Your Body is Crying for Water

Your Body’s Many Cry’s For Water

If you are thirsty, it means your cells are already dehydrated.  A dry mouth is the last outward sign of dehydration.  That’s because thirst does not develop until body fluids are depleted well below levels required for optimal functioning.

Another way to monitor your levels of hydration is by the color of your urine.

• A hydrated body produces, clear, colorless urine.
• A somewhat dehydrated body produces yellow urine.
• A severely dehydrated body produces orange or dark-colored urine

Through activities of daily living, the average person loses about 3-4 liters (about 10-15 cups) of fluid a day in sweat, urine, exhaled air and bowel movements.  What is lost must be replaced by the water we drink and the food we eat.

We lose approximately 1-2 liters of water just from breathing!  The evaporation of sweat from the skin accounts for 90% of our cooling ability.  Exercise, sweating, diarrhea, elevated temperature or altitude can significantly increase the amount of water we lose. 

The effects of even mild dehydration include decreased coordination, fatigue, dry skin, decreased urine output, dry mucous membranes in the mouth and nose, blood pressure changes and impairment of judgment.  Stress, headache, back pain, allergies, asthma, high blood pressure and many degenerative health problems are the result of unintentional chronic dehydration.

The liver, which dictates where all nutrients go, also needs water to convert stored fat into usable energy.  If you are dehydrated the kidneys turn to the liver for backup, diminishing the liver’s ability to metabolize stored fat.  This is why drinking water during a weight loss program is SO key.  If you don’t drink water your body will not let go of stored fat!

So how much water do you need to drink?   The best way to get a number is divide your body weight in half.  The answer is the approximate number of water ounces you will want to drink each day.  Individuals who are very physically active, working out in the heat or who live in hot climates will need to drink more.

WHAT SHOULD WE DRINK?  WHAT SHOULDN’T WE DRINK?

• Avoid sodas to provide your fluid needs, they actually dehydrate you
• Tea, Coffee, contain water but the diuretics contained in these caffeinated beverages flush water out of the body.
• Natural, pure water is best. Bottled water can be bottled in BPH bottles which excrete “xeno-estrogens”, estrogen like substances known to cause cancer.
• Filtering water at the tap in your home is the best. A reverse osmosis filter will remove chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride, bacteria and viruses.
• Here are a couple websites that have good filters.
• www. get.leafhomewatersolutions.com/products/reverse-osmosis/ 2.www.multipureusa.com

           3.https://www.usaberkeyfilters.com/

DRINKING TIPS

• Drink an 8oz. glass of water upon rising to remove toxins and rehydrate
• If you drink coffee in the morning drink a glass of water after.
• Take “water breaks” during the day to make sure you are drinking throughout the day.
• Avoid sodas and artificially sweetened beverages
• Avoid excess coffee and tea (2 cups per day of coffee and 2 cups per day of Herbal tea.)
• Avoid “ice cold” water or beverages 30 minutes before or after a meal for better digestion
• If exercising at a high level or working outside in high heat make sure you balance your sodium intake with water. Add ¼ tsp salt per quart of water.  Make sure it is good salt such as “Real Salt” or “Celtic Sea Salt” or “Himalayan Sea Salt”.

A great book to read is “Your Body’s Many Cry’s For Water”, Dr. Batmanghelidj’s.   Check out his website at www.watercure.com

Staying hydrated is a basic, non-negotiable for good health!

In health,

Chris Mckee

Certified Nutritionist at Achieve Integrative Health