Optimal Health Strategy 6 – Hydration with good quality water

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Health is the basic prerequisite for a happy and successful life and adequate cellular hydration is the desired  goal that supports our health. It is not sufficient to simply drink loads of tap water until your urine is crystal clear.

Proper hydration requires sufficient high-quality water

The human body is roughly 72% water and we need it for many reasons. Proper hydration results in numerous health benefits.

1. It facilitates digestion. The assimilation of nutrients as food passes through the gut relies on water beginning with the secretion of amylase in saliva that breaks down carbohydrates into sugars.
2. The blood is 90% water and is used to transport nutrients and antibodies around the body.
3. Temperature regulation is achieved by the secretion of sweat from glands in the skin.
4. Respiration at the cellular level requires it.
5. Detoxification: It is critical in cleaning out the body and removing toxicity.
6. It promotes weight loss.
7. It boosts the immune system and prevents illness.
8. It prevents Cramps & Sprains. Proper hydration helps keep joints lubricated and muscles more elastic so joint pain is less likely.
9. It’s the easiest way to prevent headaches.
10. Your skin needs adequate hydration to remain flexible and glowing with health. It is 80% water after all.

Symptoms of insufficient hydration

Our thirst mechanism warns us when we are dehydrated, but as we get older it doesn’t work as efficiently. For the elderly it is more important to check the colour of the urine and make sure it remains a light straw colour. Here are some symptoms of dehydration.

• Our urine darkens in colour
• Skin becomes dry
• As little as a 5% reduction in hydration can result in a 25-30% loss of energy
• We become more susceptible to urinary tract infections
• Dehydration exacerbates conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis and Chronic Fatigue syndrome
• Premature ageing results from not getting enough water into the body cell

Even when we drink sufficiently we can still not attain adequate hydration. But more on this later. First you need a decent supply of water.

Options for your source of water

These are in order of preference.

1. Fresh mountain springs. This is the best you can drink. It is structured and full of minerals and largely free of toxicity. If you live in the USA check out www.findaspring.com
2. Open wells or boreholes. Ground water quality depends on your location but is generally a good second best. It can still be advisable to test it and then filter it as appropriate.
3. Filtered. Any filter is better than no filter. If your water supply has impurities in it your body will become the filter!
4. Bottled. This is acceptable in the short term if you are travelling or other wise away from your water source. Always choose glass bottles as glass is inert and will not leach chemicals such as Bisphenol A into the water. Avoid buying bottled water. 40% of commercial it is from the tap and the plastic bottles it comes in are a challenge to recycle or dispose of. Also, remember not to leave them in the sun. as they warm up the toxic chemicals in the plastic leach out end up in your body.
5. From the tap. This is way too polluted to drink safely and should not be consumed regularly – see below.
6. Distilled. Drinking this is not generally a good idea. It is destructured water and is stripped of minerals and electrolytes and can, therefore, pull minerals out of the body. It can be useful int he short-term for detoxification, but use it with caution.
7. Alkaline. This is also not recommended for prolonged use. It can interfere with stomach acid production. It can be used for detoxification for 1-2 weeks at the most. From my research, I haven’t found any experts who recommend it and I wouldn’t use it.
8. Vitamin water. This ‘product’ is something of a gimmick. It is made using distilled water (not a good start) and may contain High Fructose Corn Syrup along with other preservatives and artificial colourings. This is not an option for thinking people.

Other options for best quality hydration include juicing vegetables and also drinking coconut water. This is full of electrolytes and contains Lauric acid with it’s antiviral, antibacterial and anti fungal properties.

What is wrong with municipal tap water?

Tap water is not the safe healthy option for proper hydration that your supplier would like you to think it is. Again, depending on where you are there can be all sorts of toxicity in it. The only time I would drink any would be if there was nothing else available and only for the very short term. Here is a list of some of the things you will find in tap water in the UK, the USA and many other countries.

• Arsenic: This carcinogen can be found at high levels in tap water in the US. It is also found in ground water in the USA and the UK and so water from wells and boreholes should be tested.
• Aluminium: This is known to increase your risk of Alzheimer’s, but has also been linked to Parkinson’s disease, hyperactivity and learning disorders in children, gastrointestinal disease and skin problems.
• Fluoride: This damages the central nevous system and negatively affects IQ and intelligence. It compromises mental development. It is known to have been used by the Nazis on concentration camp inmates to keep them docile and manageable. Don’t be fooled by the alleged benefits for your dental health. Government agencies don’t concern themselves with topping up our magnesium levels, or our calcium levels, yet they remain concerned about our teeth. It is nonsense and worse still compulsory medication is totally unethical and a contravention of individual rights. Make sure your not drinking flouridated water! Parts of the UK with fluoridation schemes include Cumbria, Cheshire, Tyneside and Northumbria. Just over 6.1 million people in the UK receive water with a fluoride content, whether naturally occurring or added. This means that about 10% of the total population is supplied with fluoridated water.
• Prescription drugs: A high percentage of  the prescription drugs people take (and some they dont) end up passing through their bodies and getting flushed down the toilet. There are potentialy residues of many drugs in the water supply.
• Over-the-counter drugs: The same applies to drugs bought over-the-counter or non-prescription drugs.
• Agricultural run-off: In many parts of the world agricultural run-off is the number one cause of tap water pollution. In parts of the USA and in the UK  Atrazine, Glyphosate and Nitrates from assorted agricultural products applied to crops drain into rivers and end up in the drinking water supply.

