Water wasn’t my drink of choice for most of my life. Growing up, I much preferred milk, juice or soda pop. I only drank water at school from a hallway fountain and had the occasional glass at home. As a young adult already struggling with depression and adrenal fatigue, I preferred coffee, diet sodas as well as lots of beer and wine – anything that would give me a hit of caffeine, aspartame, sugar or alcohol. Unfortunately, these types of beverages just left me more dehydrated and nutrient-depleted as the years went on. In 2000, I quit alcohol for good but still relied on the others. It wasn’t uncommon for me to have 6 – 8 cups of coffee per day. The caffeine helped me get through the constant exhaustion but didn’t solve my health issues. In 2007, I began my research into depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. I quit the sodas, juices and started drinking a lot more water. I have now cut back to 2 cups of black coffee per day (so as you can see, I am not perfect). Drinking more water, however, has helped me to regain my health after 20 years of chronic illness. You can read about everything else that I did here. Dehydration is one of the most widespread and underappreciated health issues today!
Water makes up 55 – 60% of our total body mass
6 REASONS WE NEED TO DRINK WATER FOR VIBRANT HEALTH
1. Transports nutrients
2. Removes wastes and flushes toxins
3. Aids in the digestion of food
4. Regulates body temperature
5. Cushions bones and joints (hydrates spinal discs)
6. Lubricates joints
“Chronic cellular dehydration of the body is the primary etiology
of painful degenerative disease.”
-F.Batmanghelidj, M.D.
EARLY SIGNS OF DEHYDRATION
1. Increased thirst
2. Dry mouth
3. Tired or sleepy
4. Decreased volume of urine
5. Urine is darker in color
6. Headache
7. Dry skin
8. Dizziness
9. Depression
10. Anxiety
LATE SIGNS OF DEHYDRATION
1. Heartburn
2. Joint pain
3. Back pain
4. Migraines
5. Fibromyalgia
6. Constipation
7. Colitis
HOW MUCH WATER DO WE NEED TO DRINK?
Take your body weight (in pounds) and divide it by 2 = number of ounces per day of water needed
If you weigh 150 pounds, divide by 2 = 75 ounces per day
Avoid the following diuretic beverages
1. Coffee
2. Caffeinated teas and some herbal teas like peppermint
3. Fruit juice
4. Soda
5. Alcohol
Note- If you are drinking the above diuretic beverages, you will have to consume additional water to offset the water they take out of the body. You will need to add an additional 12 – 16 ounces of water for every 8 ounces of a diuretic beverage.
THE BEST WATER TO DRINK IS NATURALLY CLEAN, PURE AND FULL OF NATURALLY OCCURRING MINERALS
1. Artesian or deep drilled well
Some people are fortunate to have this clean source of mineral-rich well water, which has to be periodically tested for mineral content and pathogens.
2. Natural spring water
Water that flows out of a spring and bottled at the source can be very mineral-rich.
3. Mineral water
This could be natural spring or artesian water. It comes from an underground source and contains at least 250 parts per million (ppm) of dissolved solids, including minerals and trace elements.
WATERS TO AVOID
1. Water sold in plastic bottles
This water often contains toxic chemicals that have leached into it from the plastic. In addition, many if not most of our discarded plastic bottles are clogging up landfills and our beautiful oceans.
2. Distilled water
This water should not be consumed, as it does not contain any minerals; it actually promotes mineral loss in the body via osmosis when ingested over an extended period of time.
3. Alkaline water with meals
Drinking alkaline water with meals will interfere with stomach acidity (pH of 1.5 – 3) required for proper digestion. If stomach pH is too high, the digestive process is going to be disrupted. You can read about the consequences of low stomach acid here.
A WORD ON ELECTROLYTES
Ideally, we’ll get some minerals in our drinking water. Essential minerals such as magnesium, sodium, and potassium are required to support almost every function in the body, especially in the adrenals. I have had to supplement with these minerals along the way, when I was severely deficient. It is always a good idea to get a hair tissue mineral analysis and a complete nutritional analysis to find out whether or not you have any deficiencies. In addition to regular supplementation, there are also electrolyte packs that can be purchased and added to your drinking water if you are deficient, living in a hot climate or sweating a lot after workouts.
REMEMBER, WE DO THE BEST WE CAN!
I buy my water in 5-gallon bottles here in Mexico. This is not ideal, but this is the water that I have been drinking to completely restore my health. I simply run this water through a charcoal filtration system and drink 80 -100 ounces each day. It is very hot here, and I need this much water most days. I love to squeeze half of a lime into my 800 ml glass bottles of water. I also make my own electrolyte drink that I have 2 or 3 times per week.
When I return to Canada I will be purchasing a travel-sized Berkey. These are a little more spendy but worth the money in my opinion.
You can reuse many glass bottles for drinking. For years, I have been using the vinegar bottles that you see me holding in my picture.
Water consumption has been a very big part of my recovery, ongoing health and vitality. So I raise a glass to you today and hope that you will up your daily dose of water – one of the best natural medicines that has been given to us!
If you are interested in booking a consult, please go to this page for nutritional therapy and hair analysis.
Best of Health!
Brenda♥
References
Your Body’s many Cries for Water – F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.
Nutritional Therapy Association- https://www.nutritionaltherapy.com/
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