From how much water we’re supposed to drink every day; to the toxic effects of sun-exposed plastic water bottles; to tainted tap water concerns, the solution to all these water issues lies in one place: what we eat.
Eating our water is the best and most effective way to stay properly hydrated. We keep looking for better ways to give our bodies the proper hydration they need and when we eat our water by eating water and nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables we are hydrating our bodies in the best manner possible.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are more than 75% water – just like us; that’s why water is so important.
Dr. Murad, creator of innovative skincare products, recently came to our little corner of the world, the Sports Center at the Running Y Resort (where I teach fitness classes and do personal training) and delivered his passionate message for health seekers to “Eat Your Water!”
“Anyone knows that eight glasses of water – while still a way of putting water into your body – also means eight trips to the bathroom. When we eat more water-rich foods, we absorb water more slowly because it is trapped in the structure of these foods. That slow absorption means that water in food stays in our bodies longer, with a multitude of additional benefits.”
Only water counts as water
Water as the first in a list of ingredients is not water. It is a beverage. Fluids are fine, but you wouldn’t put Diet Coke in your radiator and then defend yourself to the mechanic by saying, “But, it’s mostly water!”
Eating our water through fruits and vegetables is not only the best way to stay hydrated, but we get vitamin, mineral and other nutritional boosts.
CNN Health News reports:
Food, often overlooked as a water source, can be a rich supply of fluid. On average, it provides 20 percent of the fluid we need — and far more if you choose water-rich fare. That translates to about two cups for the typical female and three cups for most men each day; most people require a total of roughly 11 to 15 cups of water daily, according to the Institute of Medicine.
Dr. Mercola explains:
“A cucumber is a great example of this. Because cucumbers are 96% water, eating a three-ounce cucumber is almost the same as drinking three ounces of water, but better. Besides being full of hydrating H2O, raw fruits, vegetables and other key water-rich foods contain nutrients, vitamins, minerals and fiber that can improve your health, develop your immune system, strengthen your muscles and boost your athletic performance.”
Dehydration is sneaky and effects our balance more than we realize
“Dehydration contributes to loss of energy, headaches, achiness, light-headedness and general sluggishness,” says Mercola. By eating your water, you are not only hydrating with H2O, but are also filling your body with everything it needs to become strong and healthy.
Our bodies are constantly regenerating, creating new cells to replace old, damaged ones. So, it is important that we eat and drink with a deliberate focus on promoting cellular health.
The best way to do this is to keep our body saturated with cell-building elements such as vitamin A, alpha lipoic acid, oleic acid, polyphenols, folic acid and vitamin C. These nutrients can all be found in water-rich foods such as raw fruits and vegetables.”
My recommendation is to sip water throughout the day, in addition to the health strategy of ‘eating our water.’ It only makes sense that a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables is going to supply us with a superior form of water – the form that’s easier on the bladder; plus, the water is already alkalized from the fruits and vegetables!
Other ways water enhances our health
Water Therapy is a broad range of treatments designed to soothe our spirits, ease physical pain, relax, restore and rejuvenate our whole selves.
Water is our first environment. Most of our body and most of our planet is made up of water.
In this Huffington Post article, we read, “Today, we still turn to water for a sense of calm and clarity.”
In the womb, we were in water; warm, safe, healing water. Today, when our body is submerged – or parts are submerged – we’re released from the oppressive forces of gravity and we don’t feel our body.
It’s subtle, but the buoyancy of the water ever-so-slightly lifts skin away from other soft tissue and we feel lighter. The sensations from water that we do feel are gentle, soothing, healing and we feel freer. Our heart rates drop about ten points when we’re in water.
Not being able to feel the body is paradise for chronic pain sufferers.
Exercising in water is almost effortless; joints get to kick back and enjoy being flexed without bearing weight.
Water Therapy is….
- Listening to the sound of a waterfall or the ocean
- Watching a stream trickle by
- Swimming or moving submerged in water – in a pool
- Soaking in a tub – all of our body or some of it
- Foot Bath
- Hot tub
- Watsu session – water massage
- Running water over a body part – cool, cold, warm or hot
So, eat your water, sip water throughout the day, swim, sink, bathe, float, bubble, splash, or listen to water and let its powerful, healing force permeate and enhance your life.
News: The Mind Aware Show, hosted by author, speaker, and radio host, Dana Wilde, has invited me to be an expert guest and interviewed on the show! This will be a recorded podcast so updates will follow. Fitness is really fun!