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  Estrogen mimicking compounds from birth control pills: These have been blamed for affecting the gender of fish in rivers and other wildlife in the UK. Birth control pill residues are common place in many tap water supplies, along with the residues of hormone replacement therapy and testosterone supplements.

• Antibiotics: These are another significant contributor to tap water pollution. Glyphostae form Agriculture adds to the proliferation of antibiotics dispensed routinely by British and American Doctors.
• Chlorine: This is added to the water to kill off microbes and various pathogens. It is harmful enough to ingest Chlorine directly from the water or to inhale it when you shower and it becomes vapur, but the worst effect of it comes from Disinfection By-products (DBP’s).
• DBP’s: These are the product of Chlorine combining with harmless organic matter in the water such as Fulvic and humic acid to create carcinogenic compounds. Although these at the bottom of this list, they are probably the worst offenders in tap water. They are not an acute problem. That is they will not cause immediate symptoms, but they are very bad news to ingest on a regular basis for a period of years. Here are the main three.
  • Trihalomethanes (THMs) are Cancer Group B carcinogens and are known to trigger the production of free radicals.
  • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These can damage the central nervous system and cause drowsiness and depression.
  • Haloacetic Acid (HAAs). This is a probable

The exact nature of your tap water depends on where you are. The list here gives you an idea of the dangers posed to your health if you regularly drink it. The conclusion is do not drink it unless you absolutely have to unless it is filtered. It is also worth noting that many of the problems with tap water apply to swimming in public swimming pools as well.

Filtration options

Filtering your water is a health priority. Even if it comes from a well or bore hole. Filtration systems can be point of use, or whole house systems as well as specific shower filters. These are your basic options.

1. Pitcher/Jug filters: These mainly just address the colour and the smell or odour of the water. Really you need to get more serious than this.
2. Reverse Osmosis (RO) filters: These are very good at removing lots of impurities including flouride, but will not remove all of it. They do also remove natural minerals and electrolytes, so replenishment with a little Himalayan crystal salt is a good idea.
3. Ion Exchange filters: These are designed to remove dissloved salts in the water. These soften the water and neutralise the harmful effect of scale build up.
4. Granular carbon and carbon block filters. These are very good at removing organic chemicals like herbicides, pesticides, and industrial chemicals and are often used together with other filtration methods in the same products.
5. Distillation filters: These boil and condense water to remove all contaminants. Like the RO filters all natural minerals are removed.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best filters combine these methods to maximise their effectiveness. These two illustrations are from Dr Mercolas water filtration products available at www.mercola.com So assuming you have secured a safe and optimal supply of water whats next?

How much should you drink for proper hydration?

A good rule of thumb offered by Dr Zac Bush is to aim for approximately 1 ounce of water per Kilogram of body weight. Also, keep an eye on the colour of your urine. It should be a light straw colour. It can be easy to ‘forget’ to drink if we are busy or involved in some consuming activity. However, it is useful to try and remain conscious of our drinking habits and of how much or how little water we consume during the day. This is another key aspect of becoming more conscious.  Of course, activity levels and exercise have a large bearing on our requirments.

It is however worth noting that today there is something of an obsession with drinking from bottles of water while playing various sports. This not necessary and can be counter productive. The incessant drinking while running that you see during marathons is an example of this. check out the book by professor Tim Noakes “Waterlogged: The Serious Problem of Overhydration in Endurance Sports” You may also want to check out the episode of Living outside the Matrix we did together on the benefits of a low carb diet.

Here’s what you can do to boost your hydration

Be mindful to drink enough quality water.  Avoid drinking tap water or plastic bottled water, your best bet is a well, borehole or better still a natural spring. Always carry water in glass bottles because they are inert so will not react with any liquids they contain and will not leach toxicity.

If you don’t do it already filtering is highly recommended. Even if you have a well or borehole, test the water and you may find that filtering is still a good idea. Installing a whole house filtration system is your best option. And lastly consider ventilating your bathroom well to avoid inhaling all those toxic compounds that become vapourised by evaporation.

Bear in mind that adequate hydration means getting water into the cells. Clear pee can mean that you drank a lot of water and peed it straight out, without it ever getting into a cell. RESTORE is a fantastic supplement for aiding cellular hydration by increasing cellular communication and increasing the electrical charge across the cell membrane. This helps the cell ‘pull’ more water in. Also drinking electrolyte water is another effective strategy.

To further the goal of optimal hydration you also may wish to consider Magnesium supplementation in the form of a float tank. These are baths of concentrated Epsom salts that enable you to float in only a few inches of water effortlessly. Apart from being extremely relaxing this therapy gives your body a massive dose of Magnesium by absorption through the skin. This magnesium boost will support your optimal health on many levels (almost everyone is Magnesium deficient) and boost your hydration enormously. The one I use is called Float UK if you are in the United Kingdom.

Lastly, another factor in becoming fully hydrated on a cellular level is to minimise your EMF exposure according to Dr Zach Bush. So many of these imperatives over la. This is why it is best to design a complete lifestyle around your priority of maintaining your health.

I hope this has helped you become aware of the need for a water supply free of toxic contaminants and yet still containing healthy minerals. Do not undermine all the efforts you put into being healthy by drinking tap or bottle water.

Feel free to join int he conversation and leave a comment below.

Nigel Howitt

Treehouse Farm

October 2018