I begin today’s post with a quote from page 43 of You Are a Badass Every Day, by Jen Sincero:
“Considering the fact that the majority of your body is made up of water; and considering the fact that the better care you take of your body, the more energy you have; and considering the fact that it takes a whole lot of energy to transform your life, drinking a buttload of water seems like a pretty reasonable request to me.”
Considering the fact that my mission is to empower people to become energized to transform their lives, and considering the fact that hydration is such a crucial factor, I would be remiss not to mention this essential element in my empowerment blog.
Why is hydration so important?
Approximately sixty percent of the adult human body is made of water. According to the USGS, the percentage climbs to 75 to 85% for our brain, heart, and lungs.
Our bodies require a steady supply of water to help:
- aid digestion
- keep membranes moist
- cell reproduction (growth & healing)
- remove toxins
- maintain joint mobility
- shock absorption
- produce hormones
- communications between brain and body
- regulate body temperature
- deliver oxygen to our organs
And as if that weren’t enough, it’s also the magic ingredient in body transformation!
Magic weight loss elixir!
If you’re one of the millions of people on the planet trying to improve your body composition, water is the magic elixir for weight loss. Its magic power lies not just in helping you feel full – which it does, especially if you are wisely getting lots of water in the food you eat by way of fruits and veggies – but because proper hydration helps your body convert food into energy in the most optimal way. Dehydration actually causes cravings for calorie-dense foods. (Staying hydrated = fewer cravings!)
Foods that help hydrate include cucumbers, apples, melons, leafy greens, celery, radishes. More info at this link. Try adding lemon juice or melons to your water for increased hydration. More info at this link.
Proper hydration is a vital piece of self care.
How much water to hydrate life transformation?
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is:
- About 15.5 cups (124 oz) of fluids for men
- About 11.5 cups (92 oz) of fluids a day for women
For more about factors that influence hydration needs, click this link.
This having been said, you and your naturopath, or medical doctor, may decide you need more or less than this amount. Listen to your body! That’s the practice at the root of adequate hydration. When I was healing from the intestinal symptoms caused by eating foods I was allergic to, my naturopath had me drinking 120 ounces a day. I had to pay attention to how much I drank through the day, but in terms of health improvements, it doesn’t get much easier than increasing water intake!
I have this sticker on my water bottle that I carried across Europe for three weeks reminding me of the importance of hydration.
Hydrate or Die.
Hydration is extremely important and often overlooked. If you are on the path of transforming your life, then drinking a buttload of water seems like a very reasonable request indeed.
Sister,
Thinking of drinking 6-8 cups of water a day does not sound “easy” it sounds overwhelming. In many people’s lives, mine specifically, “easy is not an option” which was well said by Les Brown.
Staying healthy and hydrated is WORK. I am not alone, nor unique, in my many, many health challenges. I have to remind myself, every time, each drink, of the benefits I am receiving or striving for, by keeping up my water intake.
By hydrating my body I am helping my body, every organ, each cell, and all of my skin to survive, each joint to be lubricated. I need water to get rid of the waste in my body, and for overall, general health.
I haven’t even talked about chronic illnesses, age, or that my brain needs water to properly function. So, each day is a new day, to remind myself, drinking water, is important for me! Not everyone, specifically me!
Sister, I am just explaining, what water is to me, it is vitally important. To keep up on my water intake, all day long, every day, whether I feel like drinking or not, seems like work. It may be a “simple” thing to most, but, honestly, “easy” is not how it feels. It feels, most days, like a job, a chore, I “have to do this.”
Granted, I am unemployed, but the ” I have to” makes it feel like a job, or a penalty in my mind. Like I do not have a choice in the matter. Yes, I know I do, but convincing myself, is always a challenge. I am just saying it ain’t “easy” in my mind.
Thanks for making me think!! I love you.
Sister
Sister,
Thank you for helping me make the point that water is VITAL!!
I mean, even though you feel like its a CHORE, the fact that it is vitally important keeps you trying. AND you are wise enough to have the answer to your own challenge! “…it ain’t easy in my mind.” You are absolutely right! The challenge lies in your mind.
Let’s view it differently.
Comparatively speaking, when it comes to life transformation, drinking water is simple. Let’s say we have a LONG list of changes we want to make, like most of my clients. In order to gain benefits we may want to change the foods we eat on a daily basis, exercise more, quit a bad habit, change jobs, find a life partner, get a divorce, or start drinking more water. If you came to me with a list similar to this, which would you pick as the least challenging place to start?
Changes can be challenging or invigorating depending on how you choose to look at them. Here is where ‘choice’ comes in!
“I have to” ALWAYS makes it feel like a job.
“I choose to” changes that instantly, and aligns your energy with what you are truly wanting – the benefits of hydration.
Of course we HAVE to drink water! It is biologically imperative and going long enough without hydration will end a human life!
You do NOT get to choose between drinking water and not drinking water.
The choice lies in how we choose to think about it. If drinking water “is not easy” in your mind, then it is NOT easy, it’s a chore. If drinking water is a vital task that I choose to do in service of my health and well-being, then it is something sacred that I choose to do for self-care.
Self-care is vitally important, and one way we serve God and the world around us. If self-care is the real issue here, there may be some limiting beliefs to work through before you can actually allow yourself the choice of doing what is best for self.
Fostering thoughts that deplete our energy is one of the biggest drains on energy that exists. I am passionate about reframing our language to actually RAISE our energy! That’s one of the key things I focus on in my practice.
MORE coming soon to the Empowerment Center about reframing our thoughts and corking those energy drains!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Thanks Cyndi for your blog! And thanks for reminding me about the importance of hydration. I am learning at a late age about self care. In many ways I have made progress, however there are plenty of room to grow. Healthy habits don’t come natural to me, but to quote the phrase “it’s progress, not perfection.” I appreciate you reminding me that to be of service to my higher power it has to begin with me. Today I am going to drink more water!!