Ahh, there is nothing like a cool drink of water to quench your thirst and hydrate your body. Water can also help with chronic pain by reducing the chemicals that may be causing your pain. But did you know that the crystal clear liquid you are about to drink is most likely not as crystal clear as it looks? Hidden toxins in water can negate its natural, healing, and restorative benefits.
Toxins??? Wait, but isn’t our water regulated by the federal government and the Safe Drinking Water Act you ask? Well, yes and no. The Act was created in 1974 and last updated in 1996, we’re talking almost 25 years of no changes. Think about what new toxins that have been released into the environment in the last 25 years.
Scary.
That’s right, there could be hidden toxins in your water. Hang on, we’re not talking Erin Brockovich contaminated, but many toxins can be harmful in small amounts.
Five hidden toxins in water
- Chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and PFAs (perfluoroalkyl substances that make products water-and-oil repel), often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ as they never decompose and can build up in our bodies. These can affect children with such issues as attention deficits, hyperactivity, tooth decay, and cognitive delay to name just a few.
- Heavy metals such as lead, aluminum, and even arsenic! These can cause havoc on the bodies with long-term effects including everything from sleep problems, high cholesterol levels to the extreme of Alzheimer’s and premature death.
- Fluoride, which was once believed to be helpful, actually causes more harm to your teeth as well as poor neurodevelopment, thyroid issues, among others.
- Chlorine, like many prescription meds, tends to cure one issue but cause another. Chlorine was added to kill bacteria and viruses but contains unknown byproducts, and can make you antibiotic resistance.
- We’ve all tossed our BPA water bottles and know plastic can cause issues. Just because you have a new non-BPA bottle though, the tap water you put into could still contain plastic particles accumulated in our reservoirs.
I hope I didn’t completely scare you!
The good news: Water is easy to purify
Good news, No, it’s not switching to wine (nice try!). You can filter water to be 99.999% by using a great filtrations system. I find the Berkey Water System to be the best, but check out this water filter guide for yourself.
If you opt for a whole house system with reverse osmosis keep a few things in mind such as tank size, too big can cause mildew; you will need to add some minerals back it by simply putting some fresh parsley in it for few hours or another option is adding a high-quality mineral supplement to your water. Membrane size that the water pushes through is also important; it should be small enough to filter out particles; membranes can also have build-up that can recontaminate the water so be sure to understand the maintenance needed before purchasing a system and the care required.
How much water do I really need?
So let’s bottom line this conversation. Yes, drink water. Proper hydration is needed for almost all functions in the human body. This is truly a foundational tool for creating good health.
Ok, adding water is a healthy habit, but how much do I really need?
This is a great question and one I hear all the time. Many of my patients complain about how much water I tell them they should drink.
“I’ll be peeing every hour!” “Good!” I tell them. Flushing the body daily with proper hydration is incredibly important for healing and removing some of the toxins that we can’t avoid on the best of programs.
Ideally, my rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces each day (ex. 150lb person would drink 75 oz of water). It may sound like a lot, but most people are very dehydrated to start with and they don’t even know it. And I also like to add a little lemon/lime into the water and get in a habit of drinking several ounces every hour. Lemons, limes, and cucumbers will help you to absorb the water into your cells more easily and efficiently as well as help to achieve a more alkaline state which is key for healing any chronic pain/conditions.
Is it possible to over hydrate? Yes, in rare and unusual instances. If one drinks an extremely large amount in a single setting or is drinking water without proper mineral salts, one can encounter side effects such as low electrolyte levels. This can be avoided by spreading out your ounces throughout the day and using the tips above to improve the quality of your water.
Don’t buy plastic water bottles! That’s another topic for another day, but just filter your tap water and you’ll be great and the planet will be great, too.
You’ll also start to see some other changes like more energy, clarity of thought, and clearer skin.
Here is a fun and hydrating elixir to add to your afternoon. To read more on the benefits of cranberries click here:
Cranberry Flush
- 2 tablespoons cranberry juice (e.g. by Lakewood organic) 12 oz. water
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Dash of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of raw honey, maple syrup, or stevia to taste (optional)
NOTE: If you cannot find cranberry juice, use 1 tbsp fresh or frozen cranberries instead.
So drink up! Cheers: )
