Why We Should Be Drinking More Water

I never ask my clients how many glasses of water they drink a day. Eight glasses (as we have been hearing for decades) is simply not nearly enough. I ask how many liters they have consumed. If you wait until you are thirsty it is already too late. Imagine your poor cells! Once you experience thirst, your cells are literally starving. Your bones become dry and brittle, lose elasticity and become weak if not hydrated. The result is CELLULAR AGING!

Drinking lots of water is critical for good health. Our basic lubricant is water. Water eliminates toxins and poisons. Our lymphatic system is 90% water. Our organs and tissues are 70-90 % water. Bones are 20 % water. Simply put, we cannot function properly without water.

Instead of just thinking about water as a drink, we must think about it as a lubricant. It permits organs to slide against each other when you move around. It helps bones slip in their joints. You could not bend a knee or elbow without it. It also acts as a shock absorbing agent to ward off injury from blows. Muscle tone cannot be maintained without adequate water since muscles are three-fourths water. This is another reason why fatigue affects a dehydrated body.

Food cannot be digested without water. There is a chemical process that goes on in your body called hydrolysis that changes proteins, starches and fats into foods that various cells require in order to work properly. Water is also necessary to stimulate the gastric glands in the stomach. In the intestines, water helps facilitate the absorption of solids and the excretion of waste. Most often, constipation is a result of not drinking enough water.

Our bodies lose approximately 2-3 liters of water every day through the normal activities of breathing, sleeping, and moving around, so we must constantly replace it. Research has shown that people who run, bike, swim, or exercise in the heat have an increased need for water. A long distance runner can lose as much as eight pounds of water!

When the body hasn’t had enough water, it reacts. First, the glands drastically reduced their secretions. Saliva dries up, membranes dry out. We are thirsty. After losing more water without replenishing, other symptoms develop. Symptoms such as headaches, nerves, inability to concentrate, digestion problems, and lack of hunger are common symptoms of dehydration.

How Much Water To Drink

It is also important to drink PURE water. Water from chemically-treated public water systems and even many wells and springs is likely to be loaded with poisonous chemicals and toxic trace elements. Pure water is essential for health and can be obtained from the natural juices of vegetables and fruits or from a reverse osmosis water system that filters all the chemicals and toxins out.

For people that have a difficult time drinking enough water I like to suggest either adding a little chlorophyll (has a mint flavor) or lemon and ginger. A nice recipe, especially in the heat of summer, is the juice of 4 lemons added to 1 liter of water with 2 teaspoons of maple syrup or honey. Lemons help to move your lymphatic system and are extremely alkalizing. Herbal teas also counts as water.

The next time you feel hunger setting in, drink some pure water first. Keeping a bottle (aim for glass, not plastic) with you at all times will help tremendously. Cheers!