Health benefits of
drinking water
Beverages containing caffeine and other chemicals can be
detrimental to the digestive system. For example, a study determined
that adults who drank six cups of coffee a day had mild dehydration
because they lost about 3% of their total body water. Other detrimental
effects were caused by cola drinks because the phosphorus content is
quite high and may cause a calcium/phosphorus imbalance; this may lead
to diseases such as osteoporosis. Fruit juices may cause insulin
resistance, weight gain and kidney trouble because of the high sugar
content. The elevated fructose corn syrup which is contained in most
fruit juices may adversely affect brain function.
One suggestion to start your day consuming water is to drink a cup or
two of herbal tea, or fresh water. The first glasses of water of the day
are important in order to reverse mild dehydration that you may have
experienced overnight. Most people decrease their water consumption
before bedtime so that they avoid trips to the bathroom in the middle of
the night. Get into a routine of drinking a glass or two of water after
you brush your teeth when you first get up in the morning. If you take a
bath in the morning, drink the water as you are bathing; the combination
of the heat in the bath and drinking cold water is quite refreshing. Or
if you take a shower in the morning, you may drink a glass of water as
soon as you step out of a hot
steamy shower, which will also be refreshing. You will contribute to the
detoxification of your body as well.
Another suggestion of detoxifying your body in the morning is to begin
the day with a cup of hot water with one teaspoon of lemon juice and a
bit of honey. This not only detoxifies your body, but improves digestion
as well because it releases bile from the liver, which improves
elimination. There are even some herbal teas on the market which are
packaged for this purpose. If you can, drink water before you eat
anything in the morning while your stomach is still empty. This will
eliminate any unnecessary dilution of your digestive juices. Try
drinking water about one half hour before a meal. Get into the habit of
taking a bottle of water with you wherever you go, whether it is to
work, to school, to an event, or shopping. Have you ever been to an
event or an amusement park and find that your only choice for water is a
dirty looking water fountain. In order to avoid that situation, carry
your own water. It is refreshing if you freeze the water in the bottle
slightly
before taking it out with you. However, do not re-use plastic bottles
more than twice because harmful chemicals make seep in and break down
the plastics.
If you want to "pep up" your water, put a slice of lemon or lime, or
even cucumber in it. Or you may opt for a low sodium club soda, which
does not contain any calories. For a change of pace, try iced tea or
lemonade sweetened with Stevia which is an herbal sweetener that does
not contain any chemicals. Hot or cold herbal teas also make for a
refreshing drink.
Another refreshing healthy drink is a smoothie which is made with fruit,
plain or low fat yogurt, soy protein powder and water or skim or soy
milk. It is not only healthy but tasty as well. A great deal of water is
contained in the healthiest foods, like fruits and vegetables such as
watermelons, oranges, apples, cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes. Healthy
soups can be made from chopped vegetables, such as carrots, onions,
mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower, peeled potatoes, water and seasonings.
By eating this healthy soup you will get the benefits of fiber, fluids
and vitamins.
If you have kidney problems or other health problems in which fluid
intake must be curtailed, get your doctor's advice on how much water you
should drink, as well as the amount of sodium you should consume.
Hypoatremia is an unusual result of fluid intake in which electrolytes
become imbalanced. You may need to increase salt in your diet as you
increase your fluid
consumption. You may also need additional potassium in your diet, which
may be provided with orange juice. It is important to consult your
health care provider in order to determine if you need extra minerals,
etc. in your diet.
After you have made up you mind to drink more water, you need to be
concerned about the quality of your water. You will probably be drinking
bottled water at some point during the day. Keep in mind that tap water
has stricter standards than that of bottled water. In fact, in some
states there are virtually no standards for bottled water. This may
result in contaminants in bottled water that are in excess of the state
limits for contaminants. (Also, bottled water is sometimes actually tap
water.) Ratings for bottled water are usually good for Dannon, Evian,
Volvic and Mountain Valley water. You also need to be aware of the
quality of water used in a water cooler if that is what you are using.
The best source of drinking water may be filtered tap water that
provides clean and pure water. A cost effective and efficient means of
filtering tap water are carbon filters which are available in different
types such as counter top, refrigeration, pitcher, faucet mount and
coffee maker styles. However, you will need to change the filters on a
regular basis. Replacement filter cartridges are available. You can
remove organic compounds, tastes, odors, pesticides and some heavy
metals utilizing these activated carbon filters. |