About Water
“Pure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine.”
~ Proverb
Water is life. Our bodies contain up to 60% of water. It is vital for the adequate functioning of the living cell and it plays a central role in the functioning of all organ systems. There are a lot of things to learn about the water but there are not so many things to practice. I would highlight two major prescriptions:
- Stay hydrated.
- Ensure the purity of the water you drink.
About hydration.
According to H.H. Mitchel et al. the water content of certain organs exceeds 60%. A heart can reach up to 73%, lungs — 83%, skin — 64%, kidneys — 79%, and even the bones contain up to 31% of water [Journal of Biological Chemistry 158]. Clearly, water is essential for the good operation of the whole organism.
Dehydration is dangerous not only because of the obvious hazardous symptoms that come along with it. Some other “enemies in disguise” pose a threat. The feeling of thirst can be easily confused with the feeling of hunger especially considering the fact that we get a significant fraction of our daily amount of water from food. It may sound counterintuitive but dehydration is a common reason why people gain additional weight. According to the European Association for the Study of Obesity, overweight and obesity are the fifth leading risk for global deaths. EASO states that at least 2.8 million adults die each year as a result of being overweight or obese.
So how do we monitor if we are well-hydrated? There is a simple method — every time you go to the restroom check the color of your urine. The color indicates concentration: dark yellow — dehydrated, transparent and clear — you are good. All the hues in-between will give you a rough idea of how much water you need to drink to rehydrate yourself.
About the purity of the water.
I reconsidered my mindset about the purity of the water I drink after reading “The Shocking Truth About Water” by Paul Bragg. In the argument about what kind of water is appropriate to drink opinions have divided — there are those who advocate for drinking distilled water and those against it. Untwisting the entanglement of this argument within the scope of this book does not seem realistic so here is a simple and appropriate answer to the question: what is the purest form of water? Fruits.
The water inside fruits is distilled for you by mother nature itself. The combination of micro- and macro-nutrients fruits contain makes fruit juice a perfect electrolyte for the body.
Someone might dispute the safety of eating fruits bringing up the hazards of pesticides. Fair enough, anthropogenic pollution has severely compromised the agricultural sector yet still I would choose the water inside fresh tangerines over the tap water anytime. As a nice bonus, tangerines also have an interesting stimulating effect. Few people know but a dozen tangerines will wake you up way better than espresso. Enjoy using this healthy productivity-hack.
Another common counterargument against fruits is that all of the fruits are genetically modified and GMOs are bad for health. It seems like there are a lot of misconceptions about GMOs. For example, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy something as simple as bananas because bananas in their current form that we all love and enjoy exist only thanks to the advancements in genetic modification. I did my homework and I came to the conclusion that GMO fruits and vegetables are not riskier than their non-GMO equivalent but please do not just take my word for it, do your own research.
Take a pause to hydrate yourself. Drink some water. In our next section, we will talk about the state when water is your only food. Let’s talk about fasting.
Thank you for reading my book “Meditations of the Millennial”.
If you want to support me on my mission, please, share this book with someone you love. Maybe they will find what they seek on its pages.
