Surviving
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives,- Charles Darwin
nor is it the most intelligent that survives,
but the one that is the most adaptable to change".
AIR
We need air to breathe oxygen. Our body and specifically the ATP molecules that our cells produce ensure that the most important bodily processes, such as brain function, food breakdown or muscle relaxation, work properly. To make ATP, our cells need energy that we get from oxygen.
SLEEP
Sleep purifies our brains of toxins. Our brain cells shrink together during sleep, creating pathways to remove neurotoxic waste. Research also suggests that lack of sleep causes genes that make us more active to be activated. This causes our body to operate as if we are in a stress situation when we don't get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation also negatively affects our cognitive abilities.
WATER
We need water for many bodily processes. Water supports our lymphatic system that fights diseases. Water is also used for the removal of waste in our urine and in the formation of our stool. It also regulates our body temperature through the production of sweat and helps with the digestion of food with intestinal juices.
We also need water to produce blood and transport energy through our body.
NUTRITION
Food provides us with nutrients that enable growth, repair and movement of our body. We can survive for about 21 days without food.
The most important are the calories that are the fuel for our body. A study from 2010 by the US Department of Health states that men consume between 2000 and 3000 calories per day while women need 1600 to 2400 calories.
How many calories you exactly consume depends on your age and weight, your basal metabolic rate (the amount of energy you consume at rest), the thermal effect (how much energy you need to process food) and how much you move. Besides water, we need six other nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins and fiber. Scientific discussions about the perfect composition are still ongoing.