Baby Sips to Better Health: The Hype of Hydration
“Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.”
Human Health and Hydration is a common conversation in wellness.
What’s so special about drinking water?
Is it even #ReallyNecessary ?
It’s been quite a long time since Jack and Gill had to trek all the way up the hill just to fetch a bucket of water, but many people today are still struggling to get enough water in their daily routine. Lots of people run from one health fad to another, but the simple act of drinking water is a pretty easy step to leading a healthier lifestyle. Many people are searching for the perfect formula on how much they should drink, addling their brains as they read 12 articles suggesting different amounts of water they should drink. It seems that Jack may have given himself a goose egg or big scratch on the head by “breaking his crown,” but the last thing you should have to worry yourself over is how much water to drink.
Is all the hype about hydrating with water all it’s cracked up to be anyway?
Water is everywhere isn’t it, so why does it give us such a big headache to think about?
Here’s the brief.
Water.
Water is scientifically described as H2O, which we all learned about in grade school. Water is molecular compound made of two hydrogen atoms and one atom of oxygen.
Water, the most essential nutrient to the body.
It’s well understood that the human body is primarily made up of water on the inside, hydrating cells, tissues, muscles and organs.
They say most people can live 3 weeks without food, but only 3 days without water. Obviously, water must be pretty important for us to live then right?
Right.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is just one example of a reputable source that highlights the wonderful way that adequate water intake can improve our health.
Especially in the intense heat of summer and expected increase in exercise that most of achieve by working outside, landscaping, farming and gardening, or simply walking, running, and biking outdoors — we could all benefit from drinking just a bit more water throughout the day to stay hydrated.
When I meet with people to consult on their personal health and wellness, one of the primary areas I ask about is hydration and daily water intake.
Nearly every conversation starts off the same way.
Each week, people tell me they could “probably do better.” when it comes to drinking more water. Now, I’m never going to tell someone they’re wrong, but with such insight and wisdom, I often wonder how people continue to hinder their health by not simply drinking more water if they so quickly suggest that they “probably could do better.”
While most people I work with tell me they struggle to drink enough water throughout the day, “because they don’t think about it,” I find it incredibly difficult to find healthy athletes, go-getters, entrepreneurs, generally happy and healthy people who don’t prioritize the role of hydration in their life.
Be inspired, your future health is asking for your help.
Honestly, when was the last time you met someone who walked the talk who you knew was serious about their health that didn’t prioritize their water intake? Health and wellness experts have long been telling people, “drink more water,” with little to show for it in the results of the general public.
Still, people consume calories over crisp, clean H2O most days. While some consumers are drinking more sports drinks, and other sugar sweetened beverages (thinking they are able to hydrate themselves with these drinks), they fall short of the simple, healing benefits the body receives from drinking pure, simple, clean water.
Forget the long list of ingredients for flavored, colored, and super fancy water bottles. Ditch the drink mixes, powders, and squeeze juice additions. Let’s just talk about the real OG, otherwise known as H2O.
Water is your friend.
Yes, I said water is your friend.
It is well understood that water has the potential to provide many health benefits to the body.
In literature, water has a long history being associated with life, health, and even wealth. Water has long been used as representation for beauty, purity, adventure, and prosperous futures. Nearly every culture around the world places a high value on water in life and society. It is referenced as one of the common pieces of symbolism shared between religions. The sight of a flowing creek or river after a long day’s travel in the sun was sign of rest, rejuvenation, and restoration for our ancestors.
We used to love water.
Now, we take it for granted.
Sadly, most of us have de-friended water in exchange for soda, pop, soft drinks, sports drinks, and those powdered drink mixes used to sprinkle into water in order to “make it tolerable to drink.”
Oh where has our awe-struck love and passion for water went?
It’s gone up the creek without a paddle, that’s where.
Water hydrates us; it fuels us; every single cell in our body requires water for survival. Every organ system is dependent upon the infinite interplay that happens inside the body, yet we deprive ourselves of one of the most overlooked privileges we have in our modern world. It is well understood that water has the potential to provide many health benefits to the body.
