The Importance of Good Water

Although most people don’t think of it as a nutrient, water is a most vital nutrient in your daily diet. Think of it this way. You can go for weeks without food but you can only go for a few days without water. It’s very important. It’s even more important when you realize that your body’s composition is 60 to 75% water. So roughly two thirds of our body weight is water. You can break them down even better by looking at the composition of different body parts. Your blood is 83% water; your muscles are about 75% water; your bones are about 23% water; and your brain is 74% water. You can see why it’s really necessary to drink good water.

It doesn’t take much dehydration at all to cause problems in your body. You can have as little as 1 or 2% loss of body weight in water and the reaction can be that your energy is sapped and you feel tired.

Not getting enough water can cause other problems such as mild to excessive thirst, fatigue (which we just covered), headaches, dry mouth, muscle weakness, dizziness, lightheadedness, and little or no urination. It’s important to make sure that you drink enough water.

A lot of people have asked ‘How much water is enough water?’ The basic rule of thumb is to take in about half your body weight converted into fluid ounces. So if a person weighs 200 lbs., they should be drinking 100 fluid ounces of water per day.

About 20% of your daily water intake can come from food. If you eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, there’s going to be a lot of water in them. This is particularly true in things like watermelon and citrus fruit are almost 100% water when you figure it out by weight. Beverages like milk and juice are primarily water too.

A lot of people ask me ‘What about beer, wine, coffee, tea, and soft drinks? Can these drinks be figured into your water intake?’ unfortunately, these drinks are all diuretics and will actually leach the water out of your system. Water is still your best bet.

Now that I’ve given you some of the downside of not drinking enough water, here are some of the benefits. Water works in every system of the body. It aids your digestion; it helps you absorb all your foods; it acts as the transport system for all the nutrients in the bloodstream. Water is necessary for all functions particularly circulation and excretion. For example, you actually blow off water in your breath each time you exhale. Water leaves your system not just to your urine but also through your feces, your sweat, and through respiration. You lose water daily so it’s extremely important to keep putting the water back in.

Water helps you to maintain your body temperature; it does this through the process of sweating and by the opening up of the capillaries in the circulatory system allowing the skin surface to have the proper blood flow that helps to regulate the body temperature.

One of the biggest things the water does is cleansing. Water helps flush the toxins out of your system. It helps keep your kidneys healthy; helps keep your bladder healthy; it gives you better skin because it helps flush out the waste including dead skin cells.

Drinking enough water gives you a decreased chance of kidney stones or urinary tract infections. It can give you more energy because dehydration is one of the biggest causes of fatigue. Not drinking enough water drops your blood volume which makes the heart work harder and you just get more tired, more quickly.

Another thing the water does is revving up your metabolism. There was a study recently published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism from a research center in Berlin. It showed that people who consume two liters of water a day can burn up to an extra 150 calories per day. I know that doesn’t seem like much but that converts into about 5 lbs. per year of weight loss that you don’t even have to worry about because it’s being burned off by simply drinking more water.

It was also discovered during the study that when a person drank water their metabolic rate went up within 10 minutes. The researchers think that about 40% of the raised metabolic rate had to do with the fact that the body was warming up the water that the person had drank. That’s one good reason to drink water that’s cold. Another good reason for drinking cold water is that it enters your system more rapidly than warm water.

Water also helps suppress your appetite. It helps keep you feeling more full while it helps the body metabolize stored fat. According to studies, if you decrease your water intake, you can actually cause more fat to be deposited. Likewise, if you increase your water intake, you will decrease your existing fat deposits.

Here’s the reason it works that way. Your kidneys can’t work properly if you don’t give the body of water. When the kidneys don’t work properly, some of the load that is usually done by the kidneys gets put off on the liver. The liver’s biggest function is to metabolize the stored fat and to convert that stored fat into usable energy for your body.

If the liver has to do some of the kidneys’ job, it obviously will not be able to work at full capacity. What ends up happening? The liver can’t metabolize as much fat so more fat ends up getting stored in your body.

