DEAR THYROID^TM

Water that is. Geesh – get your mind out of the gutter.

Water is essential to human life – without we cannot survive. With adequate amounts of water we thrive. Water is the most plentiful and important substance – anywhere. Our bodies. Earth. Water is IT.

Within our bodies, water is miss thang in all of our bodily fluids – blood, urine, tears. Yes – the other (ahem, let’s keep this clean) bodily fluids as well.  Circulation, digestion, absorption and elimination all involve water. Water is very symbolic – in all races, all cultures, and all corners of the world. We bathe in it, some people christen babies with it, and others baptize themselves in it. Water represents cleansing and purity.

It is healing.  Who does not love a hot bath?

But seriously…are you getting enough? How much water your body needs is unique. It varies from person to person. How active we are, our size, how much we sweat, the environment we live in and our diet all influence how much water we need. Without enough water we cannot experience great health.

But what is water? And how do we get it? Water itself is the clear, practically tasteless liquid that (fortunate us) comes directly from the tap. While water is in foods and other beverages we actually need to consume water, on its own. It is not enough to drink teas, sodas and juice. We need to drink just water. Plain old water. Without it we get dehydrated and put ourselves at risk for developing a long list of physical and mental health conditions.

Water is a much more involved and complicated health environmental condition than I am discussing here. There are issues of quality, availability, etc. However, the bottom line is the same – we need water to survive.

Some tips to help you love your body up with water:

• invest in a good quality reusable water jug & take your water with you when you leave the house
• set an alarm on your phone to remind you to drink a glass of water
• track it! there are lots of free apps that help you track how much you are drinking
• substitute soda & juice for water
• drink water before & after you exercise
• have it the way you like it – lots of ice, no ice, warm, really cold
• drink a glass of water first thing when you wake up
• drink a glass of water right before you go to sleep
• add natural flavour to your water – lemon, lime, cucumber, strawberry
• nudge your coworker to drink more water and ask them to do the same to you

As to how much to drink – well there are lots of approaches to that and since we are all bio-physiologically unique I think its best to come to that conclusion on your own. I manage my water intake by seeing if I get thirsty (if I get thirsty I am not drinking enough water), keeping a 750ml mason jar of water on my desk at all times, tracking my water on my phone and finally by looking at my pee. Hey – its simple and easy! If my pee is any darker than a light yellow I know I need to drink more water. These things have worked for me.

As always, talk with your Doctor or health care provider if you are uncertain how much water to drink. But remember, water is super duper important and easily overlooked.

Now go on you sexy minx and get yourself a tall glass of water!

Tags: are you getting enough water, benefits of water, drinking water, health, how water helps our bodies, nourish, nourishing life, Nourishing Life written by Jennifer Saunders, thyroid nutrition, water

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