WATER are you getting enough?

HEALTH, October 2007, by Dr. Jay

WATER
Are you getting enough?

Your body is very smart.
It sends you messages all day long, whether you realize it or not. It’s important for us to learn to understand these messages and give our bodies what they are asking for. When our body needs water, we feel thirsty. Same thing goes for hunger, sleep and various other physical and emotional needs. If we ignore these messages, the side effects can often be harmful to our health and well being. If you wait until you are super hungry to eat, for instance, it can often be uncomfortable after you finally do.

What causes humans to become thirsty?
As our water supply lowers, our salivary glands give off less saliva and our mouth will become drier. This dryness of the mouth is experienced as thirst. You know how I always say: “Balance is Key”? Well, my recommendation is that you eat and drink smaller portions more frequently through-out the day. The reason: it helps you to consistently feed nutrients and energy throughout your body all day long, and you will therefore be less likely to get fatigued, forgetful, uncomfortable or sick.

Next to oxygen, water is the most essential substance to our health and survival. It makes up more than two thirds of our body weight. We could survive for weeks or even months without food, but only a few days without water.

A drop of only 2% in our body’s water supply can trigger signs of dehydration: fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on smaller print. Do you ever get sleepy during the day? It could be mild dehydration. It’s one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue.

Why drink water?
You’ve all heard that we should drink 8 glasses of water a day, right? Do you know why that is so? Well, for many reasons, like helping transport the nutrients from food throughout our bodies, and export the waste. It also aids in the prevention of ailment and disease. Drinking plenty of water every day cleanses and regulates our systems.

Here are some other important things water does in our bodies.
• forms the base for saliva
• forms the fluids that surround our joints
• regulates our body temperature through perspiration
• helps to keep things “moving” through our intestinal tracts for eliminating waste and helping prevent constipation
• regulates our metabolism
• prevents wrinkles and dry skin
• decreases colon, breast, and bladder cancers, some say up to 70%

How do you take your water?
Drink your water cool and on an empty stomach. Drinking it while eating can impair digestion. If the acids we form to digest our foods are diluted with water, what we eat doesn’t completely digest and can sit, causing gas or acid reflux. It’s best to drink water on an empty stomach and in small sips.

Can we drink too much water?
Yes, as a matter of fact. If you drink too much water, you will be flushing out not only the toxins, but the nutrients and minerals as well. Minerals are what allow your body to become hydrated, and maintain hydration.

What about the water in pop and coffee? Don’t they count?
No, sorry. Unfortunately, they create the opposite effect. They will actually cause dehydration. Not good.

Here are some dehydrators to avoid:
• pop
• coffee
• commercial tea
• beer
• wine
• distilled spirits
• white sugar
• white rice
• white flour
• hydrogenated oils

Our bodies require about 2 - 2.5 litres of water on a daily basis. We absorb about 1 of those litres through the high-moisture foods we eat. Drinking clean water and choosing the right foods will help us reach that goal every day.

~ Dr. Jay

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