Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to
drink.
You know how the saying goes, and
you’ve probably heard, over and over, that you need
to drink more water. The question
is, why?
Water is known as the universal solvent. The type of atoms in
a water molecule (two hydrogen atoms attached to one oxygen atom, or H2O)
give it such a charge that it bonds to everything, as a magnet does to metal.
Water flows with gravity, so it pulls things apart and carries them away. Water
carries molecules you need into your body, reacts with other molecules to cause
good chemical reactions in your cells, and attaches to waste products in your
body and carries them away.
Imagine a water molecule already
bonded to something that it can’t easily let go of, like the heavy metals found
in many water sources. The water molecule already has its hands full, so it
can’t pick up waste products and take them out of your body. The water molecule
also has a problem getting into your cells, because the heavy metals it carries
make it too large to go through the
tiny “water only” doors in your cell membranes.
Picture a person who comes to a
Halloween party as a bunch of grapes. This person represents a water molecule,
and the purple “grape” balloons attached to this person
represent the metal molecules
attached to the water. This person spends the whole party standing on the patio
because they can’t squeeze through the door. If you’re drinking water that’s
not pure, you have water, water, everywhere, but not a drop for your cells to
drink.
Ideally, the water you drink is H2O
molecules bonded with minerals. Once in the body, these minerals easily detach
from the H2O to perform important chores for your body. The H2O
then either enters cells to quench their thirst, or attaches to waste products
and leaves the body via urine or sweat.
But tap water is clean, you say.
Well, it may be clean, but it’s not pure. Tap water is filtered to remove
dangerous bacteria and some of the metals, but don’t forget that other
compounds are then added, such as chlorine and fluoride, which bond with the H2O.
The tap water in the United States is better than the unprocessed water in many
parts of the world, but it’s not pure H2O by any stretch of the
imagination.
Among the easily available types of
purified water, water filtered by reverse osmosis is,
in my opinion, the best. It is pure
H2O molecules. In nature, these molecules would be taking minerals
into your body. Minerals are collected from the earth as the water flows across
it. To reproduce this natural scenario, add liquid minerals (available at the
health-food store) to your reverse-osmosis
water before drinking.
You can buy a reverse-osmosis
filter for your sink. A filtering unit may cost in the low hundreds of dollars
and last a lifetime; the filters must be changed on a regular basis. You can
also buy RO water in bottles at any grocery store; if your store doesn’t carry
it, they can order it. (If you’re thinking you can’t afford this, look at the
priorities section of this book in
chapter 39 and remember how much you spent on Christmas last year. Wouldn’t a
water filter be a nice family gift this year?)
Drink lots of pure water every day.
Other beverages, such as tea, coffee, and sodas, don’t count—remember, we don’t
want anything bonded to the H2O except the minerals your body
needs to function. Some people tell me they can’t drink a lot of water because
they don’t like the taste. Pure water has no taste, so that shouldn’t be a
barrier for you.
What, you ask, is “lots” of water?
Well, let’s go for the standard formula: take your body weight in pounds and
divide it by two; that is the minimum number of ounces of water you should
drink each day. For example, if you weigh 130 pounds, you need to drink 65
ounces of pure water a day, or
eight 8-oz. glasses. That will probably be a challenge for many of you. How do
you manage it? First of all, don’t wait until
you’re thirsty to drink! Intracellular dehydration causes the thirst mechanism
in the hypothalamus to tell you that your body is thirsty. What this means is
that, before you even feel thirsty, your brain is already dehydrated.
Always use at least an 8-oz. glass or
cup for drinking. When you’re thirsty, drink a whole glass rather than a few
sips. Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning, before any other
beverage. Keep a water bottle with you during the day, and drink a glass of
water at every break you have. Make a commitment to drink your quota of water
before you drink any other beverage, or a commitment to drink a glass of water
with every other beverage you choose throughout the day.
Some people have told me they don’t
have time to drink enough water. But if you don’t have time to drink a glass of
water, you have serious time-management issues that need to be addressed. It
takes just 60 seconds to down an 8-oz. glass. You have time.
Have a glass of water first with
your meals, and then have another beverage if you desire it. Have a glass of
water each time you talk on the phone, read a book, start viewing a TV program, or have a snack. Have a
glass of water before bed. When you wake up at night to use the bathroom (and
you will), drink another glass.
Yes, you are going to have
to urinate more often—but that’s the idea. You’re giving your body enough water
to be flushed clean at all times. There are always exceptions to the rules; for
instance, when you’re about to get in the car and drive for hours. In such
cases, maybe you’d want to decrease your water intake until the end of your
journey.
That covers the water we drink.
What about the water we bathe in? Did you know that your body absorbs chlorine
through the skin? In my opinion, that’s not a good idea (think of your cells
being bleached by chlorine). Any chemicals your body absorbs must be processed,
and that makes more work for your body. Chlorine is toxic.
I recommend you also buy a shower
water filter that removes chlorine. This type of filter is relatively
inexpensive, lasts a long time, and, I believe, will contribute to a longer,
healthier life. Besides that, you’ll love the soft, silky feel of your skin and
hair after showering without chlorine!
Further Reading
Your Body’s Many Cries For Water, F.
Batmanfhelidj, M.D.
The Sierra Club Guide to Safe
Drinking Water, by Scott Alan Lewis
The Drinking Water Book, by Colin
Ingram
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