Years ago, my dad sent me a meme with a bunch of ice cubes on a plate. The caption read: “Finally settling down to my vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, antibiotic free, raw, non GMO, organic, fat free, carb free meal!” To which I replied, “oh my gosh, is that tap water? I’m not eating that!” Because, while I understand the need to hydrate, I also understand that not all water sources are clean or good for me.

Dr. Henele of the Energetic Health Institute regularly says that “where there’s space, there is movement; where there is movement, there’s energy; and where there’s energy, disease cannot exist.”

Your body has a lot of space in it, and most of it is full of water. How much of you is water? About 65-75%. That is why you are continually encouraged to stay well hydrated with clean, pure water. We want those spaces in your body where all the action is taking place to be clean, un-adulterated, and able to work efficiently.

Hydration is a Key to Good Health

Hydration is the key to so many processes in your body that even just a little bit of dehydration can have dangerous results. When you hydrate, your body absorbs water-soluble nutrients. Your brain functions. Adequate hydration is a conductor for metabolism within your cells, transporting chemicals in the bloodstream. It even forms healthy bowel movements, which are 75% water, and regulates your body temperature, among other things.

Symptoms of Dehydration

Dr. Axe tells us that some of the symptoms of dehydration can include “headaches, lack of energy, weight gain, lack of cleansing and detox, a weakened immune response, getting colds and flu easily, and feeling lethargic or even experiencing brain fog.”

How dehydrated do you have to be to experience this? Losing as little as 1-2% of your fluids is enough to bring this on. There are roughly 10 gallons of water inside your body at any given time, which you lose through urination, breathing, and sweating.

Our Drinking Water is Compromised

We know that we need to drink enough water during the day, and while this is true, the quality of our water is often compromised. Our hydration sources are full of chlorine, fluoride, heavy metals, medications, pesticides, and herbicides instead of mineral-rich mountain runoff.

Francesco Pomati, Ph.D., conducted an experiment showing that 13 medications found in Italian river water could retard the growth of developing human kidney cells by up to a third. In 2008, an MSNBC report found that US hospitals and long-term care facilities routinely flushed millions of pounds of unused pharmaceuticals down the drain. We dispose of approximately 250 million pounds of medications this way. Our water treatment plants cannot remove these medications and toxins from our drinking water. Check out the NRDC report “What’s on Tap?” from June 2003 to see some of the contaminants that you might find in your drinking water. Or go to the Environmental Working Group and check out their Tap Water Database.

Recommended Options To Hydrate

To clean up your water, you have several options.

Distilled water is perfect for getting the most nutrients out of our food. It is an exceptional medium for teas and soups because it acts like a sponge and absorbs nutrients.

Reverse Osmosis is a decent water filtration system, especially when coupled with a UV light, but it still uses reclaimed water.

Berkey water filters make an excellent countertop water filtration system that claims to remove more than 99.5% of heavy metals, BPA, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and fluoride.

Which Bottled Water Should You Use to Hydrate?

Bottled water comes with grim consequences. Often packaged in plastic containers, the liquid gets contaminated with several chemicals like phthalates and BPA that can leach into your drinking water. These toxins make you sick as you hydrate. They impact multiple body systems like your glandular or reproductive system and even your fetus and child’s development. Direct sunlight and temperatures over 80 degrees can cause the mass transfer of plastics into water. It regularly reaches these temperatures inside a hot car, so consider using a stainless steel or glass water bottle instead.

It is probably better to use a reusable stainless steel or glass container with your filtered water in it. If that is not an option, and you need to grab a drink while you are out, grab a glass bottle of water at the store like Vos, Perrier, or San Pelligrino. Look for BPA-free packaging, but don’t get lulled into a false sense of security by this label. BPS replaced BPA. It’s a known obesogen that hinders heart function.

On the plus side, reducing your single-use plastics will also keep the environment cleaner and keep microplastics out of our water supply.

Water Softeners

Water Softeners only protect the pipes and appliances; they do not change the quality of the water you drink.

Should You Drink pH water to Hydrate?

Oxygenated water shifts the pH to alkaline, which will make your digestion very difficult. Your stomach is full of acid for a reason. It breaks down food, especially protein, in your stomach. Neutralizing or alkalizing it with pH water will weaken your ability to break down your proteins.

Conclusion

To keep your body running smoothly you need to hydrate and you need to make sure your water supply is clean. Opt for an excellent reverse osmosis system, Berkey filter, or bottled water if you must. To protect the planet, use reusable glass or stainless steel water bottles. If you want to learn more, we’re offering a free live class on July 14 at 10 a.m. Arizona time. You can sign up here to attend or receive the recording.

What’s Next?

For most people, minor lifestyle changes will make a big difference. However, there are times when the problem runs deeper, and you need professional help. If you’ve tried to figure this out on your own, or you feel like you’re lost in a maze of information and aren’t sure which path to take, don’t give up hope.

We have a range of different approaches that will help you figure out the root cause of your dysfunction and stop the cycle of sickness so you can feel better now. Book your free 30-minute Breakthrough Strategy Session today.