The Importance of Water and Hydration
As humans, we are made up of 60% water. Not only does it keep our bodies hydrated, but it also regulates our electrolyte levels and is involved in essentially every biochemical reaction in the body. As parents, we have the influential power to teach our kids good habits. So why expose them to all these sugary beverages in the first place?
As humans, we are creatures of our environment, and are constituents of an even larger ecosystem. Like plants, we need water, sunlight, oxygen, and a pure environment to grow and thrive. Think about this: If you have a house plant that is wilting/dying, what would you do? Most rationally minded people would give the plant more water and change its environment by exposing it to more sunlight and potting it in new mineral-rich soil to support its growth.
But Tyler, changing the environment is too much work. I don’t have time to pot my plant in new soil. Why not just glue the pedals back on? Won’t it look good as new? Sure, from the outside it may look fine. But if we don’t support the environment of the plant or find out the underlying root cause of its illness, the pedals will fall right back off in time and the plant will eventually die.
This metaphor is analogous to our conventional medical model today. There is no emphasis on prevention and instead of practicing “health” care we practice “sick” care. It’s not until there is a diagnosable “disease” and we are really ill that conventional medical professionals intervene. And when they do, they often look to surgically modify or sew those leaves and petals back on, with little to no emphasis on our environment and educating their patients.
So many of us are making sodas, (including diet sodas), juice, coffee, energy drinks, and sports beverages the core of our hydration when in reality, the human body just needs water. Not only are we taking in large amounts of insulin spiking processed sugars, but we are acidifying and dehydrating the body. This further creates an environment in our body that is MORE inflammatory and inhospitable. Remember, your beverage choices are just as important as your food choices...Often times, when we are tired and fatigued, we overlook the importance of water and that we could simply just be dehydrated.
So, how much water should we be consuming? Aim to consume half your body weight (pounds) in ounces daily. For example. I weight 180 lbs. therefore, the minimum amount of water I need is 90 oz. that’s 11+ 8 oz glasses of water. And if you are exercising and sweating excessively, that number will be even higher.
