Stay Hydrated this Summer
Water is so essential to life. I wish I could put it in supplement form for my patients because many of them do not drink enough and when they do drink it tends not to be of quality so I wanted to take the time to write this blog article. If you don’t drink enough good quality water right now and you start I bet you that your overall health will increase by 10%, just by drinking water! Trust me, staying hydrated is key to a healthy body. I check hydration frequently with my patients especially patients who are detoxing because the toxins that are purposely being pulled out also need to be flushed out. If toxins are not being flushed out detox symptoms can occur and include headaches, skin rashes, constipation, diarrhea, irritability, fatigue, trouble sleeping, or feeling like you are getting a cold. The reasons why detox symptoms can occur is because there are more toxins being pulled out of the cells and tissues, running around in your bloodstream than your liver can handle. Once the toxins find their way to the liver they are broken down and moved to the kidneys or bowels for elimination.
The health benefits of drinking water including:
carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells
flushing bacteria from your bladder
aiding digestion
preventing constipation
normalizing blood pressure
stabilizing the heartbeat
less joint stiffness
better memory
It is said to drink 8 glasses of water a day but I think everyone's optimal water intake is a very personal amount based on their age, activity level and their current health status. Over the years I have seen a trend of how much water people tend to need on a daily basis and if I was to put a number on it I would suggest for the average adult we need to drink 2 liters, which is about 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water a day.
For a lot of people this can be difficult to do for it does not include any caffeinated, fruit or sugary drinks. So it would only include water or herbal tea. Caffeinated or sugary drinks actually deplete your body of more water than they put in, causing dehydration so if you have a cup of caffeinated tea you would want to do 9 glasses of water to make up for it that day. There is an art to making sure you are drinking enough water and that's why an app to keep track can be a good idea. A free app, such as Daily Water, is good at recording how much water you drink plus you can set reminders to make sure you drink your daily 2 liters. You can actually set it to any daily amount and also email me the data too!
Interestingly our bodies are made up of 60% percent water and that’s why drinking enough is essential to our health and affects so many bodily functions including digestion, blood pressure and detoxing, as well as our energy level. It’s not only vital to drink it but also to ensure that the quality of our water is of the highest regard. There are many factors that can contaminate our water supply which can then negatively affect the body’s health, so understanding how this can occur and how to prevent it will allow you to make the best choice of water for your health.
It can be tricky as there is so much information out there about toxins in our water supply, the chemicals in the plastic water bottles, and the confusion about water filters. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has found over 300 chemicals and metals in our water. These toxins were found in our water supply throughout the United States and even in some water bottles and include industrial solvents, weed killers, refrigerants and rocket fuel in water supplied to the public.
Water stored in plastic containers are a problem because plastic is known to actually disrupt the natural function of the body by disrupting our body’s hormones, immune function, nervous system function and causing reproductive issues depleting our health and vitality. You can go on the environmental working group’s website ewg.org and put your zip code in to find how many toxins are in your water supply. Here are some of the main toxins that the EWG finds.
· Atrazine- herbicide used on food supply that runs into our water stream
· Lead- old piping, affects nervous system and brain function
· Chlorine- added to kill bacteria but it affects the body’s lungs and lymph system
· Plastic- leaches chemicals into our water that affect hormonal balance
· Fluoride - a neuro toxin affecting the brain, added to protect our teeth. The EWG has a map dedicated just to fluoride contaminates.
Understanding that these toxins wreak havoc on the body we prevent this toxic overload in our body by filtering out these toxins. There are so many water filter options out there that it can be confusing so I have come up with my top three choices that remove most of these nasty toxins.
· Zero water filter is a pitcher water filter like the Brita but does a better job. $35 and is the cheapest I can find that does a good job. but keep in mind it’s a hard plastic pitcher and we don’t love plastic. but the harder the plastic the better.
· Berkey water filters are great, stainless steel but take up more counter space and start at $250.
