Is The Water We Drink Really Hydrating Us?

Next to oxygen, water is an essential nutrient our body needs to survive.

However, not drinking enough water affects our bodily functions,

including digestion, cognitive function, metabolism, and energy levels.

Therefore, drinking the right amount of water your body needs from a

quality source is essential. In today's article, I will share the importance

of hydration and how the water we drink affects our health.

What does water do for your body?

Water regulates how our body carries nutrients to cells,

thermodynamics, flushes out toxins, and organ function. Each day we

lose water through our breath, sweat, urine, and bowels. That is why it

is crucial to take in water throughout the day. It has been a standard

that you drink 8 16oz. glasses of water a day, but that is not entirely

true. You should consume the amount of water your body needs

according to your activity level, height, weight, and metabolic rate.

Drinking too much water can cause you to flush out essential vitamins

and minerals. Not drinking enough can cause your metabolism to slow

and inflammation to build. Each person is different; a person who

weighs 100 pounds may need only four glasses a day compared to a

person who weighs 200 pounds and may need eight glasses of water.

When determining how much water you should drink, consider your

weight, height, activity level, and metabolism.

What happens when we do not drink enough water?

From memory down to digestion, water helps these processes go more

smoothly. When dehydrated, we will feel symptoms such as headaches,

fatigue, mood swings, increased appetite, and dry mouth. When we

consume food, water is what helps to lubricate our intestines to help

with the digestion process. Not drinking enough water will slow that

process down, causing constipation, bloating, and a slowed metabolism

leading to weight gain. Try drinking a big glass of water before each

meal to help digestion.

Dehydration negatively affects the way your brain functions. Not

drinking enough water makes you more likely to forget things. Just from

2% dehydration, our memory fades along with our problem-solving

skills. If our brain is dehydrated, it can lead to things like brain fog,

overwhelm, and chronic stress. Beginning the day with a large glass of

water can help start your brain on the right foot. When we gain weight,

it negatively affects our metabolic rate. Our metabolic rate is how our

body burns calories throughout the day. Think about a car for a second

the engine runs off of oil and gas. Put water as oil and gas as the food

we eat each day. For our body to use up the gas, the engine has to be

able to move fast enough to burn those calories up. When dehydrated,

our bodies' ability to burn calories is negatively affected. Over time, this

can lead to diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune diseases.

Our sleep, food, activity level, and hydration determine our energy. Have you ever

noticed just randomly in the day you all of a sudden feel sleepy?

Thinking it is just an afternoon slump or somehow you did not get

enough sleep the night before. Next time you feel tired, consider that

you may be dehydrated and try drinking a big glass of water. You may be

surprised that it will give you all the energy you need to finish your day.

Water is the only fat-soluble substance on the planet

Your metabolism is your bodies' ability to use energy. When your

metabolism is compromised, it can cause you to gain weight, slow down

digestion, and much more.

In a 2014 study, 12 people who drank 500 ml of cold and room

temperature water experienced an increase in energy expenditure. They

burned between 2 and 3 percent more calories than usual in the 90

minutes after drinking the water. It also showed that water might

increase your bodies' resting metabolic rate (RMR) and your body's

ability to burn calories while resting.

Do you drink tap water?

Growing up, we all drank from the water hose. Drinking tap water was a

normal thing to do back in the day. Now, it is considered unsafe and

harmful to our bodies. Tap water contains toxic chemicals that get

picked up from the underground water systems. Where you get your

water from determines how clean the water is for you to drink. Natural

springs are the best places to source your water. Where they have water

towers or no natural sources, they have a bigger chance of

contamination. These harmful chemicals in the water can cause

problems with digestion and reproductive issues and even cause cancer.

If you drink from the tap, invest in a Brita water filter system. It can save

you money and help the environment.

Do you drink water in plastic bottles?

As a society, we must be as intentional as possible with what we put

into our bodies. It is not just the tap water causing an issue; it is also the

water in plastic bottles.

A recent study by OrbMedia analyzed 159 water samples sourced from

both tap water and bottled water in 14 countries and found that over

80% of all samples contained tiny plastic particles, with an average of

4.34 plastic particles per liter of water.

Having plastic in our bodies can have detrimental effects on our health.

Plastic affects our bodily organs, digestion, and our lymph nodes. Plastic

is not biodegradable; it just continuously breaks into smaller and

smaller pieces of itself, becoming so small that it can secret through our

intestinal lining and embed itself in our organs. How do we avoid these

plastics? Begin to invest in the proper filters or buy glass bottles of

water. It may be a little more investment, but it can prevent diseases

and other long-term illnesses that plastic can cause. These harmful

plastics also harm the environment creating a bigger problem with our

ecosystems. Protecting our earth is key to protecting ourselves.

What kind of water should we drink?

We should do what we can to find the best source of water. Where can

we source good water, and what measures can we take to ensure we

save the earth simultaneously? For example, investing in the proper

filters for your home, such as a Brita filter, can save you money and

reduce the use of plastic. These filters can save you up to over 300

plastic bottles per filter. Not only does it reduce the use of plastic, but it

also can save you up to $500 a year in bottled water.

Our ancestors drank naturally sourced water such as springs, rivers, and

any other sources they could find. These natural sources contain

minerals our body needs to stay properly hydrated. Minerals like zinc,

sodium, potassium, iron, calcium, and magnesium. These minerals are

essential in hormone, digestion, and brain function. You can add

minerals to your water after it is filtered through different supplemental

sources. Blk minerals can help you get all the minerals your body needs

in just a few drops. There are also companies out there that are selling

mineral-rich water in environmentally safe containers such as glass

bottles. Companies like topo chico, and Pellegrino are great options for

getting quality water.

Water is our only source of staying hydrated, and ensuring that it is filtered propeller, mineralized, and sourced in an environmentally safe way can save us years of our lives and help keep the earth clean. Knowing the water you drink is the first step toward figuring out if you are drinking water that is hydrating you.