Because water is so vital in metabolizing fat, it’s a key factor in losing weight. Weight loss is increased by the revved up metabolism supplied by drinking enough water. With this in mind, an overweight person actually needs to drink more water than a thin person. That’s because the more you weigh, the higher your metabolic load is.

Since we know the water does help metabolize the fat and that an overweight person as more fat metabolize, it’s easy to see that overweight person needs to drink more water. In fact, they should drink one extra glass of water for every 25 lbs. of extra weight that they’re carrying.

Water also helps maintain your muscle tone. Since the muscles are over 75% water, it helps give the muscles the ability to contract, prevents dehydration within the muscles, and prevents the soreness.

It also helps prevent sagging skin. This happens because as water is flushing out the toxins, the shrinking cells are actually buoyed up by the water giving it a clean, healthy cell structure. It does this by clearing out all the toxins in the cells.

Water is a universal solvent; water is a cleanser that we use all the time for cleaning our dishes, cleaning our clothes, and cleaning our cars. It does make sense that we should use it to clean our bodies as well.

During weight loss, if you’re working on that, your body will be dumping a whole lot of toxic waste into your system as it burns off the stored fat. You’ll need to drink more water to help flush out all those toxins and to prevent you from feeling anything uncomfortable from the detoxification. Water helps get rid of the waste and flushes it out fast.

Speaking of getting rid of waste, water also helps relieve constipation. When the body doesn’t get enough water, the first place it goes to get water is the lower intestines. What happens then is that you become constipated due to lack of water. If the same person drinks enough water, the bowel movements return.

Since we are talking about excretions and eliminating waste, a good way to tell if you’re drinking enough water is the color of your urine. If it’s a dark orangey color or like the color of apple juice, you’re not drinking enough water. The color of your urine should be more like lemonade. If your urine is clear like water, that’s even better. That way, you know that you are fully hydrated.

When you finally get to the point where you are fully hydrated, all of your systems are going to work better. There won’t be any fluid retention because your body only retains fluid when it thinks that it is running short on fluid. So when you get enough water, the fluid retention will stop, your stored fat cells will be used as fuel, the liver will be freed up to do the work that it is supposed to be doing, there won’t be as much stress placed on your kidneys, your regular thirst will return, and there won’t be as much hunger.

Some people have asked about sources of water other than fruits and vegetables. Tap Water is not all that good to drink. A study done by Tufts University on tap water in different parts of United States showed contamination ranging from E. coli to pharmacy drugs. That’s not unusual when you think that roughly 80% of all medications that people take is eliminated in their urine or feces. Currently, there are no wastewater treatment facilities that have pharmaceutical screens to filter out and clean the water before sending it back out into the community for use. The biggest concentration of a drug was found to be the cholesterol reducing drugs like Lipitor. The second largest concentration was hormone replacement drugs like Premarin and birth-control pills. All of these things can be found in your tapwater. It’s best to get your own filters for your home. There are several different types of water filters available including reverse osmosis and charcoal filtering.

Bottled water is another way to go. Try to stay away from plastic bottles because of the plastic can leach into the water over time. Bottled waters will have an expiration date. This is done to reduce the risk of any plastic being in the water if it were stored for a long period of time or in a heated environment. The plastic contains neurotoxins that can attack the nervous system and reproductive system. Try to get your water in glass if possible.

Alkaline water is the best of all for you. It’s important that the body be kept at a more alkaline ph because studies have shown that the more acidic a body is, the more prone it is to disease, particularly cancer. Try to keep your body’s pH at 7. This can be measured by your urine; it should also have a 7 pH which will be that very clear color that I spoke about earlier. By the way, the pH of water is 7.

The majority of people the United States have acidic bodies directly caused by their high consumption of meat and generally poor diets that contain foods that will cause the body to be acidic. For example, soft drinks contain phosphoric acid which will cause the body to become acidic.

To sum it up, drink plenty of water and try to get it in a glass container.

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Jerry Ryan, Ph.D. is a Natural Health Consultant/Coach who teaches individuals and group classes on the scientifically documented benefits of natural health techniques. He is also an internationally published author and has been a guest speaker at such places as NIKE World Headquarters. For more information, his website is www.JerryRyanPhD.com.

