Your body is designed to be healthy. The best definition of health is optimal cell function. If you provide the elements that cells require for function and avoid those elements that are toxic by nature, you have the best chance of experiencing your true health potential. Water is at the top of that list; water is one of those essential elements.
Water is critical in almost all of our bodies’ functions, including but not limited to: digestion, circulation, respiration and healing. Symptoms of dehydration include constipation, dizziness and fatigue, as well as skin, hair and nail issues. As with all essential elements, water should not be thought of as a “treatment” for dehydration or a way to avoid constipation; rather, hydration is a critical component of a healthy lifestyle. Air is no more a “treatment for suffocation” than water is a treatment for thirst. Ideally, we should rarely, if ever, experience thirst. We should simply drink water – and drink often. Hydration is critical.
The daily requirement for water will vary according to your body weight. A good rule of thumb or best practice is to consume at least 50% of your body weight (pounds) in fluid ounces of water (and an additional 50% in healthy food choices – fruits and vegetables).
Optimally, we should drink pure spring water from our own well/land. A good alternative water source for the modern city dweller is Reverse Osmosis, but there is an entire spectrum of quality for your other water source choices. An effective nudge for having and consistently (and easily) consuming clean water is to install an in-home Reverse Osmosis Filtration System. This makes is far easier for you to make better choices and have the cleanest water source – on tap!
The trend in healthier water consciousness today has led to an unfortunate trade-off for the environment – plastic pollution. Millions of plastic bottles end up in landfills and in the oceans every day. In fact, there are toxic stews of plastic flotsam clustered on the surface of the ocean that are so thick that in some areas the concentration of plastic particles is higher than the level of plant and animal plankton. One such cluster, The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is reported to be twice the size of state of Texas – and still growing.
We have a solution to both problems. Take one of our reusable BPA-Free water pouches. In our practice we found that when patients use a non-disposable water bottle that they love, they keep it (and their water supply) with them at all times. This increases water intake substantially. You get all the health benefits – saving yourself and the planet, all at once. Good job, you!