Highly reputable scientists and fitness enthusiasts alike are interested in the honest health benefit of water and the role it plays in our lives. Notably, Ben Greenfield of BenGreenfieldFitness.com (professional trainer, endurance athlete, famous heath expert and biohacking fanatic) has interviewed experts and written on the topic of water in the past with a great degree of detail. Feel free to check out his interview with Dr. Gerald Pollack (from the University of Washington) or his most recent interview with Robert Slovack, which focuses on the molecular composition of clean drinking water, mineral salts, trace elements and available filtration systems and devices for consumers. The beginning of the episode focuses on some thoughtful discussion of life and longevity and the role that water and minerals play in the body with special consideration to plankton blooms, most known for their remarkable levels of oxygen production.
These resources are fascinating to listen to and learn from for someone like myself who understands the chemistry and physiology of the matter, but most lay people are probably a bit far removed from all the bells and whistles that we health fanatics can get carried away with. So, for an average person reading this article, what baby steps can youtake that would make sense in yourlife specifically?
Do yourself (and society) a favor, and give up the empty calories and worthless consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, soda, “pop,” and cola. Consider what nutrients you can gain with each food and beverage decision. Other drinks like coffee, tea, wine, and even lemon spritzer water may offer their own wide world of health benefits and offer as a source of water intake. I like to recommend people start with a firm foundation to consider intake of water by itself above other options if they are ready and open to improve their health. I suggest most people start with a healthy foundation of the purest beverage of all time before we really focus on other drinks for health.
Water intake needs to outweigh fluid intake of other beverages in my opinion.
Personally, I try to practice a simple dilution technique or doubling the dose of water : other beverages.
Think of this as like diluting a standard 2oz shot of espresso with 10oz water for a 12oz beverage for instance. If I am drinking other beverages throughout the day like coffee, tea, lemon water, etc, I keep my intake of water as at least twice that of all other drinks. If I drink a standard 6oz cup of hot tea, I may dilute it with hot water to 10oz or make sure to drink an extra glass of water to balance my intake of water to other beverages. I steer clear of sports drinks, drink powders with artificial flavoring, and sugar sweetened beverages for many reasons, primarily due to my investment in personal health and wellness.
There are a lot of products out there that market to consumers for health benefits and other effects, such as alkaline water, water infusions, and even protein waters… but for most of us, a simple glass of water, hot or cold, seems even more mysterious to include in our day. The simple act of drinking water we’ve long forgotten to maintain as a daily habit in striving for work performance, crunching our time and attention on other tasks. We’ve forgotten this simple step to remain healthy.
I could speak in depth about how our modern society has largely forgotten what true health really is, but one thing I will say is that it requires water, it simply does. Call it Paleo, Keto, ancient wisdom, or intuitive eating, the body needs water to be well and perform best.
With water at the plenty, we easily waste it going down tub and shower drains, washing our cars, watering our lawns, and brushing our teeth, but we so easily neglect the simple act of sipping a glass of ice cold water as a refreshing beverage to enliven our spirits and energize our metabolism. Our bodies are left as dehydrated deserts feeling tired, lethargic, experiencing cognitive fog and headaches as we flood our lives with water misuse or overuse outside the body.
I’ve heard it from the top 500 investors, CEOs and business professionals; I’ve read about it from a hundred health gurus and biohackers; I’ve listened to the strategies of many truly healthy people that advocate for the impact drinking water has on their success and health.
I’ve never heard of someone finding the next diet revolution, weight loss miracle, or biohacking supplement formula that suggested drinking less water, have you?
So, why don’t we do ourselves a favor and finish this up.
Here are some simple sips for better health.
Let’s put it this way, your body is beautifully unique and has a wonderful self-regulation system that allows for you to fluctuate your water intake and still be able to live.
Drinking more will certainly not hurt you unless you do something obscene and think of attempting to drink 3 L or more of water within 2 hours, which in that case I suggest you calmly call a friend or family member to talk you out of such nonsense.
You might be wondering,
“Well then, go ahead and tell me how much water I should be drinking then.”
“Is it 8oz eight times a day?”
“Is it a half liter for every 50lbs?”
