“Pure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine.” – Slovakian proverb

Have you ever noticed the effect on your energy when you are near a body of water?

I first noticed a transformative element in water when I was a young child. My family and I spent summers at the Jersey Shore. It was a blissful period of iced root beers and Bruce Springsteen lyrics blasting out of car windows. But what compelled me most was the smell and feel of sea spray. Later in life, I discovered “spiritual homes” by the water and was continuously drawn back to Mykonos (Greece) and Tulum (Mexico). What really called me to these places was their seas. Swimming in the Aegean and Caribbean cleansed me of my urbanness and left me feeling balanced and renewed.

Water’s Many Benefits

People have always been drawn to water. But science has caught up to prove that spending time near water decreases stress, anxiety, and depression – and also that humans, quite simply, are happier by oceans, seas, lakes, and streams.

Human beings are comprised of approximately 60 percent water. Blood is 90 percent water.

Water is a natural life force.

And so, understandably, we need water as a major energy source for our brain and body.

Apart from the power of being near water, humans have long understood that water has curative properties. Most religions use water for purification. Ancient Egyptians and Greeks used water to heal. Native Americans sat in sweat lodges to purify the body and mind. Ottomans used hammams, or steam baths, for physical and emotional detox and to boost the immune system. Nineteenth-century Europeans used hydrotherapy (alternatively dipping parts of the body into hot and cold water) to treat anxiety, pneumonia, and back pain.

After my retreats by the sea, I would return to my office with a newfound respect for water and its potential to heal. Whenever I experienced annoying health symptoms, my intuition guided me to the water bottle on my desk. I would increase my water intake and notice that drinking more water often cured my symptoms. It became obvious to me that my active and stressful lifestyle had left me dehydrated…and that pure water is a physical as well as emotional healer.

Here are just a few of water’s known benefits for our bodies and brains:

Water lubricates the joints, boosts oxygen throughout the body, improves brain function, improves your skin, regulates body temperature, helps digestion, flushes away waste, and is essential for your kidneys.

Dehydration

When I was a private banker, my colleagues often complained to me about fatigue, headaches, brain fog, irritability, 3pm energy crash, constipation, pain, indigestion, skin issues, and charley horses. When I asked about their water intake, they were skeptical that dehydration could be the cause. Almost all of them would tell me they were drinking a sufficient amount of water, meaning 6-8 cups (8 oz) per day, and living a healthy lifestyle.

I knew that our bodies use physical discomfort to get our attention, so my instinct told me something wasn’t jibing.

Now that I have dedicated my career to holistic life and wellness coaching, I’ve had time to study dehydration more closely. Did you know that…

Most Americans are chronically dehydrated.

By the time you sense that you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated.

You can’t substitute any other liquid (tea, coffee, fruit juice, soda, etc.) for water.

Coffee and caffeine products are diuretics (flush water out), so you must replace every cup you drink with a cup of water.

It is essential to sip your water allocation throughout to day and not chug it or you risk potentially deadly water poisoning. The body can’t flush out an overwhelming intake of water.

A good way to measure dehydration is by the color of your urine. It should be clear to pale yellow and transparent (hydrated) rather than darker yellow/orange and cloudy (dehydrated). Severe dehydration, can lead to a coma or even death.

How Much Water Do You Need?

There is disagreement about how much water people need. Every body is unique and you should listen to your own. A good starting point is ½ oz per/lb of body weight daily (65 oz/8 cups for 130lb person). You may need more.

I realized that many of my clients had deficient water intake because their body was being dehydrated in ways they didn’t suspect.

The bigger, older, or more active you are the more water you need. If you exercise a lot, experience stress (yes, stress causes dehydration), consume alcohol, caffeine, salt, and processed foods, you are also likely to need more water.

My recommendation is that you incorporate 1-2 cups of water into your daily morning routine. We know that dehydration strains your heart. Most of you sleep six to eight hours per night. When you wake up, your body is in its most dehydrated state. This may contribute to why heart attacks are most common in the morning.

I can read your mind…

You lead a busy life…it’s annoying to have to run to or find a bathroom shortly after drinking.

Trust me, when you experience the results of drinking more water, you’ll see that it’s worth the inconvenience. Until I witnessed the positive effects of increasing my water intake, the only water I craved was water I could swim in. 😉

One client came to me complaining of severe headaches, frequent constipation, eczema, and depression. She visited several doctors who couldn’t identify the causes. She had been drinking six cups of water daily. We increased her daily water intake by three cups and reduced her coffee by two cups per day. Within two weeks she saw her symptoms noticeably improve and within a month she had simply resolved all of her health issues.

Do you have an annoying chronic health issue that hasn’t yet been resolved by conventional medicine? If so, try experimenting by drinking more water for 60 to 90-days.

Aside from increasing your physical activity by running to and from the loo, I’d love to hear if you notice any health improvements after you experiment with drinking more water.