Have you ever looked around outside after a spring rain?
The world around looks like a magical wonderland; clean, green, lush, vibrant and new. You can sense the activity that is going on in the soil, and between the leaves. You can almost hear the plants growing. Visit a riverbank after a heavy rain and you might see really fast moving mucky water carrying broken tree limbs, leaves, and even trash. Look up at the sky just after a rain and what’s there? Blue, white, big yellow. Take a whiff of a post rain garden and smell it’s natural fragrances; soil, worms, flowers, mold, etc… Why the nature lesson? Water to the body is exactly the same as it is in nature.
Water makes up 60% of your body’s form. It aids in all the systems, functions and appearance of your body.
If you think of your skin as a leaf, you’ll prefer one that is green and juicy rather than one that has turned brown and fallen, crumpled, off the tree and is blowing around in the wind.
If you think of the soil as your intestines, you’d prefer one that is clear and healthy and growing good flora to help with all the proper digestive and growth functions.
If you think of the river as your blood and veins and glands and organs, you’d prefer to have it flush with clean water than mud and dried up, stuck garbage in need of a good dredge.
So, how much? This is another question with many correct answers. Here is a guide that I think is valuable.
1. Drink as much as you can – pure water that is. For the most part, you’ll never be over-doing it (**see note below).
2. If your lips are dry or if you are really thirsty, you are already
low on water.
3. Living in a dry climate, running a fever, doing lots of exercise,
pregnant, peeing less than four times a day? Drink more until
you sense hydration.
4. 8, 8oz glasses per day is a good start, but quickly loses its
value added if you are peeing every 20 minutes or if you feel
bloated. Most people won’t need that much water.
5. Drink half your weight in ounces. Ok, if you are exercising a
lot. Drink your whole weight in ounces. Ok, if you are
preparing for a sports competition, on a cleanse diet, or have
nothing else to do but drink and pee.
6. Look at your skin, hair, nails. Smell your breath. If any of these things look or smell bad – drink more water.
7. Look at your urine. If it’s bright yellow, drink more. Keep tabs on this and when you have almost clear pee, stick to that
amount. Experiment.
8. Count everything you drink – coffee, tea, water, soda… It’s all water.
9. Space your water intake over the day. No use in pounding
glasses of water just to mark it down as done. Your cells will
only absorb what they can at any one minute. Like over
watering a plant and watching the water run into and over the
pot liner and onto the floor.
10. Take on the simple task of finding out your water needs by
tracking, sensing, observing and being methodical. Track what
you drink. Track how you feel. Then, when you feel as if
you’ve reached optimal hydration… There you are.
Just one last note; My list is an educated opinion that I have developed rather than scientific or medically sound.
If you have health issues (liver, adrenal, heart…) please consult your healthcare provider or a couple of them. The most important thing is that you are hydrated, that you become aware of your body and its needs and that you are proactive in making health and wellness in your body…and your life.
Happy drinking.
**Note: I do NOT advocate drinking soda or juice. They are nutritionally useless and calorically disastrous. Drink a soda if it is what you crave. Not daily. Eat a piece of real fruit if you want juice.