When it comes to “how much,” I want you not to worry, but be encouraged by the free benefits you can have by simply drinking more. Be mindful of your body during this time of increased hydration.
Others have prompted us to consider the risk of retaining too much fluid as it relates to health and proper organ function.
Most people walk around dehydrated every single day, so for most people I tend not to worry about precisely how much to drink, unless you have severely damaged organ function to liver, kidney, or heart for most people. While we don’t ever want to further complicate existing health conditions, increasing fluid intake should not be a risk to the average adolescent or adult, wellness enthusiast, weekend warrior or professional athlete striving for better health.
I don’t want to continue to reinforce a highly rigid perspective for health and wellness for anyone. Society suggests such defined paradigms for people’s self-expectations and affects our self-esteem, perception of beauty, and self-confidence. The common norm from culture causes people to have chaining perspectives that keep us from satisfaction. Angst and anguish result in the relentless pursuit of “being perfect” or living up to someone else’s expectations. I’d rather empower people to take charge of their health themselves, be the leader of their healthy life.
I take the freedom approach. With intuition and mindfulness, I believe you can become better connected to your body and understand the messages it sends you about your nutrition and health.
For instance, you have a natural ability to control your hunger and thirst with healthy hormonal regulation. Your body’s natural hydration systems should send you signals to drink or not to drink depending on your specific needs according to heat, humidity, exercise, blood glucose, electrolyte-balance, or even how much salt you eat per meal amongst several other factors.
Why would I want to suggest a strict “64oz water per day,” when a tired and busy Monday asks very specific needs for your performance throughout the day that are very different than an exciting, fun, and friendly Friday at work or weekend hike with your family.
I would never want to harm you by keeping you dehydrated by suggesting less than your needs, limiting your ability to be in-tune with your body’s senses, restricting your intake to some arbitrary number. I’m not in the business to mislead you or disempower you from simply listening to your very own body to know when, what, and how much to drink.
While most nutrition practices today focus on restriction,
I take the freedom approach.
By simply drinking more water throughout the day, each and every day, I would expect you to see changes in your most common health concerns and frustrations. If you could begin to see the beautiful benefits to higher health through hydration, I think you’d be surprised as to just how good you could actually feel.
If you’re ready to read a super review on the effects of Water, Hydration and Health, then look no further than this comprehensive guide published by Popkin, D’Anci, and Rosenberg.
In the meantime for your own personal journey, I suggest you take note of your signs of inflammation, pain, and irritation, hunger cues and hunger pains, feelings of fullness, even your urine and bowel movements.
Notice the changes in how you feel, move, and interact with people.
Notice your skin, hair, and nails, and even your saliva and oral health.
Each of these areas of your health can benefit from greater hydration through pure, natural, water consumption.
Be mindful of your body’s natural adjustments, for I am sure you will start to see some benefits.
The most common effect I see for people is a reduction or full loss of headache pain and migraines (usually undiagnosed dehydration). What I typically see is that people at self medicated their headaches and migraine pain with NSAIDs or other pain relievers with only random effects for remedy. The second most common benefit I see is better mental and physical energy throughout the day, again often related to undiagnosed dehydration.
Pain and Inflammation
Energy and Sleep
Lung and Liver Function
Heart and Kidney Health
Cardiovascular markers and Blood Glucose regulation
And remember, you may need to plan ahead for a couple extra trips to the potty on your next grand adventure or road-trip, but believe me — being properly hydrated is absolutely worth a couple extra trips to the bathroom.
You’re going to love the way you feel when you begin to live just a little bit better by taking a few simple baby sips to drink more water.
Stay Happy —
Stay Healthy —
Stay Hydrated —
Jonathan Isbill #ZigZagNutrition
Your health is yours for the making and yours for the taking. I’m here to help you navigate the nuances of Nutrition on a daily basis. We live busy lives that change every day. I take the approach to empower others with freedom to ZigZag their way to live a happier and healthier life.
I live my life to make your life easier to be Happy and Healthy.
If you’re interested in working together, connect with me on LinkedIn or send me a comment here.
Also, feel free to share this message with your friends and family.
I write this for you. Thank you for reading.
