Are you drinking enough water?
Seems like such a basic question, but the reality of how much water you are drinking will affect so many areas of your life. One in particular - PAIN.
Last year I went to a seminar run by an Aromatherapist of 20 years who has healed herself of many issues. She shared that when clients come asking her for recommendations for their ailments, she sends them away for 2 weeks with the requirement to double their water intake before coming back to see her. This is so simple, but so powerful.
When we attended Boyd Truman’s Symphony of the Cells training, he was constantly talking about the need to increase water intake and the very low water intake of our elderly population being a core issue. It can sometimes be a vicious cycle as the elderly often want to avoid incontinence issues. They drink less water that then leads to muscle weakness and dehydration which means the muscles don’t work as well when they do actually drink. Water is also extremely important in helping your body to remove toxins. The long term build up of toxins in your body is very harmful!
Dr. F. Batmaghelidj learned a lot about the healing power of water when he was imprisoned in 1979 and was made to treat patients while there. The only thing he had to treat them with was water and his patients had amazing, quick results! Google him to read the full story.896 In his book “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water”, he said that a dry mouth is not a reliable indicator of dehydration. Your body signals its water shortage by producing pain. Dehydration produces pain and may contribute to many degenerative diseases. Dr. B’s message to the world is, “You are not sick, you are thirsty. Don’t treat thirst with medication.”
About 60% of our body is made up of water - the brain is about 73% water. Blood is 90% water. Many people are going through every day dehydrated and their body is crying out for help - we are just not reading the signs. As the body becomes dehydrated, the brain knows it needs to survive, so it looks to other parts of the body it can draw its water from. This may lead to muscle and joint pain as this is often the first area water is taken from.
One way to tell if your body is dehydrated is to take a look at the colour of your urine. A hydrated body will produce a light yellow, almost clear coloured urine, whereas a dehydrated body will produce a dark yellow or orange coloured urine. It also tends to be very smelly.
Symptoms of dehydration include:
chapped lips, dry skin, constipation, headaches and chronic pains such as arthritis, heartburn, back pain, stiffness or soreness and migraines. These are signs you are already dehydrated, we want to avoid getting these symptoms!
Signs of severe dehydration include:
Not urinating or having very dark yellow urine, very dry skin, feeling dizzy, rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing, sunken eyes, sleepiness, lack of energy, confusion or irritability, fainting
Our society has moved towards treating symptoms and not addressing the underlying cause of the symptoms. Our body is very good at telling us what the issue is, if we only take the time to listen. As simple as drinking more water is, we realise that there are many issues facing everyone and drinking water on it’s own may not be the only requirement that you need. However having proper hydration is going to give you a good start at keeping your body healthy.
Not sure how much water you should be drinking each day? This is a good guide to use.
Take your weight in kilograms and divide by 30.
The answer is the number of litres you should be drinking per day. So, if you weigh 60 kg, you should drink around 2 litres of water. If you weigh 80 kg, you should drink around 2.6 litres (2 litres and 600 ml) of water per day. This will be different for different people and their personal circumstances.
A good habit to start is drinking 1-2 glasses of water first thing in the morning before eating. Drinking water first thing in the morning helps your body get rid of toxins. A few glasses of water in the morning can help flush out all the toxins that stored up in your body overnight. As you drink water, it naturally stimulates movement in your bowels and also helps reguate your morning visit to the bathroom.
If you exercise or live in a high humidity location, you will likely lose a lot of water through sweat. Add extra to your intake to help make up for the lost fluids.
These recommendations may seem like a lot for you if you don't currently drink much water. Look for ways you can slowing increase your water intake and create routines around it.
Here are some tips you may find helful:
- Try having a large glass of water when you wake in the morning and before each meal.
- Add some flavour to your water - some fresh fruit, herbs or veggie slices. A drop of a citrus oil can also add a lovely boost.
- Drink a glass after you go to the toilet each time
- You can even get an app to track how much you are drinking
- Dilute sugary drinks with water or ice - or even better substitute the sugary drinks for flavoured water, as above.
- Keep a water jug nearby through the day
- Get a filter! Better tasting water will help, but you are also going to drink safer water!
- Eat foods high in water. Fruits and vegetables like watermelon, strawberries, peaches, oranges, cucumber, lettuce, broths and soup, zucchini, celery, plain yoghurt, tomatoes, capsicum, cauliflower, cabbage, grapefruit and cottage cheese are all high in water content.
- Drink a glass of water before each alcoholic drink you have
- Anytime you empty your glass or water bottle, fill it up straight away
- Drink herbal teas. Although caffeinated drinks are counter productive as they are diuretics, herbal tea is another option to help keep you hydrated
- Make a rule that every time you exercise you will finish a water bottle
As a society we often look to treat our symptoms and remove the discomfort. When we shift our thinking to look at the root cause we are going to lead much healthier lives.
Give yourself a challenge to increase your water intake for a week or 2 and see the impact it has. It won't just help with pain, there are so many benefits to proper hydration!
