that, according to a study performed by H.H. Mitchell and published in the Journal of Biochemistry, your lungs are 83% water; your kidneys are 69%; your heart and brain are each about 73% water; your skin is 65% water; and even your bones are 32% water. About 20% of your body’s water is in blood plasma.

Why do we need so much water?

• Water is the primary constituent of cells.
• Internal water plumps your skin, keeping it fresh, soft, smooth—even glowing!
• Water helps to moderate internal body temperature—partly because water retains heat longer than air, plus the body uses perspiration and respiration to regulate temperature.
• Water is a shock absorber, insulating the brain, spinal cord, organs, and even the growing fetus.
• Water relieves fatigue and helps you think more clearly. (After all, brains and muscle are mostly water!)
• Water reduces headaches (a key sign of dehydration) and helps to prevent cramps and sprains.
• Water is needed to metabolize proteins and carbohydrates used as food. It is the primary component of saliva, used to digest carbohydrates and aid in swallowing food.
• Water lubricates joints.
• Water is used to flush waste and toxins from the body via urine. It also maintains bowel regularity.
• Water aids in weight loss, reducing hunger, helping you to feel full. Moreover, hydrated cells function more optimally, increasing your basal metabolism so that you burn more calories even at rest.
• Water is the principal solvent in the body. It dissolves minerals, soluble vitamins, and certain nutrients.
• Without water, your blood couldn’t carry oxygen and nutrients to cells.

So, how do we keep water in the cells where we want it?

The answer is “strong cell membranes.” Your body will build its own strong cell membranes, but only if you give it an adequate supply of five essential ingredients. Next week, I’ll tell you what these are. (Hint: If you’ve read my book, The Water Secret, you already know the answer!) #DrHowardMurad, #ModernWellness, #Cultural Stress