Wellness - Water

A human could, if circumstances warranted, survive about a month without food, but only about a week without water. Our adult bodies are about 70 percent water, down from 80 percent when we were born. Water is what makes our blood liquid. Our brains and muscles are 75 percent water. When our bodies run low on water, they have difficulty performing their basic functions. It’s no wonder it’s so important to our survival.

Water does many things for our bodies. It helps control our internal temperature by insulating the body from cold and by shedding excess heat. Most of our cells are composed primarily of water and without water they could not perform their basic functions. It also helps our kidneys rid the body of toxins and is the biggest part of our blood and lymph systems.

It’s estimated that 75 to 90 percent of us do not drink enough water. And many of us may suffer from dehydration every day without realizing it. Some of the initial symptoms of dehydration are dry mouth, sleepiness, muscle weakness, headaches, and dizziness. In its more severe form, it can include confusion, irritability, dry mouth, lack of sweating, decreased urination, dry skin, rapid heartbeat, and many other unpleasant results. In most of us our symptoms never become extreme enough that we take them very seriously, but a low-level dehydration over a period of time is not good for our bodies.

How much water we need is to some degree a question open to debate. The commonly accepted amount for an adult is eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, though some doctors recommend more. Eight is the recommended minimum in most cases. Pay attention to your body; if you show symptoms of dehydration, then drink more. If you’re sweating a lot due to temperature or physical labor, then you should drink more water accordingly. Some people schedule water drinking into their lives. Some people carry around a water bottle with them all day long and drink from it regularly. Whatever you decide to do, it should be something that works for you.

Clean water, in particular, is what our systems require. Spring water is ideal, or water from a good, clean well. Part of making sure we stay healthy is making sure that future generations have enough clean water to drink. Be conservative with your water use. Something as small as turning off the water while you brush your teeth can have surprisingly big results over time. Make your showers are shorter. Wash the car less frequently, and trust nature to provide enough rain, in most instances, for your lawn. Be careful what household cleaner and fertilizers you use: don’t use chemicals that will hurt our water, and us.