Much of our work at Mind Body Motion is about changing the way our clients view health choices. Water is an excellent example.
Many of our new clients see water as bland and boring. They fail to see how awe-inspiring water really is! It can cut through mountains or be as still as glass. It can destroy a village or give life to an emaciated child across the world. Water is the motor of our weather patterns and the most basic building block of life. Water is a symbol of purification in every major religion. Whether you are sitting in a cubicle or sitting in traffic, drinking water is a way to connect with both nature and your spirit.
Chronic Dehydration
Drinking water is also the best way to avoid the chronic dehydration afflicting most Americans and one of the easiest ways to feel healthier. When you’re thirsty, you’re already between 1 and 2 percent dehydrated. And because most food contains some amount of water as well as a jolt of sugar to combat fatigue, many people eat when they are mildly dehydrated. Others don’t usually drink water, preferring soda or coffee; however, caffeine and alcohol are diuretics that make dehydration worse.
Mild Dehydration
Mild dehydration has subtle, yet powerful, effects on your quality of life. Your cortisol levels go up and your energy levels go down. A study even found that migraine sufferers experienced significantly more headaches when they were mildly dehydrated. No wonder hangovers hurt so much!
A new exercise program will be difficult to maintain if you are in a state of chronic dehydration. Your body needs water to transport nutrients and oxygen to muscles while you exercise. Our bodies also release water through sweat to keep our skin cool. If you are not optimally hydrated, you’ll be prone to muscle cramps and exhaustion.
To avoid chronic dehydration, drink half your body weight in ounces each day. If you are 190 pounds, then drink 95 ounces each day.
Best Water to Drink
Our bodies need the proper pH balance to stay healthy. pH determines how much oxygen your blood can transport. Healthy blood has a pH of around 7.4, or slightly alkaline.
Processed foods and a stressful lifestyle lower the pH levels of your blood. The resulting acidosis can cause bone disease and muscle loss. Some experts think it can lead to cancer and other disease.
Eating alkaline foods and drinking pure water are an effective way to maintain your body’s pH levels. The Alkaline Diet includes fruits and vegetables as well as pure water with a pH of at least 7. A Canadian review found that the Alkaline Diet increased pH levels in urine and resulted in better bone and muscle health. It also improved chronic diseases such as hypertension.
Drink alkaline water that contains minerals. The closest to 7 in the PH chart the better the water is to drink. Test kits can help you determine if the water you buy is really alkaline. We are paying a ridiculous amount of money for water labeled alkaline but is really just plain tap water. We have found Fiji, Evian, Artisan Water and Arrowhead to be the most alkaline.
The Blue Zone
What started out as a National Geographic story on the healthiest and happiest people in the world has turned into a movement called “The Blue Zone”. People reach 100 years of age far more often in these regions of the world than in other regions of the world.
Drinking alkaline water is one of their secrets. People who live in these areas drink mineral water found in mountains and springs. Water from these regions contains calcium and magnesium as well as other important minerals.
Give us a call to learn how to hydrate properly and other longevity secrets of people in the Blue Zone!
“Keep on moving!”
Luis Ponce Sr.
( 408) 778-5577
