Water is essential for our bodies. It allows so many functions to occur within our masterfully created bodies without our awareness of it happening. These processes are automatic, which means they don’t need us to tell them to do so.
WHAT DOES WATER DO FOR US?
Water supports our bodies by doing the following:
Lubricating joints
Regulating body temperature
Carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells
Protecting body organs and soft tissues
Flushing out toxins through waste products
Moistening tissues in the eyes, nose, and mouth
So if you are not getting enough water, the systems listed above will continue to work, but not as efficiently. You might notice achy joints, hot flashes, dry cracking skin, lack of sweat, constipation/diarrhea, and dry eyes, nose, and mouth.
There is a saying that if you are thirsty, you are dehydrated. Thirst is a sign that you are not consuming enough water. And your body has entered into a state of dehydration – not good.
HOW MUCH WATER DO I NEED?
A general rule to make sure your body has enough water to run smoothly and efficiently, make it a daily goal to drink half your body weight in ounces.
An example is a 160-pound person will need to drink 80 ounces of water (160/2=80). If your weight changes, so will your water consumption.
There are many ways to make sure you’re getting your needed amount of water every day. I have a 30 oz cup that I make sure to fill and drink 2.5 times daily to meet my goal. Others have purchased water bottles that are the exact ounces they need for the day. Choose one that works best for you!
DOES THE WATER QUALITY MATTER?
Yes! Quality is just as important as the amount of water your body needs.
Those of us with our home plumbing connected to the municipal water system get recycled toilet water. And others that have wells get the water filtered through their surrounding ground, and who knows what your neighbors are putting on their lawns to keep it weed free and green.
Although municipal water is filtered, not all toxins are removed, like pharmaceuticals and microplastics being flushed or washed down the drain. And wastewater treatment plants add chemicals like chlorine and fluoride to the water before sending it out to our homes.
A scary fact is that chlorine was used in biological warfare in WWI. It works phenomenally at killing living things, which is the problem when we consume chlorine – it kills off the good and the bad…
And there is fluoride which was thought of being beneficial for our teeth. But now it is classified by our government as poison. Yup, the fluoride in toothpaste and our water is a known poison. And is still added in specific amounts to items we consume. The number one call the American Center for Poison Control is fluoride poisoning (kids swallowing toothpaste).
My intent is not to scare you but to inform you. Being more aware of what we put in our bodies allows us more control over our health. So, what can we do about the water we drink?
HOW DO I GET THE BEST WATER?
Filter it. Where ever you are getting your water from for your house, filter it before consuming. Some filtration systems are superior to others. Start small with a filtering water pitcher. Then you can look into whole-house filtration systems like reverse osmosis.
If you need to buy bottles of water, opt for spring water. The bottle must say “spring water.” Unfortunately, about 25% of bottled water manufacturers bottle tap water, which defeats the purpose of drinking clean water.
Soil and rock filter spring water and adds beneficial minerals to our bodies. So, it is best to choose bottled spring water. Fiji is our favorite go-to for bottled water.
Another place we filter water is in our bathroom, the shower head and spout each have a filter. Chlorine is a gas when water comes out of our faucets which is highly toxic to us (remember it was used in chemical warfare as a gas). Although the gas is minimal, the toxic load in our bodies builds over time. So, let’s filter it!
You can find my filter recommendations on my resource page.Â
Our goal to help our bodies function well and be healthy is to drink half our body weight of water in ounces every day.
What steps are you going to take to accomplish this?