How much water do you need? What does it do for you?

Getting Enough?

Many of us know we need water. Many of us know how much water we need. And yet many people simply don’t get enough. So, here are a few tips. When you first wake up in the morning, drink 2 cups of warm water. You can add a little lemon juice to the water, my husband enjoys this. Then fill a water bottle with the amount of water you need for the day. KEEP it by your side. You may even need to write reminders out - Drink at 9:00am, 11:00am, 3:00pm, etc.

Quit drinking water 30 minutes before eating and wait at least 1 hour after. You may need even longer if you have any problems with digestion. When you’re hungry between meals, drink water; when you have a head ache, drink water; when you are tired, drink water; when you are feeling depressed, drink water. As you hydrate you will find your body will thank you with energy, vitality, and life.

What does it do?

Truly the most amazing molecule of life is water. Two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen bound by polar covalent bond. With a pH of 7, it is neither acidic or alkaline, but neutral. 1 Water freezes at 0°C, boils at 100°C, and weighs 1 kg for every liter. While we can go weeks without food, months without love, years without doctors, we can only go days without water. It is second only to the air we breathe. We are about 60 to 80% water, the brain is about 85% water. A few things water does (not a complete list):

* Aids red blood cells in collecting O2. 2
* It is used in every cell, every body function, every muscle, and every joint. 3
* Needed to make neurotransmitters - like serotonin. 4
* Needed to make hormones - like melatonin. 5
* Water helps with sleep. 6
* Prevents toxin & waste build up. 7
* Aids in weight loss by helping with appetite control (often we interpret thirst for hunger), prevents water retention, and decreases fat deposits themselves. 8
* Increases the ability of the immune system - even helping reduce some cancers. 9
* Needed for memory & brain function. 10
* Needed to keep blood at proper viscosity which can help reduce risk of: stroke, heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.11 (Women who drink 5+ glasses of water/day are 41% less likely to die from a heart attack. 12)
* Helps to dilute the bile in the gall bladder, thus reducing the risk of gall bladder diseases. 13
* Helps to reduce risk of kidney stones. 14
* Aids in the elimination system. 15
* Aids in lubricating the body. Dehydration causes fatigue, headaches 16 (the body robs the brain to eliminate toxins), dry skin, mental dullness, and much more.
It helps keep the body fluids at homeostasis. When the composition or volume of these fluids change, even by a little, disease sets in. 17

Pop, coffee, tea, wine, or beer cannot do these functions. But they are mostly water aren’t they? While that may seem logical, it is not necessarily right. In fact these substances which contain caffeine or alcohol are diuretics.18 (Some new controversial research suggests the body adapt to these chemicals. BUT the research is funded by Cola Cola!)

In other words they deplete water from the body. In addition they are loaded with calories, chemicals, and sugar which leads to weight gain and blood sugar upsets.19 For every cup of soda, beer, or coffee you need an additional cup of water. 20 Because they contain chemicals, good and bad, the body must filter them out before using the water, putting more work on the digestive system including the liver.

This is an excerpt from Water Information Sheet by Higher Path.

References:
1 George Sackheim, “Introduction to Chemistry for Biology Students”.
2-8 F. Batmanghelidj, MD, “Water: for Health, for Healing, for Life”.
8 D. Robertson, MD, MSc, “How 8 Glasses A Day Keep Fat Away”.
9 Dominique Michaud,, Harvard School of Public Health.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA.
10 Dr. Kleiner, Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Sciences, India
11 Neil Nedley, MD, “Proof Positive”. Nedley Publishing.
12 American Journal of Epidemiology, May 1, 2002.
13/14 Neil Nedley, MD, “Proof Positive”. Nedley Publishing.
15 Barbara J. Cohen, BA, MS Ed, & Dena Lin Wood, RN, MS, “Memmler’s The Human Body in Health and Disease”.
16-20 Aileen Ludington, MD & Hans Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, “Health Power”. Review & Herald Publishing.