Why is water so important to us?

It’s kind of a silly question when you break it down. We have all heard that over half (about 60%) of the human body is made up of water. But let’s take a closer look:

• Blood is 90% water
• Grey matter is 85% water
• The brain is 78% water
• Muscles are 70% water
• Bones are 20% water

Performance can be impaired if you are dehydrated by as little as 2% of your body weight. Losses at or above 5% of your body weight can lower your strength and performance by roughly 30%. Go without water for a few days and you die.

Some Benefits:

• Improves digestion
• Helps in circulation
• Aids absorption
• Alleviates headaches
• Regulates body temperature
• Flushes out toxins
• Increases metabolism
• Increases energy levels
• Improves mood
• Prevents cravings or overeating
• Relieves fatigue
• Helps prevent kidney stones

No one needs to be told that water is healthy and essential to living because it’s instinct. Water makes up 70% of the earth’s surface in one form or another, (96.5% Oceans) and has since well before humans roamed this lovely little planet. So how can we ensure we are getting enough? So, if you’re not feeling good, drinking water would be a good place to start.

Feeling weak at the gym?

Maybe you are dehydrated. Did you drink alcohol the night before? Have you been drinking enough water? Have you been out in the sun all day? Listen to your body, it will tell you if it needs water, but try to be proactive.

Things you can do to help yourself

Keep a bottle or container of water with you at all times. Make water easily obtainable and readily available. Eat more water-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, soups, beans, and oatmeal. Change it up – add lemon, limes, cucumbers and fruits to your water.

Get a little crazy and come up with your own special mixture. Some suggestions:

1. Grapefruit, blackberry, and basil.
2. Raspberry, lemon, and rosemary.
3. Peaches, lemons, and lime.
4. Strawberry, cucumber, lime, and mint
5. Blueberries, blackberries, peaches and coconut water

Take the fruit and crush it at the bottom of the glass or container to amplify the flavor. You really can’t go wrong. Water can get a little boring sometimes so get creative and don’t be afraid to get a little weird with it.

Try your best to stay away from store bought flavored water alternatives.

These are almost always full of added sugar and chemicals that do way more harm than good. Remember, most processed, store-bought food products are looking to make a profit, not to contribute to your well-being. You are also going to spend a lot more on these products than you will on some water and fruit that will last you a week.

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Water

Most public water supply in the US contains chlorine, fluoride, and dissolved minerals including magnesium, sodium, calcium, sulfates and bicarbonates. Some even contain traces of copper, manganese, iron, aluminum, nitrates, insecticides and herbicides…Uh. That’s not even the end of the list, but I think you get my point. Chlorine bleach in the form of chlorine dioxide is used in almost all public water supply within the US. This isn’t because they are looking out for your best interest, it’s because it’s cheap. It is used as a disinfectant because they would rather you drink hard-to-trace chemicals your whole

Chlorine bleach in the form of chlorine dioxide is used in almost all public water supply within the US. This isn’t because they are looking out for your best interest, it’s because it’s cheap. It is used as a disinfectant because they would rather you drink hard-to-trace chemicals your whole life than potentially putrid water that would be easier to link to cancer, heart disease, etc. This goes to show that paying a little more attention to what you are drinking can make a big difference. Stay away from tap water as much as possible.

Bottled isn’t great either…

Fun fact of the day, 40% of bottled water is bottled tap water…

Only some bottled water has been through some sort of filtration, but this process still allows plenty of harmful chemicals to make it to the shelves. Not only do you run the risk of putting a bunch of harmful chemicals listed above into your body, you now add the risk of bisphenol A, or BPA, which is a synthetic hormone disruptor that has been linked to serious health issues.

Distilled water, which might sound healthy, has some serious downsides. Since it is boiled and evaporated away from it’s dissolved minerals, the water becomes acidic and seeks to balance itself by drawing minerals right out of your body. It will also draw out contaminants from the container it’s stored in for this same reason.” Dr. Mercola, Mercola.com

But NOT TO WORRY, there are plenty of easy options for clean water. I’ll start with the most expensive and work my way down.

1. Ideally, you would want a whole-house filter that is installed where the water main enters your home. This will save you money in the long run and provide you with clean water. These can run anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000. This might seem a little ridiculous, but if you add up the amount of money you spend on either bottled water or replacement filters, you would find that in the long run, this option saves you tons of money.
2. I would suggest buying a ProPur or a Big Berkey filter. These are under $500 and can filter water from most sources (tap, lake, river, stream, pond and rainwater). I realize this is still a little unrealistic for some of you, I mean it’s just water right?
3. A lot of people I know use Brita faucet filters or pitchers to drink clean water. This is a good short-term option. It helps clean your water, but a lot of people forget to change their filters. Try buying your filters online, you can usually save some money.
4. Mineral rich waters like well-water, natural spring water, and artesian water are a healthy option that won’t break the bank. Although you can purchase most of the

I realize that trying to drink perfectly clean and healthy water all the time is a large task and probably not worth it to most people. Just make sure you are doing what you can when you can. Bottom line, make sure you are staying hydrated. Using some sort of filter is better than no filter at all.

Good luck out there!

Thanks for reading, now go drink a glass of water…

Miles