When should I drink water?

All of us know that we need to drink more water, but did you know that there are actually certain times when you should be drinking it? The purpose of water is for hydration. Well, when you drink the majority of your water with your meals, like most of us do, you are actually interfering with your bodies digestive juices by diluting it and causing the nutrients from your food to be washed through the intestines.

Some interesting facts:

· 75-80% of the brain is water. So it’s important to properly hydrate

· Duodenal ulcers are caused by pushing things through before they’ve been neutralized

· You should be drinking half your body weight in ounces

· If you don’t have a filter, you are the filter (A water filter is essential)

· The primary cause of Alzheimer’s Disease is chronic dehydration

· When you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated

· You lose water even when you exhale

· If you are currently suffering from a chronic, painful condition, you might be interested to know that dehydration highlights pain sensitivities.

The best times to drink water are:

1. Immediately upon waking in the morning
2. 30 min before breakfast
3. 2 hours after breakfast
4. 30 min before lunch
5. 2 hours after lunch
6. 30 min before dinner
7. 2 hours after dinner
8. Just before bed
9. 30 min prior to workout

This is a good method to make sure you get the recommended intake of water and at the correct times, but if you are a busy, another method is – 3, 24oz glasses a day. One first thing in the morning, one 30 minutes before lunch, and one 30 minutes before dinner.

Water filtration

The best water filtration system is a reverse osmosis system. The Berkey brand is recommended and there are more out there. With a reverse osmosis system, it is important to make sure you are eating your fruits and veggies to replenish the minerals lost, as everything is filtered out in these systems.  Regardless of your budget, improving the quality of your water is one of the most important investments you will ever make.

Referenc:

Batmanghelidj, Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, Falls Church, VA., Global Health Solutions, 1994.