It’s really hot outside, so I thought I would share some thoughts about water and hydration, pointed out to me by one of my mentors, Dr. Joseph Bosiljevac.
I am frequently asked how much water is necessary: there are all sorts of information on the web, 16 ounces, one quart, one gallon. Of course, every person is different and require different amounts, so my usual answer is to drink enough water to maintain hydration. We can now actually measure levels of hydration as part of body mass analysis, but we don’t typically have one of these scales in every home. As a guide, I advise my clients that if adequately hydrated, urine color should be quite pale in color.
But why hydrate? Water makes up 70% of our body weight, and when we allow this level to drop, a condition known as dehydration, this affects the balance of electrolytes and salt, which then stops the body and various organs from working in an optimal fashion.
Many years ago, a medical colleague gave me a book about healing with water. Water balances our metabolism and certainly plays a major role in our health. Many of the chronic and degenerative conditions from which we suffer can improve with drinking good water, including neurologic and intellectual functions. Just think about how tired you get when you forget to drink during a very busy day, and how sleepy this makes you, and how it affects your thought process.
However, all water is not good water. Although typical tap water is “safe” to drink or shower in, just remember that tap water is processed in order to make it “potable”. During this processing, other chemicals are added, for example we have been told for decades that we need fluoride in our drinking water. The “purification” process does not remove other potential toxins, for example industrial run-off, and seepage of agricultural chemicals into underground sources of water, and many reservoirs. I have always wondered how it is that so many reservoirs are recreational bodies of water, great for fishing, boating, and swimming. What about those chemicals? And what about the waste water from our homes? Leftover medications and cosmetics are perfect examples of chemicals that cannot be removed adequately during purification of waste water, and seeps make in to our drinking water and food. For several years now I have been routinely checking my clients for dangerous minerals and metals, and I routinely find mercury, lead, and even cadmium and arsenic. The most common manner this enters our body is through water and non-organic sources of food. I never ask for ice in a restaurant, as I am not convinced that ice is properly handled before freezing, and then stored and handled cleanly.