90 Days: A Journey Towards Health

Chapter 6 I Need A Drink

I woke up today with my mouth feeling like the Sahara Desert. It is an unpleasant experience. Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night just to have a drink of water. These medications are killing me.

Do you know what your body water weight is?  Approximately, sixty percent water. Your body uses water in all its cells, organs, and tissues to help regulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions.

Mine hasn't been doing a good job at monitoring bodily functions.

Our bodies lose water through breathing, sweating, and digestion, it's important to rehydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water. You would think that this would be easy to do. It isn't.

The amount of water you need depends on a variety of factors, including the climate you live in, how physically active you are, and whether you're experiencing an illness or have any other health problems. I take two medicines that cause dehydration.

Water does more than just quench your thirst and regulate your body's temperature; it also keeps the tissues in your body moist. You know how it feels when your eyes, nose, or mouth gets dry? Keeping your body hydrated helps it retain optimum levels of moisture in these sensitive areas, as well as in the blood, bones, and the brain. In addition, water helps protect the spinal cord, and it acts as a lubricant and cushion for your joints. It can help with minor backaches.

My chiropractor encouraged me to drink plenty of water.

It took me off guard. I had never heard of drinking water to help ease the pain in my back, but I have given it a try and guess what? It actually helps.

Adequate water intake enables your body to excrete waste through perspiration, urination, and defecation.
The kidneys and liver use it to help flush out waste, as do your intestines.
Water can also keep you from getting constipated by softening your stools and helping move the food you've eaten through your intestinal tract. However, it should be noted that there is no evidence to prove that increasing your fluid intake will cure constipation.

Water is supposed to prevent you from becoming dehydrated, it does not always help me. I have to drink coconut water and a Gatorade to help rehydrate me.

Your body loses fluids when you engage in vigorous exercise, sweat in high heat, or come down with a fever or contract an illness that causes vomiting or diarrhea. If you're losing fluids for any of these reasons, it's important to increase your fluid intake so that you can restore your body's natural hydration levels.

Your doctor may also recommend that you drink more fluids to help treat other health conditions, like bladder infections and urinary tract stones.

If you're pregnant, which I am not, or nursing, you may want to consult with your physician about your fluid intake because your body will be using more fluids than usual, especially if you're breastfeeding.

How much water do you need? I have been given three different numbers by three different doctors. Neurologist suggested 18 cups a day. Cardiologist said 10 was fine. And my primary doctor went with 20 cups a day. Ugh. Either way it is a lot of fluid.

There's no hard and fast rule, and many individuals meet their daily hydration needs by simply drinking water when they're thirsty.

In fact, most people who are in good physical health get enough fluids by drinking water and other beverages when they're thirsty, and also by drinking a beverage with each of their meals. If you're not sure about your hydration level, look at your urine. If it's clear, you're in good shape. If it's dark, you're probably dehydrated.

Simple enough to do.

A well-balanced combination of electrolytes is required for nerve support and healthy muscle function. Electrolytes include minerals like calcium, sodium, magnesium, and potassium, all of which carry an electric charge. These electrolytes are used to transmit signals vital for proper nerve, muscle, and heart function. They also affect the body's water composition.

Dehydration, diuretic medications, and kidney disease can all cause an electrolyte imbalance. For example, when the body's sodium levels are depleted, the cells strain themselves due to a lack of fluid, resulting in painful cramps. (And boy do they hurt!) Thus, when electrolyte levels become too low, leg pain can occur.

I will be drinking as much water as I can handle without exploding.

Day 6
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