Drinking water before you feel thirsty goes a long way toward preserving health and preventing disease. Athletes benefit, too, with improved athletic performance.
The Goal: 8 Glasses a Day
We all know that water is good for us. Many of us however, seem to take its health-giving benefits for granted. Although we know we should be drinking about eight glasses of water each day, few of us reach that goal.
North Americans Chronically Dehydrated
Simply put, most North Americans are not drinking enough water. Experts acknowledge this fact. For instance, Lance Armstrong’s physician/coach Jim Carmichael stated in Bicycling magazine (Bicycling, August ’07), “The majority of Americans, including athletes, are chronically dehydrated…” Adequate hydration is not only an issue for athletes (a dehydration rate of only 2% can result in a 10% drop in athletic performance), but over the long term, dehydration can result in a host of health problems for anyone regardless of fitness level. According to one expert who has spent years studying water and its affects on health, health problems related to dehydration include constipation, allergy symptoms, autoimmune disorders, and asthma.
Water: Effective Disease Prevention
Dr. F. Batmanghelidj (author of Your Body’s Many Cries for Water) has spent many years accumulating data from clinical studies of the treatment of dehydration. His conclusion is surprising: Most modern diseases could be avoided if patients were adequately hydrated. He sees most diseases as resulting from what he calls “regional dehydration” in the body. If you consider that every bodily function - the immune response to infection, brain function, joint lubrication, cellular communication, etc. - depends upon the availability of free water, you can begin to understand how vitally important an adequate amount of water is to our health. Life and health depend upon an abundance of water.
No Other Liquid a Substitute for Water
Any liquid is not water. There is no substitute for plain, nothing-added water. Although we may have been led to believe that just about any wet liquid will do for water, what our bodies really need is just plain, pure water.
Getting Your Quota
Getting enough water throughout the day can be easier to do if you have a plan and stick to it. Some people begin the day with ½ a litre (1/2 quart) or a full litre (one quart) upon rising. The key is to drink a glass two hours after eating, another a half hour before meals, and a glassful before going to bed. Carrying a one litre (one quart) bottle around with you during the day as you go about your tasks can be a simple reminder to drink your water. Here’s to your health! Drink up!
