By Rodi Alexander Friedman, CNC.
To drink, or not to drink? That is the question. Well, it depends on what liquid you are talking about. There is no other drink that can do for the human body what water can do. Water is an essential nutrient and a must for optimum health. The big question that most people don’t seem to know is, how much water do I need to drink? Four glasses? Six glasses? Eight glasses? The correct answer is you need to drink half of your body weight in ounces and an extra 8oz for every 25 lbs of excess weight you carry. The in take will vary depending on the person and their body type. The problem in our society, and it’s a big problem, is that 75% of Americans are dehydrated and 37% have a thirst mechanism so weak that it is mistaken for hunger. Water is so important that a mere 5% drop in water levels in the body can cause a 25% – 35% loss of energy. Mild dehydration can cause the metabolism to slow down by as much as 3%. A 2% drop in fluid levels can cause fuzzy short term memory, trouble with basic math or difficulty focusing on a printed page or computer screen. A 15% drop in water levels is enough to cause death!
Few people realize how important water is to the human body. Up to 70% of our total body weight is due to water. Water should be the very first thing that you put in your body upon waking up in the morning. Water performs numerous functions in the body. These are just a few of the positive effects;
- Water contains electrolytes and major minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron.
- Water carries nutrients and oxygen to every cell in the body.
- Water cleans the stomach and aids in digestion.
- Water cleans the intestines and improves absorption of nutrients
- Water removes toxins from the body.
- Water helps lubricate the joints and hydrates the skin.
- Water is used by the liver to metabolize fat into useable energy.
- Water controls the temperature of the body
Since scientists and medical professionals have been aware of this information for many years, it is amazing that more attention is not paid to proper hydration as both a means for maintaining optimum health and as a component of every plan for recovery from disease.
Here are some things that can occur when you don’t drink enough water;
- You become constipated
- Your kidneys lose some of their blood cleaning function.
- You may retain water ( your body retains fluid in response to perceived drought conditions)
- Undischarged toxins may be re-circulated throughout the body.
- You may experience flu like symptoms.
- Dehydration can cause headaches, depression, heartburn, fatigue, and exacerbate allergies, asthma, arthritis and more….
Only water will improve these debilitative conditions. Not soda, juices, energy drinks, milk, coffee, tea, or V8. So the next time someone asks, “what would you like to drink?” Just say, “a nice tall glass of H2O!”