Why Water is Important

We are about 70% water and that means that consuming water is essential to our survival. We can live for as long as three weeks without food – but only a few days without water.

Water plays a number of roles in the body:

It helps us distribute chemical messengers throughout the body
It helps us clear and excrete wastes
It keeps us hydrated
It contributes to bowel regularity and reduces constipation
It can reduce pain
It supports every cell in our bodies, keeping them supple and fluid

Dehydration

When we don’t drink enough water, we become dehydrated. Symptoms of dehydration include (1):

Increased thirst
Decrease in urine
Exhaustion
Headache
Changes in mood, focus and cognitive function
Delirium
Constipation
Decrease in blood volume, blood pressure and heart rate
Decrease in physical performances (this is especially relevant to athletes)

Temporary dehydration can be rather mild and easily rectified, but chronic or severe dehydration can be a very serious problem.

Hydrating Sources

Water
Herbal Teas
Fruits
Vegetables
Cold Pressed Juices
Elixirs

Dehydrating Sources

Coffee
Caffeinated Teas
Cola/Pop
Alcohol
Pasteurized Juices
Excessively salty/Processed foods

Types of Water

Sourced from the city/municipality
Treated with chlorine and other things like fluoride
Can contain drugs that people are taking, which are excreted in urine
Can have pollutants that people put down the drain
Can destroy the good bacteria in the gut

Bottled Water

Often taken from municipal sources and not a real spring
Stored in plastic, which can disrupt the endocrine system
Adds to the plastic waste in the environment

Activated Carbon Filters

Removes the chlorine and some volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Doesn’t filter heavy metals or fluoride

Distilled Water

Boiled to remove all contaminants
Doesn’t contain any beneficial minerals – you need to add them back in
Can actually strip your body of nutrients if you don’t remineralize

Reverse Osmosis Water

Water passes through several filters (usually 3) to remove most contaminants
Good for cities where water contains a lot of contaminants
One of my favourite types for urban homes

Spring Water

Very clean source of water and rich in minerals
Filtered and mineralized by the earth
Test spring water to ensure safety
Resource: Findaspring.com

The water source you choose depends on availability, where you live and what is in your water.

How To Calculate Water Needs

We need 1 oz of water for every kg of body weight. For example:

150 lb person150/2.2 = 68kg(8 oz. = 1 cup)68/8 = 8.5 cups

A 150-lb person needs 8.5 cups of water daily.

Things to Think About

How much water do you drink every day?
Do you consume any non-hydrating drinks?
What is the quality of water do you drink?
What are your personal daily hydration needs?

Functional Reset Goals

Start your day with a big glass of water.
Purchase a reusable stainless steel or glass bottle that you can reﬁll with water and keep with you throughout the day.
Determine how many of those bottles you need to consume to reach your daily hydration needs. Drink this amount daily.

Reference

1. Popkin, Barry, et al. “Water, Hydration and Health.” Nutr Rev, vol. 68, no. 8, Aug. 2010, pp. 439–458., doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00304.x.

Reading: Why Water is Important

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