I personally have a chlorine filter for the whole house and a reverse osmosis (RO) filter for drinking water from Culligan that I love. When the cullighan guys came to my house to install the filters it felt like it was my birthday! RO water is great, takes out all contaminates but it also takes out the natural minerals that is in water so you will need to supplement with minerals to make up for it.
Whether you drink bottled or filtered water, for those of you who are patients at Healing Arts, If you want, at your next appointment bring in your drinking water in a glass container and we'll muscle test it for you to make sure it's good for your body.
When on the go you will want to drink your filtered water but don’t carry it in a plastic bottle. Plastic is highly toxic and leeches into the water. Heat makes plastic leach more and when you put your mouth to a plastic water bottle remember that it’s 98 degrees. Many of you are familiar with the need to buy BPA-free plastic. BPA, is toxic because it acts like estrogen in the body. Research finds that BPA leached from the lining of tin cans, dental sealants and plastic bottles can increase body weight of lab animals' offspring. A more recent animal study suggests that even low-level exposure to BPA results in insulin resistance, which can lead to inflammation, diabetes and heart disease. There are now BPA-free products, yet, in 2011 it was reported that "almost all plastic products" sampled released chemicals that acted like estrogen. this is why you want to try to avoid not only plastic water bottles but plastic forks, straws, saran wrap, ziplock bags etc. Plastic is everywhere and it will help to cut down its usage.
Use stainless steel water bottles or even better are glass water bottles. My favorite water bottle that I absolutely love to use is my flaska water bottle. It’s not only glass but the glass is made in such a way to restructure the water crystals. This type of water is called structured water and is extremely healthy for you. The science behind structured water comes from Dr. Masaru Emoto who was a Japanese scientist that believed that water was a "blueprint for our reality" and that emotional "energies" and "vibrations" could change the physical structure of water.
Emoto's water crystal experiments consisted of exposing water in glasses to different words, pictures or music, and then freezing and examining the aesthetic properties of the resulting crystals with microscopic photography. Emoto's studies show that water exposed to positive speech and thoughts would result in visually pleasing crystals being formed when that water was frozen, and that negative intention would yield "ugly" frozen crystal formations.
And if this is what words do to water then you can imagine what they do to us on a cellular level for we are made up of about 60% water. To find out more Dr. Emoto's best selling book is called The Hidden Messages in Water. The main idea is quantum physics. E=mc2, so anything with mass has energy and that energy travels in waves and can be picked up on and interfere with water. Even the mass of the letters on a piece of paper.
I have read blogs on making your own special water using words, which Dr. Emoto calls HADO water and the most effective and efficient way is through a FLASKA. FLASKA makes special glass water bottles that restructure the water in 5 minutes. It comes with a sleeve for protection so if you drop the bottle it doesn't break. They are half a liter, $36 each, and can be bought online or at the office.
To get the most out of your FLASKA restructuring the water write positive words on a piece of paper and leave under the bottle for 5 minutes so that it's restructured to your specific words. Make sure all the words are touching the glass so you may have to write small. An all encompassing phrase would work like 'love and gratitude'. But if you have pain or a health concern write, 'this pain is already gone'. For those of you who use affirmations this would be a great way to use them! Get creative and drink your 2-3 liters of water a day!
Now I understand when on the go it’s not easy to always have filtered water so when I’m stuck I will buy water in plastic water bottles and pour them into my flaska which is definitely better than getting dehydrated and at least this way your lips aren’t touching the plastic. So when in a pinch try to find water in a glass bottle. Mountain Valley is the best bottled water I know of. The best bottled water in plastic is Volvic, second is Fiji (i’ve heard rumors of it being toxic but not from my research or experience).
