Hydration
“It is chronic water shortage in the body that causes most diseases of the human body.”
Dr Fereydoon Batmanghelidj
The Ubiquitous Life-giver
The human body is composed of more than 50% water. Some tissues, such as blood, are composed of over 80% water, whereas others such as our bones are composed of only 20-25%. Overall, more than half of our bodyweight is water – signifying the importance of hydration in maintaining our life functions.
Water is needed to absorb nutrients, produce energy in cells, control body temperature and eliminate toxins and waste products – amongst many other vital processes within the body. Without sufficient water, any or all of these processes may suffer and become less efficient. It’s now being recognised than many chronic health problems including headaches, high blood pressure, cancer and Alzheimers may have been preceded by many years of insufficient hydration – causing a build up of toxicity within the body which then creates symptoms and disease.
With the diverse and extensive range of beverages available to us today, many people reach for tasty tea, coffee, fizzy drinks or alcohol when they’re looking for a drink, rather than pure water. It’s often believed that ‘a drink is a drink’, and fluid-intake equates to hydration. However, if you’re taking in a drink containing sugars, alcohol, caffeine or other chemicals, the body then has to metabolise and eliminate these ‘toxins’, which can sometimes use up more water than you’ve actually drunk! This is why it’s really important to ensure a good intake of pure, fresh water every day, in addition to any drinks which may have more taste or offer a more satisfying ‘drink-experience’. It’s suggested that in addition to your (average) 8 glasses of water during the day, for every drink containing caffeine, alcohol or sugar, you imbibe another glass!
The effects of even mild dehydration can be significant – lack of adequate water in the body has been blamed for numerous symptoms which you may have experienced, including headaches, foggy brain, eye strain and mood disturbance. Yet water intake is regularly overlooked in mainstream medicine or dismissed as a minor issue.
Do you ever experience:
Very dark coloured urine, especially in the morning?
A dry mouth?
Halitosis (bad breath)?
Cravings for sweet things?
Regular headaches?
Very dry skin?
If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to two or more of the questions above, your HYDRATION jigsaw piece could do with some attention and you may well benefit from improving your cellular hydration levels.
Call today for your FREE no-obligation discovery call, to find out if Optimum Health Jigsaw Coaching could change your health – and life for the better!
Remineralised Distilled Water
In this part of the world we are very lucky that there are generally many options of drinking water to choose from; straightforward tap water, bottled water, sparkling water, filtered water, to describe but a few.
After various years of looking at research and drinking different waters, we believe the most healthful water to drink is freshly distilled water that has been remineralised, ‘reactivated’ and alkalised. This provides the body with purest form of water (the distillation), most easily absorbed and utilised by the cells (the mineralised, alkalised aspect).
Other ways to work on your HYDRATION Jigsaw Piece and improve your cells’ hydration levels and water usage, include:
Conscious Drinking:
Become aware of how much you’re really drinking on a day-to-day basis – and how close you come to the ‘recommended optimal intake’ for your bodyweight (your weight in pounds, divided by two equals the volume of water in fluid ounces that you should be drinking e.g. if you weigh 130 lb, aim for 65 fl. oz of pure water daily – 1 fluid ounce = almost 30ml). Then look and see what that fluid-intake is composed of: pure filtered water or mainly tea and fizzy drinks?
Little and Often:
Although unlikely in a Western climate, in a healthy person, it is possible to drink ‘too much’ water. Gulping down a couple of pints, especially if your body’s not used to it, may well cause you to feel nauseous or a bit fragile. The best way to drink your water (especially as you build up intake) is little and often – see if you can sip through a glass every hour or so, rather than gulping every couple of hours.
Make it easy:
Some people find actually setting an alarm can help them with their water intake, especially if ‘forgetting to’ is one of the reasons for insufficient drinking. Every hour, a few beeps from your watch or phone can remind you to finish that glass in front of you! Make it easier to manage too; having a jug of water and glass by you throughout the day means you don’t have to keep getting up to go to the kitchen! On the move? No problem, carry a bottle of water with you wherever you go (ideally glass or hard plastic rather than thin, squashable plastic, which can leach into water, especially on hot days).
Add some flavour:
If downing that ‘plain water’ really is a challenge for you, invest in some lemons or limes! A few drops of citrus juice or a couple of slices can make your ‘boring’ water more refreshing. If that’s not enough to increase your enthusiasm for water, you can always try the fruit-infused versions. Preferably homemade, to avoid any additions of sugar or artificial flavourings – there are many recipes and combinations available to flavour your water in a more interesting and palatable, yet still hydrating, way!
Quality AND Quantity:
Quality AND Quantity:In addition to how much water you’re drinking, pay attention to the quality of the water you’re drinking. Unfortunately these days most tap water contains numerous chemicals and excessive minerals which may not be beneficial to your cells. To provide your body with the best possible water, consider investing in good quality spring water, a highly evolved filtration system, or a water distiller or reverse osmosis machine!
Call today for your FREE no-obligation discovery call, to find out if Optimum Health Jigsaw Coaching could change your health – and life for the better!
Check out the other pieces of The Optimum Health Jigsaw by clicking below.
Oxygenation
Harmonise
Detoxification
Nutrition
Mobilisation
Connection
