Staying Hydrated

It’s August and it’s hot outside. Are you drinking extra water right now? Maybe you also have iced coffee to cool down? Do you wonder how to get the most from your water drinking? Do you feel bloated after drinking water? Do you notice a sinking down feeling when you take your first sips of an iced beverage? At this time of year we all need to drink more water. If you would like to make the most of your water drinking, here are some tips for optimal hydration now and all year. As you’ll see, staying hydrated is as much about eliminating water as it is about taking water into the body.

Drink one cup of hot water first thing in the morning In today’s culture, it is common to drink ice water, ice beverages and ice cream. We are making little blocks of ice inside our bodies and we still feel hot when the weather is hot. In Chinese medicine, hot and cold imbalance is one of the main the founding factors of disease. Prevent disease by having hot water first thing in the morning.

Water yourself thoroughly Your body is like a plant. You need thorough watering in order to thrive. Too much water will make you soggy. Too little at a time will keep you in a state of dehydration. When will your body imbibe the most? Approximately two hours after lunch, on an empty stomach, drink 3-4 cups of water and you’ll water yourself through and through.  

Drink water on an empty stomach Each and every cell in our bodies needs water and produces waste material. Imagine what your house would be like if you didn’t take out the garbage and sweep? Your cells need water to clean house. Drink between meals and allow your body to flush out.

Request room temperature beverages Iced beverages promote cold and wet conditions. Literally the “soil” of your body becomes soggy and pools of water form. Water likes to flow downward. Once that water is there, it’s hard to move it. Sometimes the body tries, and sometimes it just lets it sit there for a while. Sooner or later, something happens with those extra fluids. If you’ve ever noticed that ponds like to grow all sorts of fragrant things, attract bugs, and smell pretty strange. Some common outcomes of extra pooling water are swelling legs, swelling prostate that retains urine, ovarian cysts, or foot fungus. So, the next time you’re at a restaurant request water without ice and feel your body acclimate naturally from drinking room temperature water.

Move your body Moving the limbs moves the lymph, the water streets of the body. Remember the taking out the garbage analogy? If the garbage truck didn’t come, you’d have a large pile of trash outside your house. Exercise is like the garbage truck coming to your house and clearing things up. You don’t need to be a fitness junkie! Walking in your neighborhood is a simple and practical activity. What's important is to move your whole body 30-40 minutes five times per week.

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