For many people it would be beneficial to drink 32 ounces of water first thing in the morning with 1/2 lemon squeezed in it. If you suffer from headaches, constipation, high blood pressure, or detox symptoms drinking half of your daily water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and then waiting 30 minutes to drink or eat anything else can really help the body flush out toxins and reduce inflammation. The lemon is helpful because it is a strong detoxer. You see, every night from 11pm-1am your liver takes all the toxins it has broken down from the day and dumps it into the intestines to be eliminated so that if we drink tons of water first thing in the morning it helps move all those toxins to be eliminated and not just sit in the intestines and get reabsorbed through the intestinal wall. You wait 30 minutes so the body can do this detoxing efficiently and not be distracted with also trying to digest your breakfast or tea.
I also love adding lime to my water.
Lime water and lemon water are very similar for their benefits. I do find most people test for lemon in their 32 ounces of water in the morning but then test for lime not lemon to be added to the rest of their water for the day. Limes are higher in calcium and vitamin A than lemons. and just like lemons, limes help
• boost the immune system
• they also help support the Liver and detox
• help improve digestion and bowel movements
• helps with heart burn
• and decrease inflammation to help with joint problems
If you want to stay healthy, sip on lime or lemon water throughout the day. The vitamin C and antioxidants in limes and lemons can strengthen your immune system and help your body fight off infections such as the cold and flu virus. It may also shorten the duration of an illness.
Liver and detox support – The vitamin C in limes helps the liver to produce glutathione, a regenerative antioxidant that helps the liver process and eliminate toxins.
Improves digestion – Drinking lime water improves digestion. Limes are acidic and they help saliva break down food for better digestion. Additionally, flavonoids in limes stimulate secretion of digestive juices. If you suffer from constipation, the acidity of limes can clear the excretory system and stimulate bowel activity.
Heartburn or acid reflux - drinking a glass of warm water with 2 teaspoons of lime juice about 30 minutes before meals may help prevent reflux symptoms.
Arthritis, gout, and other joint problems are caused by inflammation. Vitamin C can reduce the level of inflammation in your body, so adding lime juice to water can relieve symptoms of arthritis and similar conditions that cause joint pain and stiffness. Limes can also reduce uric acid levels. Uric acid is a waste product the body produces when breaking down foods that contain purines, like meat, liver, mushrooms, and dried beans. High levels of uric acid can cause gout.
Limes are not only a good source of vitamin c but also:
• potassium
• vitamins A, B, C, and D
• calcium
• magnesium
If it’s not easy for you to always have a fresh, organic lime on hand to squeeze into your water you can buy organic essential lime oil that is easy to carry anywhere with you and get the same great benefits. Start adding lime to your drinking water today and see what happens!
But be careful, I have seen patients detox too fast by drinking too much lemon or lime water. So if you get any detox symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, or skin rashes then cut the limes or lemons but keep drinking your water!
Lime water is also great for UTIs. I see so many women in my office with UTIs and I think 20% could be prevented if they drank enough water. Staying hydrated would cause bacteria to be constantly flushed out, preventing infections.
Low blood pressure is another sign you are dehydrated and you would want to add Himalayan salt to your water to help regulate the blood pressure.
Another thing you can put in your water to make it healthier for you is oxygen. Yes oxygen! It’s called ozonated water and you would need a special machine for it. I have done a lot of research on ozone therapy and what machines are best and I finally decided on the Ozo pod. My main use for it is to make ozonated water to clean all my fruits and vegetables. I felt like all the cleaning sprays for pesticides were not really doing a good job so when i first learned about ozonated water I was excited to try it on my produce and I love it! It also purifies drinking water which is great for camping and I also started washing my face with the ozonated water and I do feel a difference, like my skin is tighter. more oxygen to the skin is only beneficial.
In the ozone process, the machine makes ozone which is O3 in the water and the water molecules which are H2O are infused with bubbling O3. Because ozone is unstable, the newly formed bond is only temporary and must be used or preserved no more than 20 minutes after creation to be most effective.
