The health of hydration – water is life
Our body needs water to grow, heal and survive.
Water is nature’s most important building block and it is essential for all life-building processes and its quality and temperature and fundamental to the health of all life forms. Yet so many take our life giving water for granted.
Our bodies are mostly water however we spend more time focusing on the food we eat, when we should be focusing on the importance water has on our body.
You may consider yourself in today’s modern over sanitized and contaminated world that you are ‘well hydrated’ But there is a common misconception that drinking any form of liquid counts as drinking water – a misconception that has led many to dehydration.
Many people drink abundant amounts of water, yet they are not hydrated. Drinking water does not necessarily mean you will be hydrated. Similarly to eating good food does not necessarily mean the cells are getting their nutrients either. One has to drink water of quality—water is a living thing and can be destroyed, just as food can be destroyed and contaminated with chemicals and preservatives.
These days our water is contaminated by chlorine, numerous other cleaning agents such as aluminium, and in many places around the world, fluoride. All of these chemicals destroy the value of our water, with detrimental effects.
To gain the hydrating value of water we must first remove the chemicals with a process that enhances the value of water. Water is energy, and it supplies us with the life saving energy we cannot live long without. A good water filter should mimic nature, and take out as much chlorine and fluoride as possible. See water filters here
Drinking well filtered water is the only successful way to reduce the mega amounts of chemicals that end up in our drinking water. Filtering your water (particularly if you live in the city) is of prime importance. Ensuring that our filters do not destroy the natural essence of the water. Filters should be removing impurities in the water not stripping every element.
Coffee, tea, alcohol and that sweet ‘fizzy’ drink that always is staring you’re in the face at any grocery store checkout does not count as hydration. When we add tea or coffee to water, it has the reverse effect and water no longer becomes a hydrator. In fact, after every tea, coffee or alcoholic drink, it is a good idea to have a couple of glasses of water to balance the effects they have on us. These drinks are diuretics; all of which increase the discharge of fluids. To offset these discharges the body must be replenished with water in order to compensate.
For more energy we need to replenish our organs with good quality water. For increased energy and healthier organ activity hydrate with good clean water that is free from any additive. Water makes up 70% of our body weight and supports all of our body functions and processes. Our brain is made up of over 70% water, our blood 80% water and our liver is 63% water. So understanding the importance of staying hydrated with good, clean, energised water is crucial.
Making the conscious effort to re-hydrate our bodies with ‘clean, energised’ water is a great tool to introduce to your lifestyle to ensure you are consuming enough water in your diet.
Here are some great tips from ‘The Gut Man’ for daily hydration!
1. Drink 4 glasses of water before brushing your teeth. At first you may have to build up to this amount, but move toward this amount each day.
- After brushing your teeth, do not consume any food or drink for 45 minutes. You may find the water activated the bowels, which is very positive first thing in the morning.
- After 45 minutes, eat and drink as normal. However it is interesting to note that most Asian cultures consume warm water or hot drinks with their meals, not cold water. Cold water and other cold beverages work against the natural digestion of foods as they wash away the digestive enzymes in your saliva.
- After a 15 minute mealtime, do not eat of drink for another two hours. At first just do this routine around breakfast, then progress to lunch and dinner.
- Two hours after each meal, remember to drink water on a regular basis.
It is important to remember this is just a guide and if your body is fragile or you have a serious health condition to just start with small amounts and work slowly towards hydration!
Nourishment comes from within – Optimal health is a lifestyle, a way of being and to stay healthy we must feed ourselves the very things that keep us at peak health.
Water is life so stay hydrated!
