Last month’s article looked at the meaning of ‘holistic’ and compared it with looking after your car.
An important check for your car is to keep it topped up with water.
Unsurprisingly, as 60% of our body weight is made up of water, this is the single, most important but also simplest action we can take for good health.
We lose water daily through sweat, excretion and bodily functions, so we need to keep our cells ‘topped up’.
Blood needs water to supply us with the necessary oxygen; body cells need it to carry out their work and our digestive system needs it to digest and absorb goodness from our food.
Our liquid intake includes water contained in drinks and food. Bottled or filter water is best because caffeine, alcohol, fizzy, diet drinks, flavoured waters and cordials containing sweeteners such as aspartame (banned in the US!) may be counter-productive to our aim to flush toxins and can actually make us more dehydrated – our body may need yet more water to process these drinks.
The “8-10 glasses of water per day” is a rule of thumb. I find it easier during warm, summer weather to drink plain water, but may make it more interesting by adding squeezed lemon or chlorophyll*. In wintertime, I find fruit teas more comforting and warming – there are lots of tasty flavours now readily available.
We may think that hot weather is the only time when we need more water than the prescribed minimum, but central heating/air conditioning and obviously exercise will also increase our need for extra water.
I propose 2 New Year’s resolutions:
- book a massage which stimulates the lymphatic (waste removal) system and will ‘kick start’ you to a healthy lifestyle;
- carry a water bottle and keep sipping during the day.
*mint flavoured natural plant essence – available from www.naturessunshine.co.uk
‘Southwell Life’ – December 2005