ESSENTIAL H20

Water is critical to our health, wellness and survival. Our blood is 83% water, which allows the blood to circulate throughout the body and guide essential vitamins and minerals into tissue cells. Adequate water intake is also necessary to eliminate waste from the body, nourish joints and ligaments and to brighten skin. Signs of dehydration can manifest as premenstrual cramping, morning sickness (in pregnant women), joint pain, fatigue, depression, acne, and allergies.

Green tea, black tea, and coffee all contain caffeine, a powerful diuretic. Alcohol is an even stronger diuretic. These substances leach water and minerals from the body, so that even when additional water is consumed during the day it is immediately eliminated to keep a proper electrolyte balance. Take note if you are running to the bathroom directly after drinking water. If so, diuretics are creating an electrolyte imbalance that is keeping you dehydrated, and you should eliminate these diuretics from your diet.

Our recommendation is to drink half of your body weight in ounces. For example, if you weigh 150lbs, you should be drinking 75 ounces of water per day.

Here are some ideas to make drinking water more fun and enjoyable:

Add a sprig of fresh spearmint or peppermint

Add a squeeze of orange, lemon or lime

Add a slice of ginger

Add a slice of strawberry or a few blueberries and raspberries for a fruity taste

ALETRIS Center of Integrative Medicine is a Scottsdale, AZ wellness center serving Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Glendale, Arrowhead, Peoria, Sun City, Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, and Mesa, AZ with specialties in naturopathic medicine, natural hormone therapy, women's health, acupuncture, colon hydrotherapy, natural skincare and sugar hair removal.

The contents of this blog, including text, graphics, images and other material, are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please seek the counsel of an ALETRIS physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment.