Why Water Matters More Than You Think

Our brains, blood, and lungs are composed of 70-80-90% water respectively.

Your body relies on water to function properly and not in a small way. It’s necessary for digestion and elimination, helps the kidneys and liver flush out waste and toxins, regulates body temperature, and carries oxygen to cells. Without it, you’ll become dehydrated, and in severe cases of dehydration, people die. Functional fitness can involve strenuous program that are all about intensity. It’s tough on your body, and staying hydrated will help keep it working for you.

Dehydration doesn’t happen all at once, however, unless you’re ill, vomiting heavily, or have severe diarrhea. To help safeguard yourself, start your day by rehydrating after the nightly process of repair and restoration, and drink before and after a workout, more in extreme weather conditions.

SYMPTOMS OF DEHYDRATION FROM MILD TO SEVERE

  • Dry mouth
  • Fuzziness or inability to mentally focus
  • Decreased urine output and/or urine that’s darker than normal
  • Headache
  • Constipation
  • Dizziness or a feeling of lightheadedness
  • Low blood pressure
  • Rapid breathing and heartbeat at rest
  • Sunken eyes
  • In severe cases, convulsions or delirium

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF FRESH WATER

Almost 98% of all water on Earth is salt water. Half of what’s left is in frozen ice caps and the other half is in soil and underground aquifers.

Human composition is about 50%-79% water, with daily requirements varying depending on size, age, activity level, and external temperatures. The amount of water each of us needs on a daily basis will depend in part on our overall physical condition; whether we’re fit, overweight, ill, or recovering from an injury. People who are severely overweight are generally more dehydrated than fit bodies, and infants need as much as 79% of their body weight in water.

GET WATER FROM FOOD

Whether you’re exercising or not, you’re not going to get enough water to satisfy your body’s needs from food alone, but you can get some. Taking advantage of eating nutrient dense foods with high water content will fill you up without adding a lot of calories. It’s all helpful in keeping you hydrated. Here’s a short list of foods that have high water content:

  • Foods that contain water between 91% or higher – coconut water (not coconut milk), watermelon, strawberries, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, celery, radish, iceberg lettuce, sweet pepper, eggplant, spinach, zucchini, red and green tomato, bean sprouts, okra, chard.
  • Foods that contain between 81-90% water – grapefruit, cantaloupe, raspberry, plum, pineapple, pear, peach, orange, cranberry, cherry, blueberry, apricot, apple, grape, carrot, kale, onion, papaya, parsley, pumpkin, watercress.
  • Foods that contain between 71-80% water – banana, white potato, green pea, corn, sweet potato.
  • Almost all fruits and vegetables contain at least 50% water.
  • Herbal teas and soup broths are also an excellent way to add water to your diet.

DRINK HEALTHY WATER

It should be obvious that you’ll want to drink the best water you can find, without fluoride, medical wastes, nitrates, vaccines, hormones, and many other poison toxins that find their way into ground water.

  • Spring water – If you’re lucky enough to have your own spring or well, use it. Just be sure to test it once or twice a year. Spring water contains minerals that are removed in filtered water.
  • Reverse osmosis water – You can have a system installed under the sink in your kitchen. The reverse osmosis system will remove fluoride, chemicals, metals, and organisms that are potentially harmful to the body, but all minerals will be removed as well.
  • Distilled water – Distilled water has every particle removed. It’s sometimes referred to as “dead water” because it lacks oxygen and energy. It’s often used in detox programs because it attaches to electrolytes and their energy in the body, effectively pulling certain toxins out. You can add a liquid fulvic mineral concentrate to get a complete mineral array.
  • Fluoride-reducing filter pitchers – These remove up to 65% of fluoride and may reduce heavy metals, chlorine, pesticides, bacteria and parasites, but will not eliminate them completely.
  • Carbon block filters – These remove chemicals, hydrocarbons, chlorine and their combined by-products. They can be found with or without lead removal capability but they’re ineffective in removing fluoride, sulfates, nitrates, arsenic, aluminum, phosphates, salts, metallic and dead dirt materials, detergents, and some medical wastes or viruses.

GET ENOUGH WATER

Regardless of the type of water you choose, make sure you get enough. If you’re active, drink between 10-16 cups or 80-128 ounces a day. This is how much your body needs to maintain normal bodily functions. In addition to this amount, you’ll need more water under the following conditions.

ACTIVITY

  • Drink 8-12 ounces of water about 2 hours before a workout and another glass about 30 minutes prior to working out (this includes any activity that makes you sweat).
  • If you’re working out intensely or engaged in an activity that’s causing profuse sweating, use a sports drink instead of water after you workout to replace electrolytes like sodium. Coconut water is a great natural choice. Check labels on commercial sports drinks and stay away from those which are loaded with sugar, artificial ingredients and food dyes.

ENVIRONMENT

  • Hot weather causes sweating. Drink more water to compensate and to lower your body temperature.
  • Cold weather is dehydrating, especially dry cold. It draws moisture from your skin and your lungs need to draw moisture from elsewhere in the body to function.
  • Dry indoor air, whether heated or air conditioned, takes moisture from your skin which will try to compensate by taking more water from your body.
  • High altitudes (8,000 feet or 2,500 meters) contain less oxygen and you’ll breathe more rapidly. You’re lungs are working harder so you’ll need more water.

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