Drinking Water
The benefit of drinking water is the key to a longer, healthier, and more vigorous life - as seen previously ...
Now, the questions are:
- How much water to drink?
- How do we know if we drink enough water? - Drinking Water versus other beverages
- What is the best drinking water?
1. How much water to drink?
Studies show that on average, on a typical day without exercise or hot weather, we lose about 10 cups of water through perspiration, breathing, urination and bowel movements.
Most adults need 8-12 cups of water each day. However there is no such thing as a standard required quantity. Water requirement depends on age, weight, geographical location (dry or wet climate), activities, etc. What we need to do is drink plenty of water...
Senior citizens are at particular risk for dehydration because their kidney function has diminished to some degree. Symptoms of dehydration include confusion, drowsiness, labored speech, dry mouth, and sunken eyeballs. Side effects for seniors who do not drink enough water, however, extend far beyond dehydration. Even short-term water deprivation has been known to cause chronic pain. Over time, lack of water causes loss of muscle tone, excess weight gain, slow metabolism, increased toxicity, and even organ failure. Other negative effects include arthritis, dry skin, migraines, hypertension, digestive complications, and persistent constipation. Read more...
Women need extra fluids in pregnancy. Carry a water bottle with you to get the 2 quarts of water you need each day. Avoid caffeinated coffee, tea, and sodas. Read more about the benefit of water for women's health ...
Children need more water than adults because of their large consumption of energy, so they should always have unlimited access to water - a loss of 2% of body fluids causes a 20% reduction in child performance in both physical and mental activities. Read more...
The American Academy of Pediatrics actually states that "until your baby starts eating solid foods, he'll get all the water he needs from breast milk or formula." - read more...
Is drinking too much water a problem?
Doesn't drinking water make you go to the toilet at night? This shouldn't be a problem if you have plenty of water during the day, and drink only a little fluid at night. If frequent urination is making you restrict your fluid intake, talk to your doctor- there may be a problem which needs treatment. Frequent urination (along with "leaking") is common, especially in women who have had children. But this can usually be helped by simple exercises to strengthen the bladder - your doctor can refer you to someone who can help. Drinking enough fluid is important for good health and it's better to find a solution for frequent urination rather than drink too little. Read more...
How do we know if we drink enough water?
As I’m coming from a family of medical practitioners, I remember been told that always the color of the urine has to be pale yellow and if it turns more orange, this is a sign of dehydration. I hope that this will be a helpful tip for you too.
** Kidneys are powerful chemical factories that perform the following functions:
- remove waste products from the body, including inorganic minerals
- remove drugs form the body
- balance the body’s fluids
- release hormones that regulate blood pressure
- produce an active form of vitamin D that promotes strong, healthy bones
- control the production of red blood cells
In order to maintain health, the kidneys must excrete a minimum of ten ounces of waste per day. When water is not available, there is nothing present in which to dissolve the body's waste products (uric acid and urea) for expulsion. As a result, they build up within the body, leading to kidney stones, while putting additional strain on the kidneys to find adequate liquid with which to expel toxins.
* The explanation for strong smelling or dark urine could simply be that you are not drinking enough water and your urine is very concentrated.
* The same applies to skin odor. If you feel that a bad odor persists on your skin even after bathing, this is the result of too much accumulation of toxins. Drinking more water will aid in eliminating them from the system. "Detoxification is even more important to longevity than good nutrition..."
Drinking Water versus other beverages:
Replacing water with soda, diet soda, coffee, tea, or alcohol won't work as well - especially if the beverage produces a diuretic effect. (alcohol actually, produces dehydration). If you don't like the taste of plain water, try putting lemon, lime or an orange slice in your glass.
" The consumption of soft drinks, like land-mine terrain, is riddled with hazards. We as practitioners and advocates of a healthy life-style recognize that consuming even as little as one or two sodas per day is undeniably connected to a myriad of pathologies." says Judith Valentine, PhD. - Read more on the Child Health page.
