wellness tips

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We have discussed why it is important to consume adequate water, how much to drink each day, and how to improve the quality of the water we drink, but we haven’t yet discussed when to drink water, and why this matters.

Drink a big glass of room-temperature water about half-an-hour before meals, earlier if you insist on ice-cold water, and if you have digestive difficulties or heartburn, try adding a capful of raw apple cidre vinegar or the juice of some lemon to that water. Try not to drink water with meals, as this dilutes the digestive juices too much making it harder for them to do their job. Then drink more water a couple of hours after eating.  In summary, drink between meals rather than with meals.

Water is best at room temperature rather than ice cold, as our bodies have to warm up cold water before it can be used. As Paul Chek suggests in his book  How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy!, you can do an experiment to see the truth of this. If you drink a large amount of cold water, and then jiggle your belly around, you will hear and feel the water sloshing around, whereas if you drink a large amount of room temperature water it is immediately assimilated into the body and you won’t get that sloshing sound. Hot water in the form of herbal (non-caffeinated) teas are fine.

Remember that caffeinated beverages and alcohol do not count as water as they are dehydrating. Quality milk, bone broths and fresh-squeezed juice may be healthy, but they won’t rehydrate you either, so only count water in your hydration efforts!

I personally find that I get a headache when I overdo caffeinated beverages and am dehydrated, so when I get that feeling at the base of my skull where my headaches frequently start, I drink lots of water, and usually the headache does not come on.

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Water, our critical solvent

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In a previous tip I’ve suggested that for optimal health we need to drink half our bodyweight in ounces of water each and every day. Many of you are probably finding that drinking this much water means you are spending an abundant amount of time in the bathroom, and that this is an inconvenience that makes it tough to follow through on the recommendation. Hopefully you will find that today’s tip will go a long way to solving that problem.

For water to be optimally healthy for us, it should have a hardness factor of 170mg/L and a total dissolved solids (TDS) of 300 or greater, according to Dr. Martin Fox, on his website www.healthywater.com. According to Fox’s review of the research, softer waters are correlated to greater incidences of heart disease and cancer.

Most bottled waters have far less than 300 TDS, and some even advertise that their water is demineralized. Brands that have adequate total dissolved solids include Evian, Vittel, Volvic, Fiji and Trinity. Look for the TDS on the label. If the water is too soft, add a pinch of organic Celtic Sea Salt (the gray, moist stuff that sticks to the sides of the container – absolutely do NOT use white, refined table salt as it is terrible for you) or a pinch of Pascalite clay to each liter of water you drink This will not change the taste, but will increase the hardness and the total dissolved solids adequately, and will for most of you reduce the need to use the bathroom as you will actually be absorbing the water into your cells. Water that is hard enough is an excellent source of minerals that is in a form that is readily usable by our bodies. If you use a lot of salt on your food, use Pascalite clay instead. Check your local health food store, or order it from Pascalite Inc. at 1-800-909-7284.

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I believe that my cavity-free teeth are largely due to the fact that I grew up on fluoride pills, and I am most grateful to my parents for that blessing. I’m not sure how young I was when the fluoride was started, but the dosage increased gradually as I got older, probably based on my bodyweight. And at some point, the dentist told my parents to stop giving me the pills, and they did. Because of the wonderful result I personally had with taking fluoride, the controversy over fluoridated water confused me. I didn’t understand why certain communities were fighting so hard to stop their water from being fluoridated, when obviously it does such a wonderful job of preventing tooth decay. So, here is the argument against. You decide.

Fluorine must be put into water in the form of a compound, as alone it is very reactive. So the question becomes, what kind of fluoride is being put in your water? Calcium fluoride is naturally found in water, but that form is very difficult for the body to absorb, and probably wouldn’t do much to help our teeth. Sodium fluoride is much more absorbable by the body, but that may not be the form that is put in municipal water supplies because it is more expensive than other alternatives. It is possible that municipalities are using silicofluorides, as they are far cheaper. This type of fluoride could be a problem, as it is a toxic waste from phosphate fertilizer pollution scrubbers and it contains arsenic, mercury, lead and beryllium. Unfortunately, even if you chose to avoid drinking the water or washing your produce in it, you would absorb the toxins through your skin in the bath or shower, as well as in juice or food such as canned soup that is made with fluoridated water.

