Are You Hydrated? Probably not!

What do all forms of life have in common? Water. So, are you hydrated? How many glasses of water have you had today, and how do you know if you are hydrated or dehydrated? Let’s get into it!

Water is THE most important nutrient in the body. It is the source of life, and you can’t live without it.

If you are most people, that means you are probably not adequately hydrated! Dehydration is an actual epidemic. Which is funny because if you have the internet connection to be reading this article, you probably also have access to water.

Water make up 55-60% of the total mass of our body. But many of us are walking around in a state of mild dehydration.

In this article, we’ll review, why we need water, how to know when we need more of it, and how to evaluate water quality. The reality is that most of us do not have access to naturally clean water, so water quality reports and water filtration are essential.

Let’s dive into everything water and hydration.

What does water do in the body?

Water enables the transport of nutrients throughout the body. It enables the digestive process by hydrolyzing our food and moving it through the digestive tract.

Water enables us to breathe more easily by moistening the windpipe and lungs. It improves the oxygen delivery to our cells.

We regulate our body temperature by sweating, which is of course water (and electrolytes). We also flush toxins from our tissues and remove waste with water (urine and feces).

Water also serves as a cushion for our bones and joint, and absorbs shock throughout the body. It lubricates joints because cartilage does not have its own blood supply to keep those joint moist.

The electrical properties of cells are also maintained through water which carries electrolytes. It therefore improves cell to cell communication.

Basically, every mechanism in our body that keeps us alive, needs enough water to function optimally.

Signs of mild dehydration

The vast majority of people are walking around chronically dehydrated. Whether because of over consumption of diuretics, or too much dry processed foods, many of us need to increase hydration.

It may not be enough dehydration to land them in a hospital with an IV, but low level dehydration impacts our cells and well-being. It’s important to know and be aware of the signs of dehydration.

Here are some signs that indicate mild dehydration:

  • Thirst or Dry mouth
  • Fatigue
  • Darker urine
  • Cravings
  • Muscle cramps
  • Anxiety
  • Headaches/Migraines
  • Degradation in memory and ability to concentrate

Hot Tip: At the first sign of any of these symptoms, grab a glass of clean filtered water.

How to stay hydrated

We all know we need to drink more water, but sometimes it’s hard to come up with ideas for how to actually make it happen!

Here are some tips for making proper hydration a regular part of your routine.

  • Drink a large glass of water right after waking up: you can add a squeeze of lemon juice to support digestion.
  • Get a glass or stainless steel water bottle to enjoy drinking out of, and sip throughout the day
  • When you start to feel tired or hungry, have some water.
  • Add fruit, lemon, cucumber or fresh herbs to change up the flavor.
  • Note the the color of your urine should be a light yellow straw color.
  • Avoid drinking large amounts of water with meals, as it will dilute your digestive enzymes and inhibit digestion.
  • Limit diuretics such as coffee and alcohol.
  • Replace dry, processed food, with fresh fruits and vegetables, which are a source of structured water.
  • To support your energy levels between meals consider drinking an adrenal cocktail.
  • For the best water, drink spring water or use a reverse osmosis filter and then add trace mineral drops to it. Bonus points if you also structure your water.

Evaluating Water Quality

Many words have been written about water quality. There are books, articles, and databases of all sorts, tracking water quality and water contamination. What you need to know is this: most tap water has many contaminants.

Tap water may contain heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and other pollutants, these alter not only its structure, but the pH of the water (a marker of its acidity vs alkalinity).

Your water quality is important because it is a constant potential contributor to your toxic burden. Further, if you want to get technical: tap water is also not structured, and has various levels of deuterium, depending on where you are.

The only way to know for sure, what contaminants are present in your water is to test it. Luckily, if you live in the US, you can check your tap water quality at EWG.

You can also order a test kit for your water from mytapscore.com

What about getting a TDS meter?

A TDS meter is a small device, that measures the Total Dissolved Solids in the water. Anything dissolved in the water can be part of the TDS number.

People think you need to get TDS to zero, but the TDS number doesn’t tell you what is dissolved in the water. It could be beneficial minerals like calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate and other trace minerals.

Judging water only based on total dissolved solids is not so beneficial.

Water quality reports are important to find out what is making up the dissolved solids in your water.

How Can You Filter Your Water

The type of contaminants in your water, should determine the filtration system that you use. These days, there are many different types of water filters that you can use.

Types of Water Filters

Whole House Water Filter

A whole house filter will get out the majority of contaminants. If you own your house, this is a worthwhile investment to make.

This way your drinking water as well as you bath water will be filtered. Our skin is our largest organ, and it absolutely does soak in contaminants from the water while we bathe.

Under the Sink Water Filter

An under the sink filter will give you an additional level of filtering for the water you are going to ingest. If you can’t get a whole house filter, you may still be able to install an under the sink water filter.

These are great in that they are a one time installation and then you only need to change out the filter every 6 months or so (depending on the brand).

Refrigerator Water Filter

If you have a refrigerator water dispenser you can get a filter for your drinking water in that way. However, note that many brands of refrigerator filters do not do a great job. A couple good options are from Clearly Filtered or Pro One.

Counter Top Water Filter or Pitcher

If you can’t install a filter because you rent, or are traveling, counter top filtration systems or pitcher filters are a good affordable alternative. Again, many pitcher filters will make the taste of the water better, but not actually do such a great job filtering contaminants.

Some pitcher filters to check out include: Therasage, Clearly Filtered, Greenfield, Zero Water.

Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration

Reverse osmosis water filters are the way to get water that is completely stripped of contaminants. Unfortunately, the reverse osmosis technology also strips the water of its naturally occurring minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and potassium.

In some cases, city tap water has such high levels of contamination, that a reverse osmosis filter is the only way to get that water clean.

If you choose a reverse osmosis system, then you must remineralize your water. For this I suggest trace mineral drops or a pinch of unrefined salt.

Read more: How to Remineralize Filtered Water

Do you have any more questions about water filtration or how to stay hydrated?

Now that you’re an expert in hydration, don’t forget to check out the other foundations of nutritional therapy to work on!

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