The Importance of Hydration for Your Body
Our bodies are basically about 60% water. We are just a bunch of hydrogen and oxygen walking around. The importance of water cannot be overstated. Just ask my son, he is 16 and I still bug him about drinking enough water. Water very quickly can affect our skin, our joints, and our mood. I've never really struggled with drinking enough water, I usually drink a lot as it is my go to drink all day long. On the rare occasion I have a headache the first think I do is drink a cup of water. That often does the trick.
Water is the most important nutrient in our body. Let me repeat that - water is the MOST important nutrient in our body. Yet, like my son, often water is a common deficiency of humans. Our bodies truly need water to survive.
Water has many functions: (source: Nutritional Therapy Association, Inc.)
It protects our tissues: it regulates our body temperature, it lubricates our joints, it helps with our breathing
It helps transport nutrients and waste: our bodies need water to move the nutrients from the foods we eat throughout our cells and it helps us remove the waste our body decides it can't use
Cell-to-cell communication: water allows for proper hydration of our cells so they communicate properly
That is the technical side of things. But the more basic side is water is necessary for:
Great skin!
Clear eyes
Mental clarity
Energy
Positive mood
Proper poop
Detoxification
Healthy blood pressure
Comfortable joints
Inflammation control
In Hawaii our freshwater is our most precious natural resource. The freshwater that doesn't make its way into the ocean or get evaporated then spends approximately 25 years traveling through the volcanic rock aquifers. These aquifers are deep and the rock is quite porous. This provides an amazing natural filtration for the water so the end result is clear, clean, and delicious.
How much water do you need?
A simple calculation for the average adult is to take your body weight in pounds and divide by 2. That is the amount, in ounces, you need each day of water. Of course this might be adjusted if you live in a hot climate or exercise in abundance. But, it's a good starting point to make sure your precious body is getting an adequate amount of our most important nutrient.
Add a lime or some berries and...Drink up and enjoy.