And then there is the question of dosage. If fluoride is put into the water supply, there is no control over the amount people drink or absorb through their skin. Young children may get far too much fluoride for their body-size and weight, and infants being fed formula mixed with water may be getting 100 to 200 times the fluoride that breast-fed babies are getting. Fluorine is a toxic substance and it is bio-accumulative. There is some evidence that fluoride can be damaging to the development of an infant’s brain, and babies in general are much more vulnerable to environmental toxins. Dental fluorosis, a condition that damages to the cells that form the teeth and makes them yellow and mottled, is also linked to bone fractures, possibly bone cancer, a lowering of fertility and IQ, and it seems to increase the uptake of aluminum. And it is now known that fluoride works best when topically applied, such as in toothpaste, so the question becomes, "is it ethical to force a population to ingest fluoride without their permission considering the risks?" It may be wise to tell your children not to eat or swallow fluoridated toothpaste, particularly if your water is fluoridated, as they may be getting too much.

And then there are the mounting studies that show that tooth decay is declining as quickly in those that have had no exposure to fluoride. In fact, in New Zealand, children with no water fluoridation, no fluoridated toothpaste, and no fluoride applied to teeth at the dentist have slightly better teeth than those who were exposed to fluoride. Could it be that a good quality diet may be what makes for good teeth? It is interesting to note that water fluoridation is not approved by the FDA, and the AMA "is not prepared to state that no harm will be done to any person by water fluoridation."

So, what do you think? Should our water be fluoridated or not? And if you live in a community that has fluoridated water, and you decide that this is something you don’t want, what can you do? Most water filters do not remove fluoride, so read your filter labels carefully. Reverse osmosis apparently does, but this can be expensive. Here is an example of a company that focuses on filtering fluoride, should you feel you need to. Just be certain that the filter you choose also filters out heavy metals, chlorine, benzene, pesticides etc. And if you don’t want to use fluoridated toothpaste either, here is sea salt / baking soda alternative that is apparently very good at removing the bacteria and parasites that causes plaque formation.

Related tips:
Mercury, a strong nerve poison

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The medical community tends to examine the solutes of the body for imbalances, which can be important, but it is critical to also consider the solvent.

After all, it is the fluids of the body that transport pretty much everything via the blood, lymph, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva, urine, synovial fluid, extracellular fluid, tears, and milk in lactating females, and it is obvious that nothing would happen if everything were dry.

Fluids are needed within each cell to keep them juicy and round so they can function properly. Our organs can be considered water balloons sloshing around in the sea of water that is our abdominal cavity.

Water is the major ingredient in ALL the fluids necessary for our survival. Water also conducts electricity, which is important in many functions of the body, most famously, that of the heart. Electrocardiograms are used to measure the electrical charge in the heart, and pace-makers are given to regulate the charge in the heart. It is unlikely that any of that would be possible without water.

Remember that 75% of our bodies are made up of water, and 85% of our brains are made up of water. Basically, as we age we tend to dry out.

Because water is so critical to the function of EVERYTHING, and we get rid of water daily through urine, sweat and breathing, our bodies have very elaborate methods of preserving and prioritizing water when not enough is consumed.

One top priority is the blood, and the body does what it can to maintain a proper viscosity and composition of blood elements. So, if the person is dehydrated, water will be selectively taken from areas that are less important for survival, such as the joints (ouch!) and the lumbar disks, particularly L5, the bottom-most disk (double ouch!)

The disks use their water volume as hydraulic support for weight of the upper body. Less hydrated disks are more prone to flatten or degenerate, causing the ligaments that interconnect the vertebrae to slacken, possibly resulting in instability and low-back pain. But at least the blood is in good shape.

If there isn’t enough water for adequate blood volume, some capillary beds (tiniest blood vessels) may close so that the blood doesn’t have to go as far. Closed capillaries cause resistance in the arterial system, so more pressure is needed to pump the blood throughout the body.

Exercise helps reduce blood pressure because it keeps capillary beds open. One can ask if diuretics (water pills) are really a good idea for treating high blood pressure! Getting rid of more water is most likely to make the problem worse over time as the body adjusts to a further dehydration.

Usually initially one’s blood pressure is reduced on diuretics, but eventually most wind up on a different form of blood pressure medication such as beta blockers or ace inhibitors when the diuretics “stop working”, due to further constriction of the arterial system to cope with chronic worsening dehydration.

