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COLUMN BY MARK W. EARNHART, D. C. |
Previous columnsLifestyle Changes to Enhance Your Health Omega-3 Oils in the Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia |
WATER - HOW IMPORTANT IS IT?
posted 03/01/2009 So what should we look for in our water? First the pH should be around 7.35. Unfortunately tap water and even bottled water have a pH closer to 5.5 - 6.0. pH is how we measure how acidic or alkaline our system is. We were designed to function best when our body is alkaline. We have better enzymatic action, increased immune response and our body heals faster. The ideal pH of saliva is around 7.0. Below that we are considered acidic and above that alkaline. When we drink water or anything that has a pH less than 7.35 we are driving our system into an acidic state. Some common pH levels of things we drink are as follows:
So the more your drink on the lower end of the scale, the more you drive your pH down. Unfortunately the best way to make sure you are drinking alkaline water is with some sort of ionizing system. The best of these are from Kangen water (kangenwaterusa.com) and the Jupiter system (waterionizer.org) What's in it is the next question. Chlorine, which is in almost all water systems to prevent bacterial outbreaks, has an unfortunate side effect - it has been shown to increase the incidence of most cancers. For example breast cancer rates double from drinking water with chlorine. So bottled water that has either been purified or is from a natural spring is our best bet without purchasing some sort of filter system such as those mentioned above or you can get a simple system such as the Britta filtering system for your tap water. This will help eliminate chlorine and other contaminants but won't affect pH. How much should you drink daily? The usual answer has been eight glasses a day. I feel a more individualized system is better. Weigh yourself, divide that number by two and then drink that many ounces of water per day. For example, someone who weighs 150 pounds should drink 75 ounces per day. Many people will estimate their water intake to be much higher than it actually is. If you measure out your required amount in a pitcher at the beginning of the day, you might be surprised at how little water you are truly drinking. The first four ounces of liquid you drink in the morning goes to your brain, as the brain is the first thing the body will hydrate. So if the first thing you drink is coffee, then caffeine goes to the brain and you begin to use stored energy. (But that's another article) Being de-hydrated can lead to a myriad of health issues including but not exclusively: back pain, kidney stones, hypertension, gout, diabetes and the list goes on. It can also lead to being overweight, which also affects all of the issues just mentioned. So how can you keep track of how your doing with drinking water? You can purchase pH strips and measure your saliva at home. It should be around 7.0 as mentioned before. You can also pay attention to the color of your urine - it should be almost colorless to light yellow. Darker urine indicates de-hydration due to the kidneys working harder to remove toxins which are more concentrated in the urine. Also, most doctor's have pH strips in the office to do a quick measurement. Lastly, determine your weight and then drink the amount of water based on the formula above. A couple of books we recommend: YOUR BODY'S MANY CRIES FOR WATER by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D. and THE SECRET LIFE OF WATER by Masaru Emoto. If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at 360-378-5660 or go to our website at sanjuanholistichealthcare.com
Yours in health, |
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