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Home Remedies for Gout

Often the best remedies are the easiest remedies. So seems the experience of many people that suffer with gout, that also have found releif by simply drinking alkaline water and changing their diet to an alkaline diet.

Alkaline (ionized) water is part of natural gout treatment since it raises pH. This article explains the basics of making it at home, why a water ionizer is better than alkaline drops, and explains what to look for in testimonials about alkaline water by gout sufferers. Many credit it with curing gout naturally or relieving it.

I discussed the value of drinking water in natural gout treatment in earlier articles. Of course all types of water are not equal, for example hard water is better than soft because of its additional mineral content and distilled water is acidic. Probably the very best of all waters for natural gout treatment is alkaline water, also called ionized water.

The reason is that alkaline water has a higher pH value than other kinds. Alkaline water is water with more oxygen, in this case OH-, not O2. Drinking it makes the body more alkaline. In this state, the body is likely to excrete more uric acid. Reducing uric acid levels to below 6.0 mg/dL (men), less in women, is the target of most forms of gout treatment whether drug medications or natural remedies. Alkaline water is also an antioxidant which squelches free radicals. This function is useful because gout attacks raise free radical production.

MAKING ALKALINE WATER

Most people are not able to buy alkaline water at their local supermarket or grocery store. You have to make it yourself. It’s not difficult. Basically you can either add alkaline drops to regular water or you can have a water ionizer do it for you. Alkaline drops can be purchased via the Internet and delivered to you, search alkaline water drops, or alkaline drops.

Ionizers are easily installed to your faucet (tap). Most people will not need a plumber or next door neighbour.The ionizers of course cost more, but the water they produce is probably cheaper over time, say the manufacturers of one leading brand, than buying bottled water of various kinds. The more bottled water you drink, the more likely this will be the case. So it will pay in the end to think long term and fork out more cash.

For a quality ionizer expect to pay from US$769 to US$2,495 for a top-of-the-range-model. (These are U.S. prices. Prices will vary in other countries). You also need to replace the ionizer’s biostone filter about every nine months. Filters cost from US$55 to US$85. The ionizer may last up to 20 years.

IONIZERS ARE BETTER THAN DROPS

As well as being cheaper than drops, ionizers can be adjusted to produce a water pH of a specific value more accurately. Set it to pH 8.5 or pH 9.0 for example. They can also produce purified water and leave you with acidic water, which has its uses. Moreover, the best water ionizers adjust for the overall quality of water supply input. By so doing, they produce a correct pH level, irrespective of water supply quality, water pressure and flow rate.

After a period of drinking alkaline water your body pH should rise. How will you know? Saliva pH can be tested with pH test strips (search pH test strips or pH stix). Your saliva pH is a good indication of your body’s pH levels. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions for using them carefully. Record numbers and watch for trend changes over time. A few tests are not enough.

JUDGING ALKALINE WATER TESTIMONIALS

Testimonials about alkaline water from delighted former gout sufferers can be found in many places on the Internet. I have seen one from a formerly gout-plagued doctor too, and testimonials from doctors always carry more weight. Unfortunately testimonials are not everything for every gout sufferer because gout is a complicated, still not wholly understood disease, and because what works for one sufferer may not work for others.

Moreover, however sincerely meant, and truthfully stated, testimonials may not be accurate in the long term because gout can go into remission and lie low for a long period before flaring up again.

People may also, quite understandably, confuse the intake of a remedy with an attack ending of its own accord. "I ate some peanuts and my gout attack vanished the next day!" (I am exaggerating a little but you get the point). Gout attacks seldom last more than a week or two, although over time they last longer. So they will disappear eventually perhaps at a convenient time for remedy sellers.

On the other hand there are many testimonials from people who have not had a gout attack for 1-2 years or more, and this probably indicates a cure has been achieved. When reading testimonials, they are more significant, if this is stated. And there are testimonials where the feelings described suggest gout has gone.

Hopefully testimonials indicate that the theory has indeed shaken hands with the practice, and the rejoicing is happily justified. Most gout sufferers hope for a natural remedy for gout. Taking account of pH is part of natural gout treatment.

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NB. The contents of this article contain medical information, not medical advice. Please always discuss gout remedies with your doctor or other health care professional before implementing any treatment.

John Mepham has spent much time researching natural remedies for gout. His best tip for treating gout? Get to, and stay at, your ideal weight, whatever the sacrifices may be. Read more about gout remedies at www.best-gout-remedies.com a website with an emphasis on natural gout treatment.

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Alkalize your water, and along with an alkaline diet you will alkalize your body. This is important for optimal health, and starting with clean, freash water is key. Alkaline water has minerals, and is not dead water. Read the information below and see if it makes sense for you.

In the 1930’s, Dr Howard Hay devised a diet plan popularly known as "food combining", which has helped millions of people towards better health. He recommended eating alkaline forming foods, not to eat protein rich and carbohydrate rich foods together, avoiding refined and heavily processed foods, and fruit on its own. These factors are still valid today – over 60 years later.

One of Dr. Hay’s greatest observations was that people with more acidic blood were more likely to be ill. He defined a pH range of 7.4 to 7.5 to be associated with good health. When foods are metabolized, acids are produced which are neutralized by alkaline salts (carbonates) of calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. Foods containing chlorine, phosphorous, sulfur and nitrogen, animal products and refined carbohydrates tend to be acid forming.

With modern foods, it really is not easy to obtain an alkaline diet, in fact if one followed correct practice; one would be labeled a fanatic or even a nerd! Dr Theodore Baroody ND, PhD, who is a foremost authority on acidity of the body, has written a five star book called "Alkalize or Die," which is a must read for those concerned with health and longevity.

Dr. T. Baroody Ph.D. states that it is absolutely imperative to keep the body more alkaline so the body can heal itself. We should be eating 80 percent alkaline forming foods and 20 percent acid forming foods. Unfortunately the average western diet is skewed the other way around, which after a period is a recipe for disaster. He goes on to state:

"In my opinion, distilled water and alkaline restructured water are the safest forms of water at this time of our earth’s toxic exploitation. It is not advisable to drink city tap water. It is nauseating to see what is precipitated out of an apparently clear glass of tap water. The chlorine in it breaks down to form chloroform. The fluoride is a waste product. The aluminum, used to make the water sparkle, has been linked by responsible researchers to many illnesses, including Alzheimer’s disease. "

"Electronically restructured water is produced through a special Electrolyzing unit. This method yields alkaline drinking water and has another facet that is particularly interesting — it lowers the millivoltage of the water. This means that the water molecule is re-figured into a lighter, simpler form that is definitely more absorbable in the body.

So, not only are you getting a more alkaline product, but also there is a hertz frequency charge that is beneficial. Since we cannot destroy matter, but can rearrange the electrons, when we produce Alkaline Water, we also produce Acid Water, which can be used as a skin spray disinfectant that will heal and cleanse the skin of any number of bacterial, fungal or environmental problems. (Cold Sores, Eczema, Psoriasis, Burns, Sunburns, Insect Bites, Wounds, acne, Herpes, Hives to name a few).

"After years of very positive continuous clinical experiment that I am conducting with hundreds of clients using electronically restructured alkaline water, it is my opinion that this technology will change the way in which all health providers and the public will approach their health in the coming years.

"Restructured alkaline water alkalizes by displacing acids and replacing alkalines. The other health benefit of restructured water is the imparted frequencies that are not in distilled water. These frequencies assist in acid displacement toward the elimination channels. My suggestion is to drink restructured alkaline water whenever possible."…. Dr Theodore Baroody ND, PhD

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The newest concept in drinking water today is alkaline water. It is simple, inexpensive and abounds with great results.

By: James E Harris

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Leo is the owner/developer of Fitness Fuel Alkaline Water. Alkaline-infused products help neutralize and detoxify our bodies and rid them of the acidic build-up. Visit Earth’s Balance for more great products and information.

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