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Water: the essential ingredient

Water may be just what the doctor ordered

If you’ve ever heard me speak or were in my office, I will likely ask you about your daily water intake.

In today’s world, I am amazed at how little water most people consume. Maybe it’s because it’s not as flashy as cans and bottles filled with soda, energy drinks, or even beer. I think we have developed the need for taste, regardless of the benefits of plain water and the horrible effect other drinks have on our health and longevity.

Think about this, our bodies are made up of roughly 75 percent water. Doesn’t it make sense to nourish it with the same ingredient? I often think of a well-hydrated muscle as a good raw red steak. Rather, I envision a dehydrated muscle as a piece of tough jerky. If you appreciate flexibility and strength, which would you prefer?

What is even more surprising than the water content of an adult is the water content of a baby. A typical healthy baby is about 90 percent water! With this in mind, think about how healthy they are and how quickly they recover from illness.

In contrast, an older person only has a body water content as low as 55 percent. Keep this number in mind when an older person is admitted to the hospital and often told that they are dehydrated. Without proper hydration, poor health is the obvious result.

Throughout our lives, we go from 90 percent water to 55 percent. Doesn’t that alone indicate that the youngest, healthiest person benefits from adequate hydration?

What about chronic dehydration?

Chronic dehydration is simply that your body uses more water than it takes in over time. Signs of dehydration are often misdiagnosed and presented to a chiropractor or doctor for related symptoms.

As a practicing chiropractor in South Dakota, you would think that dehydration is very rare. Believe it or not, dehydration seems to be very prevalent in colder temperatures. People often seem to neglect drinking water in the winter or in colder climates. Therefore, high temperatures can contribute to acute dehydration, but colder climates appear to be ripe for chronic dehydration. Our office cares for numerous headache patients seeking acupuncture or chiropractic. Many of these patients are also dehydrated.

Signs of dehydration include dry skin, bad breath, cramps, fever, chills, headaches, and even sugar cravings.

Severe dehydration can cause life-threatening problems, such as blood clots or seizures.

A couple of simple, but accurate, signs of dehydration can be constant fatigue or yellow urine. If you are always tired and the color of your urine is not nearly clear, you probably need to drink more water.

How Much Water Should I Drink?

As I mentioned, keep an eye on your urine color and energy level. A good rule of thumb for adequate water intake is 1 ounce of water for every pound you weigh. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 150 ounces of water per day. This sounds like a lot, but trust me, it isn’t! Shoot, some literature recommends 1 ounce of water for every pound of body weight divided by 2. Even that formula is not met by most Americans.

Sometimes hunger is confused with dehydration. Many people will feel hungry and only need to increase their water intake. I suggest that you drink between half a liter and a full liter of water before all meals. If you consume 3-6 liters of water per day, you are probably in the hydration stage.

Should I drink tap water?

Drinking water must be filtered. Many doctors believe that you do not need filtered water because your body and kidneys will filter the water you drink. Unfortunately, over time, your body will become overloaded with toxins. A proper filtration system should at least remove toxins like chlorine and chloramine.

Minerals like calcium and sodium will improve water absorption. Recent research has shown that ionized water is even better.

Also, drink from a glass bottle rather than a plastic bottle. The plastic will leach into the water and cause problems with estrogen and testosterone levels in men and women.

Another popular type of water is carbonated. Carbonated water is not so easily absorbed by the body. Avoid sugar and preservatives in the water.

Start the day with a short breathing exercise and a liter of water. You will be amazed at how your appetite and energy levels improve.

To your health Dr. Greg Gruba

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