I’ll be honest there were many days in the not so distant past when my beverage intake started with coffee, moved to tea and finished with wine. NO WATER, not a single drop in my day! And I’m a health expert! Don’t I know better? YES! I do BUT reality sometimes makes our world different than how we’d like to see it. Something as simple as the Daily Ritual of consuming healthy water in healthy amounts can somehow seem elusive. What the heck?
So enough already! Let’s drink some water... let’s have enough of the RIGHT water to make a difference in your life. Drinking optimal amounts of water can help you lose weight, improve mood, improve your adrenal function, giving you more energy and will help you battle daily stress.
There are other ways to consume water besides drinking a cup every hour. Watery fruits and vegetables, tea and other beverages that contain water also help with rehydrating. Beware though caffeinated beverages that contain water do not count in this equation because they pull water from the body.(2)
Tap Water: Water from the local municipal water source. Often in health circles we hear not to consume water from the tap. This is a good suggestion because tap water is often full of cleaning agents, pharmaceuticals, pesticides and other synthetic chemicals that are impossible to remove from the general water supply without advanced water technologies. Since many areas are not using these yet it’s best to at the very least filter your tap water with a basic filter. To learn what is in your local water supply you can check the website of your local water management company. Tap water is regulated by the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency.
Alkaline Water: There are many machines on the marketplace and brands that will take filtered spring water or purified tap water and turn it into a high PH alkaline water. The benefit of consuming alkaline water is that it works to quickly support a balanced PH in your body. Disease cannot live in an alkaline environment so it is imperative for healing that you work to keep your body in a neutral vs. acidic state. Many spring waters are also naturally PH neutral or slightly alkaline. Tap water trends towards an acidic PH typically. Intervention programs aimed at quickly reversing a health challenge often include alkaline water for at least 50% of daily water intake in order to give the body the best opportunity to fight auto-immune issues.
It’s a lot to take in right?! Many clients remark that a healthy balance of high mineral clean spring water with some alkaline water options mixed in help them to feel their very best. The first step can often be connecting to a great source of water in your area. It may be a filter in your own home, health store, delivery service or a great water store providing bulk options in your neighborhood. If you’ve read through this and feel overwhelmed on where to start here is my best suggestion for you. Drink at least 8 glasses of healthy spring water a day this week! Try a brand listed below- buy 4 or 5 of their large bottles and enjoy it. Treat yourself on this, you can figure out the rest later. Once you get into this Daily Ritual you can begin to update and edit your selections week after week.
Here are 3 more ideas that helped me to begin enjoying water.
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Start the day with a water flush- That’s 16-24 oz. of water upon rising before consuming any other type of beverage. (Thank you to one of my original mentors Steve Meyerowitz!www.sproutman.com)
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When you feel sluggish in the afternoon you could be dehydrated- before reaching for a snack or giving in and taking a nap try 8 oz. of water and see if it perks you up!
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Several health educators agree that water with a meal can actually distract from the digestive process. SO instead of water with a meal how about 16 oz. BEFORE each meal- wait 15-20 minutes and then enjoy your meal. (This also helps prevent overeating - wink, wink!)
What are some of our favorite brands out there & why?
Mountain Valley Water: Available at health food stores and for delivery in the US
Acqua Panna: Italian Spring Water available in glass worldwide. This is a high quality mineral water from a spring. Available in glass and has a nice sparkling variety which could be nice option for those looking to eliminate soda and replace it with a healthy hydrating option. https://www.acquapanna.com/us/
Voss: Icelandic water, with a high concentration of electrolytes to support your energy levels. They have a new variety “Voss Plus” with additional minerals. This water is also available in glass and BPA free plastic. https://vosswater.com/
Berkey: Recommended by Dr. Hyman, this line of filters offers options of all sizes. The Berkey excels at removing heavy metals. Some municipal water supplies have excessive heavy metal contaminants in their water. If your region is one of these I highly recommend this system for added safety in your water supply. https://www.berkeyfilters.com/