Keeping hydrated is essential to our overall health. We need water for all our body’s basic functions, including digestion and clearing out the waste. Without adequate water intake, all our cells and organs get clogged up and this adds tremendous stress on our system.
Water is life. It is that simple. It is one of the most fundamental building blocks to good health, yet for many it is also one of the most commonly overlooked aspects of our every day life. Those of us with access to clean drinking water often take it for granted. It is an intense counterposition when we realise that one third of the people in the world do not have access to clean drinking water at all.
We also need to remember that our health is inextricably linked to the health of our social communities and our environment. We need to recognise and fight the systems that are poisoning and destroying the water supplies and support the grassroots campaigns that are working to provide clean water to communities affected by the devastation caused by the colonial occupation (see article “Driving Water to Collarenebri“).
Day-to-day tips to ensure healthy hydration:
- aim to have around two litres of water each day. This is a general guideline and will differ according to you size, climate and exertion/sweating.
- a good quality water bottle will help you keep track of your water intake. Stainless steel bottles are ideal as they are more portable than glass ones. Plastic water bottles are not a good option as they can leach toxins into the water.
- use filtered or spring water whenever possible – tap water contains numerous additives and chemical by-products of the water treatment process.
- if the taste of water puts you off: try adding a wedge of lemon or lime or a dash of apple cider vinegar or a few slices of cucumber.
- coffee and black tea act to dehydrate you and also leach some of the important electrolytes from your body. So when you are keeping track of your water intake, coffee/tea intake does not count.
- if you are doing intensive physical work or other exercise increase your water intake by around 2 cups for every hour of exertion. Also ensure to replace the electrolytes/minerals you lose through sweat by adding a very small pinch of sea salt to your water and the juice of either half and lemon or a lime. Eating orange or some cucumber is also a good way of replacing electrolytes and helps to cool you down.
- if you use electrolyte replacement drinks, don’t go for the bubblegummy flavoured, high sugar options. They add further unnecessary stress to your body, which is far from ideal after heavy exertion.
- remember also that there can be too much of a good thing – too much water intake can upset the fluid balance in your body.
- listen to your body and learn to recognise the signs that you are getting dehydrated.