H2 Oohhhhh !!!

‘Make sure you continue drinking enough water’, she said as she handed me the full glass. 

I was thirsty now after my hour-long massage so I emptied the glass easily, however, I knew that over the next few days, my thirst would decrease and I would return to my old habits, drinking too much tea and slowly becoming dehydrated again.    

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Sound familiar ???

Some of us really struggle to get enough good clean water into our bodies on a daily basis.  The guidelines state that we need 30ml per kilo of body weight. One Stone is equivalent to just over 6kilos. So for example: if you weigh 70 kilos, you will need 2100ml or just over 2litres per day. If you are exercising or losing fluids more than usual, then you will need even more.

If we become dehydrated, we may experience

• low energy
• dry skin
• headaches
• low urine output – dark coloured urine
• dizziness
• poor concentration and memory
• constipation
• creaky joints and
• an overall feeling of sluggishness.

Often times we turn to stimulants, like coffee and tea to give ourselves a boost. These act as diuretics and stimulate the kidneys to make more urine, flushing, even more, fluids out of the body. Doh !!!

So how can we ensure that we drink enough water, EVERYDAY? 

Well, firstly I believe that we if know WHY we need to hydrate our bodies, we might be more likely to give our water intake a little more of our attention. In my opinion, education is half the battle.  So if you are up for a little Anatomy Lesson, I promise to keep it short and sweet.

Cells. Cells. Cells.  It all starts with the Cells. Our bodies are made up of approx 50 trillion cells.  Each of these 50,000,000,000,000 cells contain 70% water. Suspended in this cellular fluid are organelles which help the cell to carry out its job efficiently. These jobs include :

• Taking in all the nutrients from our food and turning them into something great, giving energy to the cell and proteins to build and repair.
• Taking in Oxygen and using it to create energy
• Removing Carbon Dioxide and other waste products
• Responding to changes in the surrounding environment
• Moving
• Reproducing new cells
• Growing
• Finding a unique purpose (Becoming bone cell or a hair cell)

As you can imagine, a day in the life of a cell can be quite full. The ultimate multitasker! When they become dehydrated, all of the above functions are harder to complete. If I had so much on my to-do list, I would want to know I had a good backup. So its no wonder that our cells need their full quota of water and other nutrition to function optimally.

• Cells come together and form groups
• These groups of cells are called Tissues
• Tissues come together and form Organ Systems
• Our main Organ Systems are: Skin, Skeletal, Muscular, Cardiovascular, Lymphatic, Endocrine, Digestive, Respiratory, Nervous, Reproductive, Urinary
• All of these organ systems work together to form our highly intelligent Human Body, a family of 50,000,000,000,000 cells all constantly communicating with each other.

A well-hydrated body will go a good way towards creating: hydrated skin, flexibility, and strength in the muscular system, good circulation, strong immune system, balanced hormones, good digestion, great sleep and an overall feeling of wellbeing – why? – because each cell is doing a great job.

Here are a few tips to increase Water in your diet: 

1. Invest in a good water bottle. Fill it up first thing in the morning with good clean water (if you live in an area where fluoride is present, you may think about investing in a filter), carry it with you and drink your daily quota gradually throughout the day.
2. Flavour your water with some fresh fruit or herbs. I like Mint/Basil/Cucumber
3. If you are the type of person that likes to track and measure your progress, search the App Store for Daily Water app and find one that suits your device.
4. Eat more Watery foods: Fresh fruit and Veg, especially cucumber, zucchini, melon. Or at this time of year, soups might be more to your taste. Juices & smoothies might suit the milder months.
5. Swap your sugary drinks for water and substitute your Tea and Coffee with some herbal teas. Most stores now stock a wide range of herbal teas so you are sure to find something you like. This is where I get the majority of my water intake. (stay posted for  some herbal tea posts soon)

It sounds so simple eh?  Often when we start to become unbalanced, its time to get back to the simple things in life. Where better to start?

Your Happy Cells will thank you 🙂

I leave you with this short interview  – You are a community of 50 trillion cells – Bruce H. Lipton

In’joy