Picture a very dry, cracked Arizona desert. The land has not seen rain in months; then the monsoon hits. During the first hour of rain the land is so dry that the water just runs off. After a few hours of constant watering, the land gets wet and then saturated, allowing the water to seep deep into the soil. Or picture a dried-up sponge on the back of your sink. You try to mop up some spilled liquid, but the sponge is so dry it’s almost worthless. But if you were to wet that sponge, wring out the excess, and then mop up the liquid, it does a good job absorbing the water. Now think of that desert land or that sponge as each individual cell in your body. Are your cells saturated with water as they need to be, or are they dry and parched, crying out for help before they die? Water is literally vital to every cell in our bodies in order for them to be healthy.
How Water Works in Our Body
Do you have constipation, headaches, joint or muscle pain, dry hair, or dry skin? Maybe you don’t like the taste of water. These and many other signs could be an indication that your body is actually dehydrated, which starts way before you are thirsty. In fact, people who say they can go all day without drinking any water are actually the very ones who are dehydrated. Water is vital to life!
There are four main organs or systems that the body uses to rid its waste and toxins.Fifty percent of the body’s waste should be eliminated through the kidneys. Twenty-five percent should be eliminated through the skin, 23 percent through the lungs and 2 percent through the colon. All four of these mechanisms, however, have to have water in order for the waste and toxins to come out of the body. And the only way the body can get water is if you provide it!
Where To Get Our Water
We get some of our water from raw fruits and vegetables—that is if you are eating fruits and vegetables. While a little bit can come from the air we breathe, the rest must come from us literally drinking pure, fresh, wet water—and lots of it. I’m not talking “liquids” that have water in them: sodas, tea and coffee do not count. When I ask clients if they drink enough water, they vehemently say “yes!” until I tell them how much we need to drink each day. At a minimum, we need half of our body weight in ounces of water per day. For example, if a person weighs 150 pounds, they need to be drinking 75 ounces of water per day. If you are drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks, you need to replenish an equal amount of water, in addition to your minimum, as caffeine is actually dehydrating. If you are sweating from exercise, or working out in the heat, you need to replenish the amount you’ve lost in sweat as well. To most people this is a lot of water, but this is the truth—that is how dehydrated we really are.
When I suggest to not drink soda and milk and sports drinks, people generally respond (with despair in their voice) “then what can I drink?!” My answer is always “water!” Our bodies truly do not need any other liquid but water. When we drink water it’s like giving our bodies a bath on the inside—it’s cleansing! If you do not drink enough water, the toxins and waste stay inside of you, causing inflammation in the body, which then leads to many sicknesses and disease. Dehydration causes a lowered state of health, plain and simple.
Two cautionary notes: first, don’t ever drink water or anything liquid with your meals. This dilutes your digestive enzymes which are needed to break your food down. Second, don’t drink municipal tap water if you can help it. It contains chlorine and, in a lot of cases, fluoride which, contrary to popular belief, is not good for you. It interferes with the thyroid in particular, along with contributing to a cascade of other problems. If you are on well water, make sure it is tested for any heavy metals.
Some Facts About Water
- Water makes up 75-85 percent of your body’s cells.
- Water supplies oxygen to the tissues (think H2O—the “O” is the oxygen).
- Water is used by the body for digestion, circulation, absorption, elimination, lubrication, and temperature control.
- Eight to ten glasses of water per day could help ease back and joint pain.
- Tap water contains impurities that become toxins in the body.
- Lack of water equals lack of oxygen.
- Lack of oxygen could be a leading cause of why people are tired.
- Parasites, viruses, and bacteria are anaerobic, which means they survive without oxygen!
- By the time you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated!
In Summary
Start off gradually and increase the amount of water you drink every few days. Have a water bottle that you carry with you everywhere you go. Know how many ounces it holds and determine how many bottles you need to drink each day to reach your minimum. Spread your intake throughout the day. Drink more in the earlier part of the day so you won’t wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. You will probably find yourself needing the restroom quite frequently at first, but gradually, as your body gets rehydrated (and this can take several months), your frequency will decrease. Remember the dry parched desert? It’s kind of like the heavy rain hitting the ground after the long drought—the water just runs off. Eventually, it starts saturating the ground and staying in. Relish each time you urinate or sweat or have a good bowel movement because toxins are coming out of your body rather than staying in and polluting it. Now, go drink some water!