2. What is the best drinking water?
Let's see first what are our drinking water resources:
Drinking Tap water
Tap water quality varies from country to country or from region to region. It can come from the surface (lakes), or underground (wells). Previously treated, it still may contain harmful substances.
Drinking water pollution
1. Chlorine in drinking water
- Drinking water treated with chloramines found to contain highly toxic chemicals, says EPA ...
- Internet Health: Cancer & Chlorine
2. Fluoride in drinking water
- Dental Fluorosis: Smile, please - but don't say 'Cheese'
- Fluoride danger
3. Lead in drinking water
- Lead in Drinking Water - Testing Problems/advice
- Lead in Water: Questions and Answers
4. Heavy metals in drinking water
5. Organic chemical compounds in drinking water
- Chemical Contaminants in Drinking Water
- Inhalation exposure in the home to volatile organic contaminants of drinking water
- Bacteria in drinking water
Clean, healthful drinking water is essential to your well-being. If you are concerned about the quality of your drinking water, have it tested.
Whether your water source is from public distribution, underground or surface you should test it before buying any kind of water filter. Your local health department or water utility may be able to suggest a company who can do the testing in your area. Using a drinking Water Test Kit may be a quick, convenient, and affordable solution.
Drinking mineral water
Mineral water is water that contains no less than 250 parts per million (ppm) of total dissolved, naturally occurring (not added) solids, or minerals. Mineral water can be labeled "low mineral content" (less than 500 ppm) or "high mineral content" (more than 1,500 ppm) minerals.
Water containing high levels of Calcium and Magnesium is called hard water. Drinking hard water is not necessarily detrimental for your health if the hardness level is not too high. Read more about hard water
Drinking Alkaline water
In order to balance the acidity produced by stress, fear, depression, pollution, poor nutrition, etc., we have to keep our body slightly alkaline ... but you don't need to force yourself to drink hard water, for this. As shown on the Nutrition page, there are a lot of vegetables and minerals which can be added to your diet maintain the body Ph balance
If you really want to drink alkaline water, you can ad a pinch of baking soda or sea salt in your glass - but alkaline water doesn't taste so good, therefore will not satisfy your thirst...
** Warning: people often think that they can supply their needs of minerals from drinking water. Water in nature was never pure even if is not artificially polluted; it always contains dissolved minerals depending on the surrounding environment. Studies have shown that only 1% of the quantity of minerals we take from the water can be assimilated by our body. When drinking high mineralized water, naturally, our body will try to eliminate the excess it cannot assimilate and this can harm our kidneys.
Highly mineralized water is not suitable for daily drinking, but in small quantities it can be used for healing purposes... Drinking of mineral waters though, can successfully heal specific ailments, in health resorts and only as a 10- 12 day cure, with medical prescription and supervision.
Drinking spring water
Spring water is water obtained from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface; or it may be collected through a hole drilled into the spring. It's fresh, carrying the ground energy. If spring water is the type that can be labeled "low mineral content" (less than 500 ppm), it's optimal for our body.
Our drinking water quality should to be as close as possible to spring water. Tap water if not polluted can be suitable for drinking.
Drinking bottled water
By far this is the most expensive of all options. You may use bottled water for drinking or making tea, but could you afford to use if for all your cooking and food preparation needs?
What exactly are consumers getting for their money? Is the bottled water industry's carefully marketed image of absolute purity and pristine sources an accurate reflection of where bottled water comes from, and is the water really so immaculately pure compared with tap water?
Government and industry estimates indicate that about 25 percent to 30 percent of the bottled water sold in the United States comes from a city's or town's tap water -- sometimes further treated, sometimes not.. read more
So, test your water source and choose the right water filter:
Home water filters offer better than bottled water quality at a fraction of the cost & far more convenience, it's the smart choice! ... Read more about the #1 rated home water filter in America...
Learn more about Water Filters
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