I can't believe we are in week 8 already!!! I am feeling so good it's crazy! I loved my eating veggies week but am thinking it might be easier than drinking all this water. We shall see. I am feeling very motivated by all of Dwayne's great information and enthusiasm about keeping our bodies hydrated! Here is the email he sent us about drinking clean water- Thanks Dwayne!!
Drinking Water Challenge - MFFTK Spring / Summer 2011
I am so excited to have been selected as this week’s cheerleader for the More Fit For the Kingdom Challenge. By the way, how about a great big shout out and thank you to Sarah for inviting us to become our better selves. Sarah, thank you for all your hard work and inspiration. To the rest of you, thank you for your commitment to His work, and for the community of Saints that accepting this challenge has made us together.
Our challenge this week is to drink at least 64 ounces of pure water daily. That is 8 cups. It could be 8 glasses, 5 glasses, or just 4 glasses. Obviously, it depends on the size of your drinking glass. These 64 ounces are a general minimum that has been recommended by several researchers and medical professionals for decades.
First of all, let me say that this is the first time I have ever been an official cheerleader.
Second, other than training as an EMT (and licensure by the state to work as an EMT), I have no formal training in the medical field. I hold no degrees in medicine, nursing, health, fitness, nor nutrition. I don’t work or practice in any medical field. I don’t counsel , coach, nor train in any way related to physical fitness.
Why then should anyone, including you, trust me relating to this week’s challenge on drinking pure water. That is a very good question. The answer to this very good question is simply, “YOU SHOULD NOT!” I am just a cheerleader.
It is my job to cheer. It is my job to point out topics, ideas, and resources for you to consider in your quest for a greater understanding of how proper intake of water could benefit your health.
When I have attended college football games, I have never seen the star quarterback at the beginning of the game go to the sidelines and ask a cheerleader which plays to run. He (this may appear to be sexist, but I have never seen a female star quarterback on a college football team) relies on his training, intuition, and personal experience. He turns to his personal coach for advice. He is wise to follow the team’s head coach for leadership and direction.
It is your job to study and research for yourselves. It is your job to use your previous experiences, your intuition, your personal coaches, and your individual medical advisors when making changes in your personal physical lifestyle decisions. Most of all, we have the benefit of drawing upon our Father in Heaven’s advice (scriptures), counsel (living prophets), and inspiration (gift of the Holy Ghost) as we navigate the many interrelated choices for our health and physical fitness.
I will try to bring out some things that you should consider in your education regarding drinking water. Everyone is on a different level of experience. Because of this fact, you will likely read things from my cheerleading sideline that you already have learned or experienced. I intend to point out some basics that some of our challenge may not have had the exposure to before. It will serve as a fresh reminder for some, and come as new enlightenment for others.
I am passionate about water. I drink like a fish. I prefer water over any other beverage. Even if a beverage is offered included with a meal, I choose water. I like to drink it out of a wide mouthed glass. Real glass. For hikes and other outings, I carry a wide mouthed stainless steel canteen. I can drink more water at a sitting (or a standing) with a wide mouth vessel. I drink close to a gallon of water every day. That’s 128 ounces.
When I have spoken to some people about water, during our discussion some have asked me if you can have too much water. In my opinion, the answer is yes. There are a couple of medical conditions caused by too much water. The first is very serious, and it is called “Water Intoxication”. The other is called “Drowning”. While the latter condition usually involves very large amounts of water, it can take surprising little water to drown. Be careful leaving open containers with standing water. These pose real hazards for pets and children. You never know when there may be visiting children at your home.
Water Intoxication is a dangerous condition where too much water is taken into your system in a very short period of time, diluting the electrolytes in your system and messing with proper cell function. Water intoxication causes an electrolyte imbalance that affects concentrations of your ion sodium, and it leads to a condition called hyponatremia. While it can cause death, it is very unusual for most of us ordinary folks. Hyponatremia afflicts athletes and those training for serious sporting challenges. These athletes are aware of this condition and threat. This is why they drink sports drinks with electrolytes when they are training. It is a good idea for us (ordinary folks) to replace electrolytes when we engage in extraordinary exercise, outdoor events, or activities.
For most of us (probably all of us MFFTK Saints), the practical answer to the question, “can we drink too much water”, is NO. Not likely anyway. The greater water threats to our health are the lack of sufficient water intake, the ingestion of prevalent poisons and contaminants, and drinking diuretics (dehydrating elements that make our fluids pass through us too fast, causing unnecessary dehydration).
Enough of the technical talk. You are not going to die from drinking too much water this week. We are going to cover topics of dehydration, it’s causes, conditions that can result from too little water intake, common symptoms, and very real health risks associated with chronic dehydration.
When my father taught me to drink 8 glasses of water in the 1970’s, I was smarter that he was (I was a teenager) and I knew that I didn’t need that much because my body did not demand it. It was hard to drink a lot of water back then. I have had to learn to drink water when my body is not telling me it is thirsty. Most clinicians will tell you that when your body is screaming for water by sending signals to your mouth and brain, you are already significantly dehydrated.
How do I drink my water?
First of all, it needs to be pure and healthful. More on this later.
Second, as I said before I like to drink from clean glass vessels when at home. I drink from clean stainless steel when out and about, and from a straw at restaurants.
Third, I have learned to “front load” my day with as much pure drinking water as possible. I drink from a 16 ounce glass at home. When I first get into the kitchen in the morning, and before I do anything else, I drink one or two 16 ounce glasses of RO Water. When I eat my oatmeal (I know, but at least it does have blueberries and agave nectar in it) I drink another 16 ounce glass. Finally, before I leave the house I drink a fourth glass with some fruit and vegetable pills that I take (Dr. Howard - Balance of Nature). Yes, as a matter of fact I do spend a lot of time in the restroom in the mornings.
Fourth, during the day I drink when I can, trying to get in another 48 to 60 ounces.
Fifth, I make sure that I don’t drink a lot of water after 8 pm, as it can lead to restless sleep.
This routine helps me keep my energy up. However, it does not make me “immune” from getting sick. We will discuss the effects of pure drinking water on our bodily systems later.
Everyone is different. We all need different amounts of water depending upon our activities of the day, our weight, and our personal habits and routines. Find a balance for your lifestyle. It is recommended that we all use the following calculation as a baseline for proper pure water intake. Divide your weight by 2 for measure of the bare minimum number of ounces of pure water to drink on any given day.
“And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee”
Exodus 23:25
May God bless you this week as you focus on protecting and preserving this fine instrument and blessings that He has given you. Your health, mind, and body.
Dwayne
Water Cheerleader
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