Ozonated water has a clean, fresh taste. This type of water has been shown in a number of scientific studies to kill bacteria and viruses. It has proven effective in killing E. coli, yeast, salmonella and listeria. that’s why it’s good for purifying water when camping assuming you have access to electricity and it’s great for washing your produce.
The biological benefits of drinking ozonated water are a result of the ozone breaking apart creating a single oxygen atom that the body can use. The more oxygen in the body the better! I personally drink 64 ounces of ozonated water a day. Ozone adds oxygen to the blood stream and eliminates impurities. Increased oxygen in the brain heightens its function. Single oxygen atoms introduced into the immune system makes it stronger and better able to fight infections. Drinking cold ozone water on an empty stomach regularly can detoxify your intestinal tract and is especially good for people going through a parasite cleanse or having constipation or diarrhea. Drinking ozonated water increases energy levels too because of the extra oxygen in the body. But the effectiveness of ozonated water is not limited to drinking. Bathing in ozonated water is great therapy for skin disorders, eczema, psoriasis, hives. It can also be used to treat muscle soreness, spinal and back injuries and neck stiffness.
Due to its disinfecting properties, ozonated water is used during surgeries to keep opened areas sterile. It also is used as a supplemental treatment of cancer. Research has shown that the introduction of the third oxygen cell can aid the body’s immune system in containing the existing cancer cells, thus preventing the spread of cancer to uninfected areas of the body. Though this is not potent enough a therapy to be used alone, ozonated water has been shown to kill small numbers of cancer cells in patients.
Ozonated water has been found to to help the body detox by converting wastes and toxins to water and carbon dioxide after which they are easily expelled from the body. This is especially essential in neutralizing the effects of harmful toxins.
Water that has been ozonated for at least 10 minutes has been found to be effective in treating fungal infections, such as athlete’s foot, ringworms and nail fungus. Just apply topically!
Ozone water when used in bushing of teeth, eliminates bad breath and gum problems.
Ozonated water is a gentle yet effective cleanser for the skin, and is especially helpful in treating acne, blackheads and pimples. It’s an extra step to use the Ozo pod and wait for ozonated water to be made and then wash your face but I promise you the skin feels so much better!
If you are someone who drinks at least 64 ounces of water a day and yet feel dehydrated it’s because the body isn’t using the water you are drinking. The reason is because minerals are lacking to have the cells absorb and use the water. You may feel you drink water and it goes right through you and you are urinating all the time!
What I have found muscle tests the best for this type of dehydration is one of four things: trace mineral drops, homeopathic rehydration drops, electrolyte powder or Himalayan salt
Trace mineral drops are from a company called Trace minerals Research. These drops have over 60 different minerals in them the majority being magnesium, The minerals help the pH balance of the body so the cells then absorb the water and use it. But beware, they don’t taste great.
Rehydration is a homeopathic remedy from a company called Energetix that helps the cells absorb water and besides dehydration symptoms it is wonderful to use for dry skin; bloating; headaches; stiffness in muscles and joints; and mental sluggishness.
Electrolyte powder -first of all they’re easy to travel with. There’s lots of different companies out there but I like Dr. Price because in one packet they have over 72 different trace minerals in them and they don’t have all the sugar or even fruit sugar known as fructose in them like the other companies. It also doesn’t have food coloring. It’s the best electrolyte powder I know of.
Sometimes adding a pinch of Himalayan salt to every glass of water is the best way to go. It’s just a pinch so you shouldn’t taste it and easy to do when home but not as easy when you’re out and about. That’s where the electrolyte packets come in handy. Himalayan salt contains 84 trace minerals.
With dehydration patients test usually for one of these four remedies and it depends on what type of minerals the body is missing. That’s why I love muscle testing. I don’t have to do any guessing work. The body tells me through the biofeedback of the muscle testing and that’s how patients get their health back.
So that’s it for water! I hope this blog opened up your eyes to how important it is to not only drink enough but make sure of the water quality.