More on Water

March 6, 2002

Water is great medicine, needed to maintain a healthy body, a clear mind, and a

good balance within your tissues. There's more water in your body than anything

else, with every cell containing mostly water. About 60 percent of your body is

water, and you must constantly replenish the supply, as it's used up in the

processes of life. Many people fail to drink enough of it.

When you don't have enough water in your body, your cells start to draw water

from the bloodstream. The blood gets sludgy, your heart has to work harder, and

your body starts to redirect blood away from less vital areas. Dehydration can

set in even before you start to feel thirsty. This is a great strain on the body

because it impairs the kidneys in their vital function of purifying the blood

and helping the body get rid of toxins.

If you've lost just 2 percent of your body weight in water, your brain power and

performance level may start to weaken. Another 4 to 7 percent may leave you

feeling dizzy.

The standard recommendation is to drink at least eight, 8-ounce glasses a day.

I'm not sure you need to force that much down, but do try to drink as much as

you can, and more than you think you need. When you're exercising, you need even

more water because you're sweating and losing water through deep breathing. Of

course, warm temperatures also increase water loss. Just walking for an hour on

a warm day may increase your requirement by two glasses or more. An hour of

tennis could require anywhere from two to ten extra glasses.

Drink extra water whenever you think of it. When you start to notice an increase

in urination, you're doing a good job. Even better, you'll notice your urine

lightening up, looking less concentrated. Some people keep two quarts of water

in the refrigerator and make sure they empty them every day.

Also, keep in mind you don't have to limit yourself to water. You can drink

highly diluted fruit juice, herbal tea, or a well-watered-down sports drink.

Sparkling water with a little fruit juice or lemon is also nice. All of these

count toward your 64 ounces a day. Drinks like cola, though, work against the

count, because caffeine is a diuretic and removes fluid from the body. Three

cups of coffee or tea are comparable to just two cups of water.

While you're doing all this drinking, make sure you're not adding new toxins to

your body. Drink high-quality bottled water or, better, get a water-purification

system for your home.

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