Find Out Why Hydration Is SO Important. 

You're probably aware that water makes up approximately 75% of your total body weight.  That one fact already makes a great case for quality hydration but here's some facts that you may not be aware of:

• Lack of water is the #1 trigger for daytime fatigue and headaches
• 90% of North Americans are Chronically Dehydrated
• if our body fluids drop 5% most people will lose 25-30% of their energy levels
• If our body fluids drop by 15% we die
• 10 cups of fluid a day are lost through sweating, exhaling, urinating and bowel movements.
• If you’re exercising or it’s hot, the body can lose two quarts per hour.
• Dehydration leads to over-eating because we think we're hungry but we're really deydrated

Symptoms of moderate to severe dehydration include:

• Low blood pressure
• Fainting
• Severe muscle contractions in the arms, legs, stomach, and back
• Convulsions
• A bloated stomach
• Heart failure
• Sunken fontanelle– soft spot on a head
• Sunken dry eyes, with few or no tears
• Skin losing its firmness and becoming wrinkled
• Lack of elasticity of the skin (when a bit of skin lifted up stays folded and takes a long time to go back to its normal position)
• Rapid and deep breathing, faster than normal
• Fast, weak pulse

Dehydrated cells shrivel - just imagine a prune instead of a plum. Most people don’t think of dehydration as a cause of pain, but this shriveled state of our cells can cause headaches or muscle and joint pain. 

According to F. Batmanghelidj, MD of Global Health Solutions, Inc., “Water is a basic need for cellular health. Cells both contain and are surrounded by water. In dehydration, cell membranes become less permeable and accumulate toxins and acids which can lead to hampering the flow of hormones and nutrients into the cell and preventing waste products such as oxidants that cause cellular damage from flowing out.” 

Dehydration is prevalent among people who drink caffeinated coffee, tea, and sodas. Americans consume about 21% of their calories from beverages.  Many adults especially those over 60 often drink only when thirsty and may get only 90% of what they need.

Thirst Isn't Always Reliable

Thirst isn’t always a reliable way to determine the body’s need for water, especially in children and older adults. Even being slightly dehydrated can zap your energy and make you feel lethargic. A mere two percent drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page. Even mild dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%

Some studies show that 70% of pre-school children drink no water at all during the day.  Some have a diminished thirst mechanism & mistake it for hunger, feeding their thirst with food.  In a UW experiment, one glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters. 

Dehydration is the root cause of many illnesses. 

• A six-year study found that those who drink more than 5 glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period than those who drank less than two glasses. (May 1, 2002 American Journal of Epidemiology)
• Drinking the equivalent of 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%.
• Drinking 2 litres of water a day decreases the risk of breast cancer by 79%
• Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

Benefits of Being Properly Hydrated

• More Energy  - When was the last time you drank 6-8 glasses of water in a day? Most likely you are dehydrated and this affects your energy levels
• Clear Skin - Being hydrated lets your body's cells do their jobs properly, this includes: absorbing nutrients, flushing toxins, building blood. Many skin issues are due to toxicity and lack of hydration
• Weight Loss - One of the big reasons why people become overweight is because their bodies are holding onto toxins and unable to flush them. The body stores toxins in fat cells to protect you. Drinking 1 liter per 40lbs of bodyweight every day is a sure way to lose weight! Try it!!
• Anti-Aging - Aging effects happen when we are unable to flush out wastes and toxins from the body. Just like when you leave an apple on the counter and it turns brown, our bodies OXIDIZE. That's why anti-oxidants are so important.. (you get anti-oxidants when you drink alkaline ionized water)

How Much Water Should I Drink Each Day?

The basic guideline is 1 Liter of water daily for every 40 lbs of body weight. So If you weigh 120 lbs, then that means you should drink about 3 Liters/day.

Make Quality Hydration A Part Of Your Life!

Let's face it, if you become more hydrated, you're going to enjoy better health and quality of life. You're going to have more energy, feel better and look better!  If you don't like the taste of tap water, then you should invest in an alkaline water ionizer machine.