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Question: What could be more basic to your health than water?
Answer: Air! Nonetheless, water is second only to breathing as the most critical element to your health. Water is especially interesting because even though there is no nutritional value to water, and the body cannot derive any energy from water, nonetheless life will very quickly cease to exist without it.
You probably know this one simple fact: 75% of the weight of a healthy body is water. But did you know that your brain is 85% water? Virtually every aspect of biological function within your body requires water in one way or another. Not surprisingly, insufficient water in your body results in decreased metabolic efficiency resulting in decreased energy
The reason it is so critical is that water is the solvent in which every molecular reaction takes place. To the degree to which water is deficient, every biochemical reaction in your body will slow down. Ultimately, when water supplies have diminished enough, life ceases to exist.
Additionally, water is the solvent that the body uses to rid itself of toxins. Some of these toxins come from outside the body, for example chemicals, pollution, cigarettes, etc., but the majority of the toxins are those formed in the body as the waste products of normal metabolic function. In the absence of a sufficient daily intake of high quality water, these toxins accumulate and decrease the cell’s ability to produce energy, resulting in premature aging and disease.
In light of this fact, it is amazing how few people actually drink an optimal amount of water. Chronic dehydration is very common. Dr. Shallenberger uses bio-impedance measurements to assess hydration status in his patients, and often states that at least half of the people he tests over the age of forty turn out to be dehydrated. So it is much more common than you would think.
And don't count on thirst to let you know if you're chronically dehydrated. Although thirst is an excellent indicator of acute dehydration, in chronic states the body accommodates by retaining water, and thirst does not occur. Unfortunately, when the body retains water, it also retains the toxins that the water was supposed to eliminate, increasing toxin deposition in the connective tissues, and setting the stage for chronic disease and premature aging.
If you do not urinate every 3 to 4 hours, you are not drinking enough water. Without proper hydration you are not only retaining the toxins that your body needs to get rid of, but you are endangering the cartilage in your joints. Chronic dehydration is a common cause of joint pain and discomfort.
Here are some good tips to insure your body has an optimal amount of water:
· Every adult should drink at least 12 quarts per day of purified water. On hot days or when exercising, twice that amount may be needed. Once your body is used to this amount of water you will begin to feel thirsty if you aren't getting enough, but until then don't rely on thirst to remind you to drink water.
· Remember that since the lymphatics have been dumping toxins into your blood stream all night long, it is an especially good habit to help the kidneys along by drinking 16-32 oz. when you first get up in the morning. This may take some getting used to, but it's worth it.
· Drink pure water. Tap water is contaminated with chlorine, fluoride, heavy metals and pesticide residues. Well water is contaminated with heavy metals, inorganic minerals, and other toxic compounds. Logically, if you are trying to detoxify your body, you don't want to add contaminants. If you can, install a home purification unit. If you purchase water, look for water which has been purified using either reverse osmosis or distillation methods.
· Drinking two glasses of water with meals reduces the urge to overeat.
· Remember that dehydration often feels exactly like hunger. If you feel hungry, drink a glass of water and wait about 10-15 minutes. If the hunger feeling dissipates, you were thirsty, not hungry. Recognizing this simple fact is often critical for weight loss.
· Coffee, tea, juice, sodas, and alcohol are NOT water. While these beverages may contain water, they are not a substitute for pure water. Additionally, they may actually intensify dehydration through their diuretic action.
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