Perhaps the initial treatment should be to drink adequate water so that the capillary beds can re-open and blood pressure can return to normal. According to Dr. Batmanghelidj in his book Your Body’s Many Cries For Water, if there are heart failure issues, water intake should be increased gradually over time to allow the body to slowly reduce its drive for sodium retention, and increase its ability to produce urine.

Most of us can increase the amount of water we drink more quickly. Drink half your bodyweight in pounds, in ounces of pure water each day (0.033kg in litres.) Measure it so you know you are getting enough.

Caffeinated beverages, and alcohol do not count as they are diuretics and will cause you to lose water, so drink an extra cup of water for each cup of those beverages you consume. Drink up and feel better!

Related Tips:
Remineralize your water
Tap, filtered or bottled?
Plastic water bottles

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Plastic water bottles are very convenient for carting water around when we are on the go, as they don’t break if we drop them. It is worth paying attention to the type of plastic your water bottle is made of, to ensure that the chemicals in the plastic do not leach into the water. If you taste plastic, you are drinking it, so get yourself another bottle.

To be certain that you are choosing a bottle that does not leach, check the recycling symbol on your bottle. If it is a #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene), or a #4 LDPE (low density polyethylene), or a #5 PP (polypropylene), your bottle is fine. The type of plastic bottle in which water is usually sold is usually a #1, and is only recommended for one time use. Do not refill it. Better to use a reusable water bottle, and fill it with your own filtered water from home, and keep these single-use bottles out of the landfill.

Unfortunately, those fabulous colourful hard plastic lexan bottles made with polycarbonate plastics and identified by the #7 recycling symbol, may leach BPA. (Bisphenol A is a xenoestrogen, a known endocrine disruptor, meaning it disturbs the hormonal messaging in our bodies).  Synthetic chemical endocrine disruptors are particularly devastating to babies and young children.

Unfortunately, most plastic baby bottles and drinking cups are made with plastics containing Bisphenol A. In 2006 Europe banned all products made for children under age 3 containing BPA, and as of Dec. 2006 the city of San Francisco followed suit. In March 2007 a billion-dollar class action suit was commenced against Gerber, Playtex, Evenflo, Avent, and Dr. Brown’s in Los Angeles superior court for harm done to babies caused by drinking out of baby bottles and sippy cups containing BPA. So, to be certain that your baby is not exposed, use glass bottles.

For more of the science on the effects of BPA on our endocrine system etc. see these studies: Environmental Health Perspectives Journal. Nalgene, the company that manufactures the lexan bottles also makes #2 HDPE bottles in the same sizes and shapes, so we do have a viable alternative. Order one at Nalgene.

Check the recycling numbers on all your plastic food containers as well, and gradually move to storing all food in glass or ceramic. Store water in glass if possible, and out of direct sunlight.

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What kind of water is safest for us to drink? The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reported that the biggest polluter of US rivers and streams is commercial agricultural chemicals that are sprayed onto crops, and then run off into the waterways. It is questionable whether other countries are much better. Is tap water really safe enough?

If possible, install a whole-house water filtration system in order to filter out these agricultural chemicals, as well as chlorine, heavy metals and other contaminants that are frequently found in water supplies, even in cities. If the water turns your tub green, you don’t want to be drinking it, and you don’t want to be bathing in it as your skin absorbs about 70% of those contaminants. If you live in an apartment or condominium, it may be easier to install tap and shower filters. The water tastes better, and makes for softer skin in the bath or shower. Filtering your own water is better than buying bottled, as many of the bottled waters are not contaminant free and are sometimes worse than tap water, AND the plastic bottles cause an enormous amount of garbage.

For more information on water, please read Your Body’s Many Cries For Water by Batmanhelidj. To get information and ratings on water filters, go to www.bestfilters.com. If you would like to get your water tested so you know what contaminants you need to filter out, go to www.aquamd.com.

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Being well hydrated is vitally important for us to function at our best. So how much water is enough? According to Dr. F. Batmanghelidj in his book Your Body’s Many Cries For Water, we can calculate the amount of pure filtered water we need daily by taking our bodyweight in pounds and dividing it by two. That will tell us how many ounces of water we need a day to keep our cells functioning optimally. (Weight in kilograms X 0.033 = litres per day.) You may find it helpful to measure your water, or find some way of keeping track of how much you are drinking when you are trying to create this new habit. Juice, soda, and caffeinated beverages do not count, as they are dehydrating to our systems. If your urine is clear to very pale yellow, you are well hydrated. Congratulations!