Tips About Drinking Water

Jan 21st, 2005

I recently read a good tips article about drinking more water. I got permission from the author to reprint it here:

Drink More Water

Recent studies have shown, that many diseases are related to dehydration of the cells. We could kind have guessed that, since 80% of our bodies are made of water – but do you remember to connect these facts with how much you actually drink? One study pointed out that the most important healing “drug” we have is water!

And you thought water was only to help you digest? No – water means a lot more than that. It is what maintains your entire cell system. Headache – try more water. Angry – try a glass of water – or two. Feeling blue – drink your water. Having a sweet tooth – drink a glass of water first and see how the cravings feel then.

Here are Some Water Guidelines

• Drink 2 glasses of water first thing in the morning – it will help you feel better and more energized. And it will help you shed a bit of yesterday’s residue.
• Drink 1 glass of water 1/2 hour or so before every meal – it will help you feel less hungry, have fewer cravings and prevent you from overeating within the first few minutes at the table.
• Drink 1 glass of water for each glass of wine or beer (any alcohol) and 1 glass of water with every cup of coffee or tea (any caffeine). Think of the French and the Italians. There is always a bottle of water on the table next to the bottle of wine. When they order an espresso, they always get a glass of water to go along with it.
• Drink a glass of water every time you feel hunger or cravings creeping up on you.
• In general – work yourself up to drinking 1/2 of your body weight in ounces and add an equal amount of water when drinking alcohol and caffeine. If you weigh 170 pounds, you would drink 85 ounces of water.

  Jeanette Bronee at jb@path-for-life.com

Sources:
Dr. Batmanghelidj, MD: Your Body’s Many Cries for Water and You are not Sick, You are Thirsty. See website: www.watercure.com
Dian Dincin Buchman: The Complete Book of Water Therapy
Charlie Ryrie: The Healing Energies of Water

Water . . . the Forgotten Beverage

Jan 21st, 2005

After posting the article about chronic dehydration, I filled my water jug and poured a big glass of water. Without having a regular “watering system” in place, it’s easy to let the day slip away without drinking much (any?) water. That’s why I thought you’d enjoy reading some quick tips to help you drink enough water every day.

Five Signs That You Aren’t Drinking Enough Water

1. You feel tired.
2. Your mouth, lips, or throat are dry.
3. Your skin is dry and flaky.
4. You are constipated or irregular.
5. Your muscles and body hurt or ache.

If you drink beverages that cause dehydration, you need even more than the usual 8, 8 oz glasses of water: coffee, caffeinated soft drinks and tea, beer, and other kinds of alcohol.

Our bodies need to replace about two and a half to three quarts of water every day to support life functions. Water is critical in the breakdown and assimilation or nutrients and elimination of wastes–pretty important functions to be sure.

Adding water to your day will stave off the effects of mild dehydration, such as irritability, fatigue, and headaches. Also, the right amount of water helps regulate your body’s temperature, carry nutrients and oxygen to cells, flush toxins, and promote good digestion.

Some of our water intake comes from the plant-based foods we eat–-fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and grains. So eat lots of these. Beverages make up the rest. For many of us, our beverages consist mainly of coffee, tea, soda pop, and alcohol (all of which draw water from our bodies because of their diuretic qualities). Our internal water supply is further compromised if there is an excessive intake of salt, sugar or protein. These substances require greater amounts of water intake for balance and proper body function.

Dry, heated air adds to our dehydration. So does exercise. If you’re down a quart, your skin may be flaky, your hands and feet cracked and dry. Constipation is another side effect of dehydration. Fortunately, the solution is simple. . . drink water. Try these tasty water recipes:

H2O Punch
1 cup chlorine-free water
1 cup of cool clear water
1 cup distilled water
1 cup shaved ice
Shake vigorously
Serves 4

