It is taking every ounce of me not to blog on the outcome of Prop 37 in California. I think I need a little time to cool off on that topic before I begin writing about it. What better topic than the one I promised you! Drinking pure water. We all know we need to drink water. Reading up on the reasons why, however, can help to reinforce the habit. I'm sure you've read that adults need to drink eight glasses of water daily. We should rephrase that to at least eight glasses of water. Our bodies are primarily made up of 70% water which naturally means that the majority of our bodily functions require water to work effectively. For many Americans, drinking water can be a chore. They would rather pick up a can of soda or drink coffee. I believe that drinking water is critical for both detoxifying and hydrating the body. Sodas and coffee are not capable of properly hydrating the body and can hinder optimal health.
Here are just a few benefits:
Water is helpful for weight loss.
If someone is not properly hydrated, their body will seek ways to maintain water in an act of self preservation. In other words, they will become bloated. Instead of taking diuretics, the better solution would be to drink more water. Once the body receives the amount of water it needs, it will let go of excess water. Drastically minimizing your consumption of sugar will also allow your body to let go of water. When someone is seeking to lose weight by exercise and diet modification, the vehicle by which the body eliminates the excess fat is by water and urination.
Drinking water helps to flush out toxins.
Our bodies are constantly trying maintain wellness, despite how we may abuse them. Water helps to flush out the toxins that we are exposed to. Drinking a glass of lemon water every morning first thing will help your liver to flush out toxins. Water dilutes toxins and bacteria we may have in our bodies and helps to protect the surrounding tissues as it (along with some white blood cells) escorts them out of the body.
Drinking water helps to lubricate and increase effectiveness of our organs.
Have you ever had a dehydration headache? Awful! It doesn't take much time without water before your organs begin to protest. Every single organ, tissue and fluid in your body needs lubrication. Water helps to regulate the viscosity of your blood, decreasing your chances of having a heart attack. Water helps with cognitive functions. When your synapses are firing away, they'll have an easier time if they are shooting smoothly rather than in a dehydrated environment. Fine facial lines that begin to show up as we age are sometimes a sign of dehydration. (They may disappear if you are well hydrated). Water aids proper kidney function, helping to prevent stones from developing. Also, drinking plenty of water helps maintain normal bowel function.
Water is the optimal drink for aiding athletic performance.
It drives me a little crazy when I see sports drinks touted as better for athletic performance than water. Are you kidding me? Have you read the ingredients list? Red flags anyone? If you are seeking to replenish lost electrolytes and minerals, do yourself a favor, forgo the toxic neon colored drinks and drink coconut water instead.
Folks, I feel like I'm preaching to the choir, everyone knows that drinking water is important. But sometimes we forget the importance of drinking this all important resource of nature. There are some surprising reasons however, why you would want to skip the tap.
Tap water tastes like metal to me. In a pinch I have drunk some tap water, but the more I read about what's in it, it just makes my stomach turn! Read here about all the ingredients you may be able to find in your tap water including trace amounts of pharmaceutical medications, and chemotherapy drugs that others have urinated out! Yuck! Reading this info you could surmise that a whole house filtration system as well as a separate filtration system for drinking would be advisable.
Better options for drinking water.
There was a time when I heard that the best water to drink was distilled. I had friends who distilled their water on a daily basis. If you get distilled at the supermarket you will notice that it tastes funny. Because it is empty water, it acts like a vacuum and what you are tasting is the plastic from the bottle that has leached into the water. If you distill water be sure to store it in a glass container. Dr. Mercola suggests forgoing distilled unless you are detoxifying. Empty water may cause minerals to be leached from your body - you don't want that!
I drink purified water, reverse-osmosis being the primary filtering method. I know that purifying you own water is probably best but I just have it shipped to my house by a company called Endless Waters in BPA free bottles.
The jury is still out on whether or not water ionizers are worth the investment. One thing I have noticed in regard to the advice of various professionals I respect: although they may have much in common in their philosophies, they will disagree from time to time on specifics. The physicians at Weimar Institute say that water ionizers are just part of money making propaganda. Robyn Openshaw, as well as others I know personally swear by it and actually do test alkaline when drinking water from an ionizer. Just do your own research and come up with your own conclusions. I do agree with the Weimar doctors that you shouldn't rely solely on this water to alkalize, but should keep the focus on fruits and vegetables to do the job. If I had thousands to spare on an ionizer, I personally would be tempted to get one.
Let's see how long I go before I tear into the Prop 37 topic! Maybe I'll cool off enough by the next time I post. Regardless, I can't believe Thanksgiving is here again. I feel like I'm not ready for this crazy, busy time of year. However, It is good to reflect on all the blessings - I have so much to be thankful for. I hope you do too! A very warm and Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your loved ones!
Enjoy the Journey!
