In previous articles I discussed optimum health and the elements that are needed to achieve and maintain optimum health. Those elements are: air, water, food, rest, and exercise.
Human and spiritual connection are also necessary and will be discussed in future articles on mental health. In the last two articles I wrote about the first element air. If you missed any of those articles, you can find them in the archives. Today, we’ll take a look at water.
I have no doubt that everyone knows how essential water is to life. We can only be without water for a few days before our bodies start to suffer and die of dehydration.
I find it amazing that science tells us the body is 70% water. It’s hard to believe because the water is contained in the body.
Water, in the form of blood, carries the nutrients to the cells, keeps them functioning, picks up waste products and lubricates joints and muscles. It also enables the electrical currents that run all aspects of the body to transmit energy. Are you getting the idea of the connection between health and function?
As we age the body dries out. Compare a newborn baby with one who is in the later stages of life. The babies skin is soft and plump and it has so much water that it drools from the mouth.
The aging person becomes dry, wrinkled and even sometimes cracks open because the skin loses its flexibility. If you fall into that category please don’t take offense. I fall into the ‘later stages of life’ category, too!!!
We lose water in several ways: sweat, breathing, urine and internal bodily functions that require water to happen. We need to replace this water constantly. There are several ways to determine if you are taking enough water.
When I lived in the United States, I lived in the desert and had to be very aware of replenishing my body. Even after sleeping for a night I had lost enough water to begin showing signs of dehydration, so the first thing I did upon arising was to drink water.
-Scientists tell us that by the time we feel ‘thirsty’ our bodies have already started to dehydrate. The easiest way to know if your water supply is low is the condition of your lips. If they feel dry and you want to lick them or apply lip moisturizer, you are in the early stages of dehydration!!!
-Let that be your sign to drink water. Tea, juice, coffee, sodas DO NOT COUNT. Tea and coffee actually have dehydrating effects. Juice and soda require water to process once in your body.
-Another way to judge your water content is the condition of your skin. If it’s dry and itchy you need water. A well hydrated body will have normal skin unless there is a skin condition present also.
-Headaches are also a sign of needing water. Remember, the brain needs water to transmit the electrical energy required to think and function properly at the highest level.
-Another good indicator is the color of your urine. It should be light yellow if you are taking enough water. Anything less is too concentrated and means your body is stressing to eliminate waste products.
You may be asking “How do I know how much water to drink?” The good news is that you can’t drink too much especially in the hot, dry season we are in now. Well, it is possible to overload on water but not likely. Because it is so rare, I’ll not bother with the details.
I encourage you to use the above criteria to determine your water needs but if you want something more concrete and measurable you can use this guideline.
Measure your height and divide by ½. Then, multiply that by 30 and you will have the number of milliliters needed by your body per day.
It is probably more than you are currently taking in. It may seem like a lot but remember you are losing water just by breathing. Yes, it will mean that you need to urinate more often which can sometimes be inconvenient but an important part of staying hydrated.
One more important point is to take water in small amounts throughout the day so your body has a continuous supply. Taking large quantities at a time just makes the water pass through without serving its purposes.
In the next article I’ll discuss what to do if you don’t like water!!!! Behavior change can be challenging and is possible without too much effort.
As always your comments and questions are welcome.
BE well
Joanna
UM– USEKE Volunteer
