Canada’s Natural Resource: Water
We live in a country that is flowing with clean, nourishing water. We have some of the most beautiful lakes, rivers and ocean shorelines in the world. Yet, in our society, we are suffering from the most incredible illness – dehydration. Despite the opportunity to just turn a tap to receive our water, with all of our special filters and water preservation techniques, we do not drink the water. Can you imagine living in a third world country with contaminated sloughs to pull your water from? Can you imagine being so desperate for water you spend your whole day searching for a source? Can you imagine that in our luxurious lives we don’t know when to reach for our incredible commodity? – WATER.
Recently Tim Horton’s released its new oversized coffee mug. We all laughed and commented, and then many Canadians lined up to receive their anointed right, their daily shot of adrenaline to help them get through the day. And, maybe they chose a smaller cup, either way, they spent money on gas to get to the store, time to sit in a line and wait for their familiar habit, and then many minutes of the day to embrace their cup in front of them while sipping away at the brew that will bring them to life.
I don’t drink coffee. I never have and I am not interested in the message it sends us and our youth. I am appalled at the teachers who stand at the front of the classroom hugging their mug in the morning while they lecture. I am sad for the children who go to classes, practices or rehearsals who see their parents sitting in a chair watching and waiting for them, sipping on their adrenaline rush. I am worried for the children whose parents allow them to embrace the same habit at a young age – some as young as newborns in hospitals, who do not have bodies yet ready to cope with the effects of caffeine. And, I am horrified that the most incredible resource on our planet is completely ignored for consumption, polluted at every opportunity and sacrificed for advancing technologies in the oil industry.
Why do we not consume water? Why do we not like the taste? Why do we feel the need to deprive ourselves of it? Why is it not important enough?
I hear from many clients that they have brain fog, a sore back, restless leg syndrome, sciatica, aching joints, headaches, stiffness, indigestion, acid reflux…the list can go on. Do they look at what they are consuming? No, many of them ask for relief through medication. They want a pill that will take away the pain, and many wash it down with their coffee or black tea.
Have you checked your hydration level? A simple way to check is to pinch the skin on your hand. If you are hydrated it will quickly be reabsorbed into the hand. If you are dehydrated it may stand up for a few seconds before finding its way back into your hand. Or, you may have skin that doesn’t return back to the hand – now that is severe dehydration!
What are you going to do about? Are you going to pour yourself a cup of caffeine and contemplate this predicament, or are you going to make a change?
When I first began working on my own hydration I added a glass of water after every trip to the bathroom. For the first little while there were frequent trips to the bathroom, but that changed in a short period of time. Then, I stopped consuming juice, milk, pop etc at meal time. I replaced it with water. Better yet, I drank the water about 30 minutes prior to eating so my digestive system was ready to digest the food that was to follow. Adding liquids with the meal only hinders the digestive enzymes and their ability to work optimally to process your meal. If I wanted a hot beverage, I switched to a green or white tea that would provide me with much need antioxidants and support for my bodies systems. I also researched the best teas for different healing challenges and saved those blends for when they were most needed. And, I consumed this tea when I was taking a few relaxing moments for myself. I savored it, enjoyed it, relaxed, planned and then returned to my busy schedule.
Here is how you can get started to completely nourish and support your incredible body. Take a sip of water and swish it in the mouth before swallowing to stimulate the receptors in the mouth to recognize that the water is being added. If chronic dehydration is a pattern for you, after drinking then rub on the belly midway between the belly button and the zyphoid process on the midline of the body to help the body send the water to the brain as well as the muscles and organs.
It is important that you do not wait to drink water until just before you are doing something physical. It is important the body is always hydrated and that the water will be available for the muscles at the time of exertion, rather than to the organs that are lacking water. Water is best drunk at room temperature for maximum absorption in the quickest amount of time. Throughout the day the body requires approximately 6-8 cups for regular movement, and for more movement and exertion, it is recommended to add 2-4 cups more. If you consume a caffeinated product, for every cup of caffeine you need two glasses of water to reverse the dehydration that results from the caffeine. Alcohol works in the same way. For every glass of wine, add two glasses of water.
It is important that you do not wait to drink water until just before you are doing something physical. It is important the body is always hydrated and that the water will be available for the muscles at the time of exertion, rather than to the organs that are lacking water. Water is best drunk at room temperature for maximum absorption in the quickest amount of time. Throughout the day the body requires approximately 6-8 cups for regular movement, and for more movement and exertion, it is recommended to add 2-4 cups more. If you consume a caffeinated product, for every cup of caffeine you need two glasses of water to reverse the dehydration that results from the caffeine. Alcohol works in the same way. For every glass of wine, add two glasses of water.
Before engaging in any activity it is essential that the brain and body are hydrated. Adequate water in the body allows for the cells to work efficiently, and helps to send messages across nerve endings. For coordination of movement, the brain and the body need to send information quickly and water is essential for this communication. If the body is dehydrated, the organs will be the first to receive fresh water, then the muscles and lastly the brain. Performance is compromised if the body is in stress due to a lack of water.
Take notes. On a piece of paper, list all the ailments or challenges that you sense in your body at this time. Begin a new regime that includes adequate hydration and nourishment for your cells. In a month or so, make a new list of ailments. See if the two lists match. Take note of changes you have felt in your body, and how your energy, mental clarity and initiative has changed. It is so simple, and it is just the turn of a tap away.
WATER, it is over 70% of our bodies composition and it is our life line. Give yourself the gift Mother Nature has provided for us and feel the healing benefits it can provide.
Take notes. On a piece of paper, list all the ailments or challenges that you sense in your body at this time. Begin a new regime that includes adequate hydration and nourishment for your cells. In a month or so, make a new list of ailments. See if the two lists match. Take note of changes you have felt in your body, and how your energy, mental clarity and initiative has changed. It is so simple, and it is just the turn of a tap away.
WATER, it is over 70% of our bodies composition and it is our life line. Give yourself the gift Mother Nature has provided for us and feel the healing benefits it can provide.
Some of the information used in this essay is from information gathered from readings in “Touch for Health” by John Thie, “A Revolutionary Way of Thinking” and “Nutrition for the Brain” by Charles Krebs).
