Hydration is really the second most important basic element to human life ranking only behind oxygen in the hierarchy of needs of the human body . Think of it this way… How long can you live without oxygen? About 5 minutes! How long can you live without Water? About 5 days! How long can you live without food? Maybe 5 weeks! You get my point? Water is Critical to our existence. But how much water do you drink? Do you drink a minimum of 64 oz. per day? Way to many of us do not pay enough attention to our Hydration. In fact it is estimated that over 90% of all people in North America are walking around dehydrated and again the consequences are devastating to the quality and quantity of our Life as you will see below.
Not only is the quantity of water you drink important but so is the quality! What type of water do you drink? Tap or plastic bottled water or store bought waters, like spring, mineral or vitamin water? Did you know that most tap water is acidic and that most bottled waters are nothing more than tap water in a plastic bottle! Did you know that plastic bottles are toxic because of the toxic petroleum products in the plastic? Or that many of the “specialty” waters are not what they claim to be?
Well maybe you have done your due diligence and investigated the different types of water and their importance to proper hydration, health and performance. Maybe you have invested in an expensive filtering system or water machine of some kind that has special attributes for improving the quality of your water?
Statistics show that 9 out of 10 of us are not paying enough attention to this super important aspect of our health! When you stop and consider that our bodies, on average, are made up of more than 75% water and all of our cells, nervous system, organs, muscles and brain need to be hydrated properly in order to perform at optimal levels why would we fail to recognize the importance of proper hydration. The answers are two-fold… 1.) Most of us have not had it explained like this so we don’t give it proper attention and 2.) Because the negative effects of dehydration show up in many other symptoms like headaches, digestive issues, pain, skin conditions and weight gain just to name a few so we never stop to consider these symptoms could actually be the cause of dehydration and when we do go to the doctor rarely does he ask about the quantity or quality of our water consumption.
So what do we do to make sure we are properly hydrated? The first answer is pretty obvious… drink more water! I recommend to my clients that they try to drink at least ½ their body weight in ounces each and every day at least until they get themselves back to a properly hydrated level. Then they can back it off a little if they want too! The second thing I recommend is that you drink a better quality of water! Did you know that there are certain types of waters that are structured in such a way that make them easier for the body to absorb and in some cases can actually hydrate up to 6 times quicker and more effectively! Without getting into all of the science of how this works right here, take my word for it because it is true and if you want to learn more about the science behind water and compare some of the options CLICK HERE! The very best water option I have found to date again is CERRA WATER (as discussed in the alkalinity section above)
