One of our staff members one day asked, "I heard that there is a great new drink out for diabetics. It has no calories and is supposed to be real good for you, did you hear about it?" Passing by, my partner turned to her and said, "Yeah, it's called water." Yes, water...the forgotten beverage. Most of the earth is covered by it. Wars have been fought over it. More than sixty percent of our own bodies are composed of it and yet the amount of money that is spent and the amount of calories that are consumed in other beverages is staggering.
We are so fortunate to live in a society where we can turn on a tap and receive good, clean water. There are still many places across the world where that is not the case. A clean water supply has done more for the health of our society than any other single intervention. At the level of our own body, water affects every single physiologic process. The easiest to consider is our blood volume. The contents of the blood, such as the oxygen carrying red blood cells must travel to every part of the body. Without water, it is impossible. The water in our blood stream allows other organs such as the kidney and liver to filter out waste products and toxins that we are exposed to. The more that can be filtered out, the healthier we are going to be. A low flow of urine in some people can lead to the formation of tiny crystals. Over time these can grow big enough to lodge in the tubes that drain the kidneys causing incredible amounts of pain in the form of kidney stones. Muscles contract according to differing concentrations of calcium and other molecules that flow across cell membranes. That flow is dependent upon water. The number one way to decrease painful muscle cramps that some people at night is to drink more water. In a similar fashion, nerve activation is dependent upon flow of small molecules across cell junctions. Without adequate hydration, the responsiveness becomes sluggish. The intestinal tract is dependent upon enough ingested water to safely carry that which cannot be absorbed out of body for elimination. Can you guess what the number one reason why constipation occurs? You guessed it, not enough water. Think about your skin. How much money is spent on skin moisturizers? They work by holding moisture in but if we are not drinking enough water to begin with, it won't do any good.
I have been accused, rightly so I may add, that the answer to almost all problems is to drink more water and exercise. When thought about in regards to how our body works it makes sense. Water allows all those processes discussed above work better. Exercise increases the flow of blood throughout the entire body. It makes sure that the water we ingest gets to all the cells that need it. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen patients who complain of feeling sluggish, fatigued, achey, etc who come back feeling so much better, and often 15-20 pounds lighter, after having switched from drinking alcohol, soda and tea to simply drinking more water. I call it "God's Soda," it comes straight from heaven. Try to get eight, 8 oz glasses of water in a day. Have a source of it near you at all times. Here's to your health. Drink up!
One of our staff members one day asked, "I heard that there is a great new drink out for diabetics. It has no calories and is supposed to be real good for you, did you hear about it?" Passing by, my partner turned to her and said, "Yeah, it's called water." Yes, water...the forgotten beverage. Most of the earth is covered by it. Wars have been fought over it. More than sixty percent of our own bodies are composed of it and yet the amount of money that is spent and the amount of calories that are consumed in other beverages is staggering.
We are so fortunate to live in a society where we can turn on a tap and receive good, clean water. There are still many places across the world where that is not the case. A clean water supply has done more for the health of our society than any other single intervention. At the level of our own body, water affects every single physiologic process. The easiest to consider is our blood volume. The contents of the blood, such as the oxygen carrying red blood cells must travel to every part of the body. Without water, it is impossible. The water in our blood stream allows other organs such as the kidney and liver to filter out waste products and toxins that we are exposed to. The more that can be filtered out, the healthier we are going to be. A low flow of urine in some people can lead to the formation of tiny crystals. Over time these can grow big enough to lodge in the tubes that drain the kidneys causing incredible amounts of pain in the form of kidney stones. Muscles contract according to differing concentrations of calcium and other molecules that flow across cell membranes. That flow is dependent upon water. The number one way to decrease painful muscle cramps that some people at night is to drink more water. In a similar fashion, nerve activation is dependent upon flow of small molecules across cell junctions. Without adequate hydration, the responsiveness becomes sluggish. The intestinal tract is dependent upon enough ingested water to safely carry that which cannot be absorbed out of body for elimination. Can you guess what the number one reason why constipation occurs? You guessed it, not enough water. Think about your skin. How much money is spent on skin moisturizers? They work by holding moisture in but if we are not drinking enough water to begin with, it won't do any good.
I have been accused, rightly so I may add, that the answer to almost all problems is to drink more water and exercise. When thought about in regards to how our body works it makes sense. Water allows all those processes discussed above work better. Exercise increases the flow of blood throughout the entire body. It makes sure that the water we ingest gets to all the cells that need it. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen patients who complain of feeling sluggish, fatigued, achey, etc who come back feeling so much better, and often 15-20 pounds lighter, after having switched from drinking alcohol, soda and tea to simply drinking more water. I call it "God's Soda," it comes straight from heaven. Try to get eight, 8 oz glasses of water in a day. Have a source of it near you at all times. Here's to your health. Drink up!
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