“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”
~ Mother Teresa
Water’s Health Benefits
Water. Its health benefits cannot be overstated. We humans are made up of at least 60% water, and our brains are over 70%. Clean, pure hydration is essential for optimal health.
It’s easy to think you are getting enough water. After all, if you were dehydrated you’d be thirsty, right? Unfortunately, no. By the time you feel thirsty, it’s too late.
How much water is enough?
Despite what you read, there is no agreed-upon right amount of water we should drink. How much a person needs depends on activity, climate, weight, age, and myriad other factors. Some people suggest your daily intake should equal half your weight in ounces. Thus, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 75 ounces of water each day. Whoa! That’s way more than the eight glasses a day rule we’ve been told.
One thing I think is a good idea — and many experts agree — is to start your morning off with at least 16 ounces of clean, filtered water on an empty stomach. This gives you a good start to a day of healthy hydration, and the benefits are astonishing.
Drink in the benefits of water
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- The digestive system depends on water to make minerals and nutrients more accessible to the body.
- Blood is 90% water, and water carries needed oxygen throughout the body.
- Water helps flush body waste (detoxification) that helps keep us regular and is essential to healthy kidney function.
- Water lubricates joints and keeps skin more youthful and healthy looking and less likely to develop skin problems.
- Our brains need water to think, focus, concentrate, and stay alert. One of the main causes of headaches is dehydration.
- Water improves the metabolism, helps to maintain a healthy weight, and staves off hunger. In fact, sometimes when we think we are hungry we are actually in need of water!
Is all water created equal?
Unfortunately, there is a lot of not so great stuff in our water these days. Chlorine for starters. Also, fluoride is still added to water in some areas. And, contrary to what we have been told, fluoride is not helping our teeth. There are other unsavory things in our tap water, like PCBs, pharmaceuticals, bacteria that is pathogenic, and did I mention lead and cadmium? This is the short list. So what can you do to ensure your water is safe?
Run, don’t walk, to the nearest store for a water filter
If you haven’t already, invest in your health with a good water filter. Get the best you can afford, and ideally one for the whole house. There are many types of filtration systems — for every budget. Not only do filters ensure you are getting all the wonderful benefits of drinking more water, they’ll make your water taste delicious!
I recommend you put one under your kitchen sink. But don’t forget the bathroom. Add a filter on your shower head too because bathing in tainted water can add to your health woes. Your skin absorbs what we put on it within a matter of seconds and we breathe in the vapor of chemicals as they are coming out of the tap along with the water. Clean filtered water is better for your skin and less likely to dry it out.
Just say NO to bottled water
Research has shown that water stored in plastic is not safe, especially soft plastic. The plastic actually leaches into the water. You’ve heard about hormone disrupters in plastic? Don’t drink that stuff! Sometimes that so-called pure bottled water is no better than tap anyway.
Instead, get a glass water bottle (or at the very least, a safe, BPA-free plastic one) that you can use again and again, refilling it with your pure, filtered water. You will save yourself money, save yourself from chemicals, and save the planet from all that plastic that is ending up in the landfills and oceans.
You can make a big difference to your health through this one simple act! Drinking clean, pure water — and enough of it — can improve your life and health. Let’s all have another glass of water and stay gorgeously healthy!