Drinking sufficient amounts water is one of the best investments
you can make in your health.
How Much Water Do You Need?
Various sources, including the Mayo Clinic Women's Health Source,
suggest that you should aim for oz of water per pound of body weight. So if you
weigh 130 pounds, you should be drinking about 65 oz of water or 8 glasses of
water per day.
To prevent dehydration, you need to drink at least 6-8 glasses of
(non-sparkling) water each day. You should increase this amount when exercising
and on hot days, or if you have been sweating excessively.
Exercise:-
It is good to drink one glass of water before you exercise and an
additional glass every 20 minutes or so during the activity. This can be
increased considerably during hotter weather or more strenuous exercise.
Weather Extremes:-
To compensate for water loss during hot or dry weather, at high
elevations or during times of high or low humidity, it is good to drink an
additional one to two glasses of water per day. Indoor heat or air conditioning
can also be excessively drying.
Caffeine and Alcohol:-
Caffeine and alcohol can pull as much water out of you as you put
in, sometimes more. A German study showed that adults who drank six cups of
coffee per day experienced chronic mild dehydration.
Drinks containing caffeine and other chemicals are taxing to the
digestive system. The phosphorus content in cola drinks is so high it can lead
to a calcium/phosphorus imbalance and contribute to diseases such as
osteoporosis.
Alcohol is also a very strong diuretic, causing the body to excrete
water, which often leads to advanced dehydration. It is recommended that you
drink an extra glass of water for every caffeinated or alcoholic beverage you
drink.
Metaphysical Considerations:-
Metaphysically speaking, water is the element related to the second energy center. Proper water intake helps to regulate this energy center
also known as the emotional center, which allows you to feel pain and pleasure.
An under functioning second energy center may be manifested in repressed
feelings, and an over stimulation may be manifested as addictions or greed.
Therapies for the second energy center include water intake, swimming and luxurious
baths or showers.
Help Your Body Heal Itself:-
While water is not an absolute cure-all, it is a primary ingredient
in every preventive and healing process within your body. So many common
ailments and diseases may be prevented with an increased intake of water.
Headaches, hypertension, back pain, arthritis and asthma can all benefit.
Your body instinctively knows how to sustain good health. One of
the best ways to prevent, treat, and in many cases cure illness, is to give
your body the right tools. With the proper intake of water and the right
minerals and nutrients, your body can overcome almost anything.