Make Mine Water
1 cup carbon filtered water
1 tiny umbrella
Serves 1

Related Resources about Dehydration and Water Consumption:

http://www.watercure.com/default2.htm
http://www.commonsense-nutrition.com/water.htm
http://www.assisted.com/seniorguide/water.htm
http://www.highvibrations.org/archive3/water.htm
http://www.safe-drinking-water-systems.com/glossary/the-health-benefits-of-drinking-water.htm

Chronic Dehydration

Jan 20th, 2005

One day I when I was out walking, I came upon someoneI hadn’t seen in a long time. I barely recognized her. I wasn’t exactly sure why she looked so different. She told me that she had lost a ton of weight and she and her husband were eating really well. Then she told me about what she and her husband discovered when he went to the hospital for what appeared to be a heart attack. Their story is very interesting.
————————
About 3 years ago, my husband was taken to the hospital by ambulance with all the symptoms of a major heart attack. Everything pointed to the typical suspect–middle-aged man with a “type A” personality, too much caffeine, poor diet, overweight, not enough exercise = blocked coronary artery.

So, he was scheduled for a cardiac catheterization the next morning.Then is when things began to get interesting. After the test, the cardiologist explained that there was absolutely no evidence of any kind of blockage in any of the coronary arteries. So, now came the questions–what caused the symptoms, is it a problem, and what can be done to fix it? The doctor’s educated guess was that it was chronic severe dehydration. He said it can be a serious problem, and that my husband must drink more water–a lot more water. He went on to explain about the physiology and mechanics, but suffice it to say that my husband’s water tank had been running on empty for so long that his body was suffering the effects.

The doctor’s directions, in addition to the usual lose weight and reduce stress, were to reduce caffeine intake, drastically reduce (preferably eliminate) carbonated drinks, and drink water–in my husband’s case at least twice the recommended daily amount to give his body a chance to catch up and get used to being hydrated.

My husband took that advice–we both have, and have kept it up over the past three years. We also made a lot of lifestyle changes. We now get more exercise and pay attention to what we eat and how we eat. It took a while to develop the “water habit,” but by being conscious of our consumption, we’ve noticed a difference in how we feel when we drink enough or don’t drink enough water.

We also found that drinking enough water really does help with other things like losing weight. My husband has lost over 25 pounds, and I’ve lost over 70. So now we get much better reports on annual physicals. Such a simple thing that is easy to overlook, but it can and has made a big difference for both of us.
——————————————————————–
Hearing her story, I was jazzed about drinking more water and set a goal to do so. I’ve been vigilant about drinking water at least 8-10 cups of water a day for many months. Are you drinking enough water every day?

Comments Please

What are your biggest challenges around drinking water? Let us hear your story.

Cold Weather Brings People Together

Jan 14th, 2005

It’s really cold here. It’s all the talk. Cold weather brings people together. They’re nicer in the stores and elevators. They smile on the street. i think cold weather makes us nicer because we know we might need somebody’s help if our electricity goes out so we don’t freeze, or if we get stuck and need a push, or if we get snowed in.

Anyway I’ve noticed that even though people are miserable, they’re nicer. I’ve heard that women feel freer to leave their mates in the tropics because they know they can sustain themselves. Up north, we’re worried about freezing to death if we don’t stick together.

So I went to the store like everybody else–got groceries, cash, three DVDs and am headed into a weekend. And for me it’s a 4-day weekend. It doesn’t get any better than that! I’ll sleep in, get a cup of coffee, call a friend or my sister, read a little for inspiration, then work on my book about creating your own healthy fast food kitchen.

It’s great to have 4 days to wallow in ………and create in the space that 4 days holds open. I’ll have no obligations. Just free will. When the sun is at its peak, I’ll take my dog Jasmine for a 4-mile walk along the river. I hope we’ll see bald eagles. We should because the river is frozen and they fish at the dam.

The only reason I look forward to winter is so that I can watch the eagles. They’re grand. Then when I feel like I’ve put in a good day’s work, I’ll pick one of the movies to watch. I’ll scrunch down on my couch, invite Jasmine to sit on the couch next to me (on the sheet protected couch) and cuddle up. Oh my. I can’t wait!