From depression to allergies, water heals
By Mercedes Kay Gold, CNP, CPT
A new year is often met with an endless list of resolutions. Choose a game-changing or rather a life-changing resolution and start one new body-loving healthy holistic habit.
Drink water! As simple as water consumption sounds, most people live in a state of chronic dehydration. An adult body is made up of at least 60 per cent water and water is crucial to every cell. Water is linked to transportation, acting as a highway in the body, delivering nutrients, as well as helping haul toxins and wastes for elimination. Water is involved in hormone distribution. Without water, even a slight drop in levels, our quality of life is impacted. There are clear warning signs alerting us to how a lack of water impacts our health. Some health issues can be improved and even resolved with the simple task of just drinking more water.
From dusk to dawn, water is the best choice to quench thirst and act as a mini daily detox naturally. It’s imperative to drink a minimum of 30 ml water per kilogram of body weight every day. Lifestyle choices good and bad impact individual’s needs, leading to increasing water needs dramatically. Under-consumption is the most common reason for dehydration, with an endless list of side effects as the outcome. Many medications increase urine output, depleting water. Always read the small print on the medication warning sheets.
Keto is a great way to lose weight, but its imperative to drink more water. Have a sweet tooth? Sugar puts extra stress on the kidneys. Daily sugar intake and the production of insulin by the body is a rollercoaster ride resulting in a huge need for extra water.
Java junkies need two cups of water for every cup of coffee. This simple rule applies for all caffeinated drinks, including tea and sport’s drinks. Hot weather, exercise, sauna, hot tub, stress, pollution, air conditioning, alcohol, vaping, smoking and even working on a computer and your Smart Phone depletes the body of valuable water.
Do you lack get-up and go for no reason? Do you suffer from poor digestion? Do you experience heartburn or constipation? Arthritis, joint pain, headaches and dry skin are all some of life’s common complaints and yes, they are all attributed to low water intake. Morning sickness, allergies, water retention, high blood pressure and even kidney stones can be combatted with more of natures free-flowing magic.
Feeling depressed? Keep in mind, a body in a dehydrated state uses all-important amino acids tryptophan and tyrosine to transport waste out, but the brain desperately needs water for neurotransmitters. Depression can be a by-product of water deprivation.
High cholesterol a health concern? The body overproduces cholesterol to protect cells from dehydration. Drink up!
Mother Nature offers a simple way to be 100 per cent confident you are providing your body with enough water. Take a sneak peek at your urine. Straw colored urine is the desired hue. The darker the shade and the stronger the smell equals one step closer to dehydration. A word to the wise; electric yellow urine is normal if vitamin B is a part of your personal supplement protocol.
Increasing water intake is easy for early birds. Start the day, sipping water with a squeeze of vitamin C, by adding a squeeze of immune boosting lemon or lime. Herbal teas, soup and water-rich snacks such as celery, cucumber and watermelon are hydrator helpers. Drinking one cup of water for every 15 minutes of exercise is key to hydration, and is energizing and linked to overall performance.
At lunch and dinner, add a fresh salad loaded with a variety of vegetables. Ease into slumber with a cup of sleep-supporting herbal tea such as passionflower, chamomile and lavender. Water is life and an important piece in your own health puzzle.
Mercedes Kay Gold is a Certified Holistic Practitioner and Certified Mobile Personal Trainer living and working in Toronto. Her writing has been featured in various publications and has appeared on Daytime with Jacqueline Betterton. She spends her spare time blogging about all things healthy and enjoying time with her sons. She can be reached at mercedeskaygoldfitness@gmail.com or visit www.mercedeskaygold.com
