Water: the body's most important nutrient
As simple as it sounds to drink more water every day, it can still be hard to do! Read on to learn some cool facts about how water supports the body and then imagine what can happen when we’re deficient in this very important nutrient. It may just compel you to be more mindful about drinking more water throughout the day!
Many Americans live in a state of chronic dehydration.
We all know that being hydrated is important, but just how important is it?
What does being hydrated even mean, and what does it really do to our bodies?
Well, with summer in full swing (kids being active, playing in sports camps and being outdoors more, and parents working, exercising, and running a household), it’s critical that our families are staying hydrated, but not just in the hot summer months! Here’s why…
Major Roles Water Plays in the Body
Transports nutrients
Cushions bones and lubricates joints
Improves oxygen delivery to cells
Moistens oxygen for easier breathing on the lungs
Improves cell-to-cell communication
Regulates body temperature through sweating
Facilitates removal of wastes and flushes toxins
Hydrolyze our food for proper digestion
Water plays a number of key roles in the body that often go unnoticed. I know water is flavorless and may seem boring to some, but did you know that water is the most important nutrient in the body? Since our bodies don't store water, we MUST consume it regularly. The good news? It's pretty accessible and inexpensive. It's also low in calories, sugar free, and free of artificial flavors and colors!
The challenge is, though we know that drinking water is good for us, the average American doesn't drink enough of it each day and that can be for a number of reasons. For one, many of us are so busy we don't think to hydrate throughout the day until we're thirsty, which means we've already been without adequate water for a while. Another reason may be that we just don't carry it around with us. There are also so many other beverages to choose from these days that compete with our tastebuds (coffee, tea, artificially flavored water, soda, milk, juice...), so we may often choose something else over water. I get it and am guilty of these reasons myself.
So, what is a girl to do? Just try to drink more water??? Not quite! Unfortunately, just drinking enough water isn’t going to cut it. We actually need to ensure that it’s being absorbed by our cells for use throughout our entire body AND that it is free from harmful contaminants.
In order for this to happen, we need electrolytes in our water! But before you go out and guzzle a bunch of Gatorade, or other brands like it, please stop! They're full of fake dyes that make them those bright blue, red, and green colors, are artificially flavored, and loaded with sugar and/or harmful sweeteners. All of this will do a number on your body as the body doesn’t know what to do with these unnatural substances.
There are much better options out there for electrolytes! Here are just a few:
High-quality sea salt or pink Himalayan salt in filtered water
Coconut water (go easy on this, though, as they are higher in natural sugar content)
Seeking Health Optimal Electrolytes added to filtered water
LMNT added to filtered water
Not only do we want to consume adequate amounts of water, but we will also want to drink clean water. You’ll want to make sure that your water, whether you’re on a well or municipal water source, is pure and free from harmful contaminants because that is another way in which we can ingest toxins, increasing the toxic burden and health risk to our bodies. Pharmaceuticals, heavy metals like lead and chromium, and chemicals such as pesticides and arsenic are just a few of the toxins that have been detected in our water supplies that can wreak absolute havoc on our bodies.
So, what can we do to improve our hydration status and do it healthfully?
Water Tips for Your Health
Avoid drinking bottled water from plastic bottles, especially if left in the sun where plastic toxins can leach into the water.
Drink pure water that's been filtered of contaminants.
Add a pinch of high-quality sea salt or Himalayan pink salt to your pure water as a source of electrolytes so your body can actually absorb it.
Add some fresh mint, rosemary, slices of lemon or lime, berries, or cucumbers to jazz up your daily water consumption.
Consider a shower filter: when taking a shower in steaming water, your pores open and you breath in the contaminants in your water such as heavy metals and chlorine (just to name a few).
How can you tell if you're dehydrated?
If you ever experience thirst, fatigue, muscle cramps, headaches/migraines, darker urine, dry mouth... these can all indicate a need for more water. Some more severe signs of dehydration are heartburn, back or joint pain, constipation, and exercise asthma.
Start by increasing your intake of water each day and work your way towards at least half your body weight in ounces of pure water. Make it fun and journal your progress and symptoms along the way. Try it for a week and see what you discover! Do you find yourself with more energy? Improved mental clarity? Able to breathe easier after exercise? Not as hungry? Experiencing less joint pain? You may be surprised to find health improvements by simply increasing your pure water intake!
Cheers!
Water Resources
EWG: Search by zip code to see what contaminants are in your water and get their guide to safe drinking water to reduce your exposure to common drinking water pollutants.
https://findaspring.com/: Locate a natural spring near you!
ClearlyFiltered: My favorite water bottle to have when I'm out for a long time and need to refill it while I'm out. It's a portable water filter in my water bottle! Note: not all water filters are created equal!
I may earn from qualifying purchases you make using affiliate links to helpful resources I share that can help make healthy living doable.