Oh…water, water, water! Love it or hate it, the bottom line is you can’t live without it so you might as well find a way to make peace with it.
Common objectives:
- I don’t like the taste of it.
- I pee too much.
- It keeps me up all night.
- I forget to drink it.
- I really drink p l e n t y of water.
- It’s really difficult to drink that much water.
Sound familiar? If so….read on.
In order for our bodies to get to—and maintain—a healthy internal balance, we need to have this beautiful liquid pulsing through our bloodstream and organs. There is not one more important thing you could do for your health and wellbeing, then to drink the appropriate amount of water.
As we are all well aware of by now, our bodies are made up of 60% water. When our intake doesn’t equal our output we can become dehydrated. Sadly, the majority of us are walking around in a mild to moderate state of dehydration and we don’t even know it.
Are you suffering from any of the following issues?
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Digestive issues
- Joint pain/arthritis
- Hypertension
- Kidney stones
- Sleep disorders
- Bladder infections
- Depression
- Muscle cramps
- Rough and scaly skin
- Premature aging
When we hit that point where we feel incredibly thirsty, we are already at the high end of the dehydration stage and need to drink ample water to catch up. In order to maintain the correct balance of water for our organs to function properly and to flush out all the accumulated toxins, we need to stay ahead of the game. We do this by setting our water intake goals every day.
Think of water like a lubricant in a car engine—
OUR CAR: Lubricant creates slippery gap between moving metal parts in the engine and reduces friction, heat and wear.
OUR BODY: Water creates a slippery gap between our moving bones and cartilage, reducing inflammation and friction between joints. This eases the pain of arthritis and joint pain.
OUR CAR: Lubricant coats all of the surfaces within the engine, so even when the motor is not running, it is protected from corrosion.
OUR BODY: Water balances all of the systems within our body, so even when we are sedentary, sleeping and inactive, we are protecting ourselves from degeneration and dehydration.
OUR CAR: Lubricant neutralizes acids that would otherwise build up in the engine and cause scarring and pitting on smooth, polished surfaces.
OUR BODY: Water neutralizes acids that would otherwise build up in our liver, kidneys, joints, heart, and other organs causing inflammation, constipation, hypertension and a build up of excess toxins which only become harder to eliminate.
OUR CAR: Lubricant prevents the accumulation of sludge. Cheap oils or oil that is way overdue for changing will not only fail to remove sludge and other contaminants, but will begin to break down and actually become sludge.
OUR BODY: Water prevents the accumulation of toxins. Poor diet, excess sugar, caffeine, and alcohol are all toxic to the body and will break down and actually create a toxic environment within the body.
Does this make sense now?
So the big question is; how much water should we be drinking?
The answer is; half our body weight in ounces per day!
If you weigh 150 lbs you need to drink 75 ounces per day. If you weigh 200 lbs, it’s 100 ounces.
This does NOT include caffeine, alcohol, sodas, fruit juices, or energy drinks. This is pure unadulterated, clear, fresh H2O folks. In fact, if you are drinking the aforementioned caffeine or alcohol? Add 20% more water to your intake.
Yep. You heard me correctly. An additional 20%.
The good news is, we all have the capability of changing and if you can get your mind right about this, you can change the trajectory of your health future in a short amount of time. Like I said before; drinking the appropriate amount of water is the most important thing you can do for your health and wellbeing.
My response to the common objectives above :
- I don’t like the taste of it; Add fresh cucumber, lemon, lime, pineapple, or raspberries to a pitcher and keep in the fridge. Keep at it and you’ll find something that works for you. Just do not use flavor enhancers that have artificial sugars and ingredients.
- I pee too much; That’s a REALLY good thing. You are supposed to! This is flushing the toxins out of your body and is the best thing for your health! Just remember that the less you pee the more toxins you are building up. These toxins are the first stage of disease.
- It keeps me up all night; Well, you will typically fall right back to sleep. But if you don’t, try stopping your water consumption by 6PM and test it out. Also, check your caffeine and sugar habits. Maybe that’s what’s keeping you awake? If you drink caffeine – stop by 1PM.
- I forget to drink it; Set a visual reminder. Leave a pitcher of water on your countertop or fridge and know how often you need to fill it per day to hit your goal. And I beg you…please do not use single use plastic water bottles to stay on quota. Buy a refillable bottle or pitcher and do your part for the environment.
- I really drink p l e n t y of water; Do you? Track yourself for a few days and be honest with where you end up.
- It’s really difficult to drink that much water; Drinking water isn’t that difficult.
Cancer is difficult. Diabetes is difficult. Joint pain is difficult. Medical bills are difficult. Drinking water isn’t difficult.
Cheers to staying hydrated!