that clean water hype 💦
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS INTENDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS PERSONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. INDIVIDUALS SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT THEIR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER BEFORE ADMINISTERING ANY OF THE SUGGESTIONS MADE ON THEBALANCEDCALM.COM TO ENSURE THEY ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCE.
How strange is it that the first direction for not killing a Venus Fly Trap is to make sure to not give it tap water? If that’s not enough to get you thinking, I highly recommend checking out the EWG’s Tap Water Database, plugging in your own and your loved one’s zip codes: https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/
Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that water purification is fleeting trend. Clean water is essential to life and two thirds+ of the world’s population doesn’t have access to clean water (!!!) — and for the one third that does, there is still confusion over what are mistruths and what we really need to be mindful of. The fact of the matter is, there are toxic chemicals in our water. You know that hard water that leaves marks on our showers and drinking glasses? Well, it’s not only making our skin dull and aiding in breakouts on our external bodies, it’s adding to our toxic loads on the inside. So, in short — it all starts with clean water and we all have an obligation to ourselves, and the world, to be advocates in this water crisis. It will sadly not magically solve itself. The pesticides sprayed on our crops don’t just contaminate our food, the soil or air, it quickly makes its way into our water supply. The cycle can frankly feel daunting. But first things, first, we all need to get informed, begin taking the steps to make a positive impact for others, our loved ones and most importantly, our-freaking-selves! Even if we want to try to skirt the politics, hydration is the number one cure all and HEALTH IS WEALTH!
And now, 7 fun facts about water — did you know that water can help you…
1. MAINTAIN OR LOSE WEIGHT + BURN MORE CALORIES
Dehydration can trick our minds into believing we are hungry, when we are actually thirsty. Ultimately we are in need of nutrients when we’re dehydrated and that nutrient is H20. Extra bonus, water boosts our metabolism and helps us feel full more quickly, allowing for lower calorie consumption and positive weight management.
2. EXERCISE WITH EASE
Drinking water prior to and during our working outs is the ultimate muscle fuel, lubricating all of our organs, tissues and joints! High-intensity physical activity can cause us to lose water, causing our muscles to become tired. Drinking water will help boost energy, reduce cramps and possible injury.
3. PROTECT YOUR KIDNEYS + FLUSH OUT TOXINS
Did you know that our kidneys filter approximately 200 quarts of fluid each day and returning them to our bloodstream? Needless to say, taking care of them is important. Drinking more water can aid to significantly reduce our risk for chronic health conditions. As a whole, water helps to eliminate wastes and toxins from our bodies by encouraging healthy digestion and allows for nutrients to be transported throughout our bodies.
4. MAINTAIN OR ACHIEVE CLEAR SKIN
Our skin is our largest organ, so what we put on and in it is pretty important! And given our bodies are water based, it should be so surprise that people who drink more water tend to have clearer, younger looking skin. Water works to hydrate our skin and reduce toxin-induced blemishes, resulting in a natural healthy glow, no fancy creams needed!
5. DODGE HEADACHES + EASE JOINT PAIN
Water is a lubricant for our entire body, including our joints. It helps reduce pain and protect against daily wear and tear. Drinking more water can even help eliminate other pain in the body by supporting our lymphatic system — a complex network of nodes, tubes, vessels and fluid that move waste from our tissues. Even headaches are often rooted in dehydration, so the first pain-reliever of choice should always be a tall glass of water to prevent or ease that pesky headache.
6. BOOST PRODUCTVITY
We all want to feel more productive and the brain is made up of 73% water. So by no surprise, water will help increase electrical functioning between our brain and nervous system, allowing for clearer thinking and increased efficiency in our days. Bonus, striving for sleep better? You guessed it, water is essential! While many of us have an intimate relationship with our morning coffee ritual, we lose about 1 liter of water each night just by breathing! Sipping on a tall glass of water first thing (before that coffee) can awaken, rejuvenate and hydrate our bodies to function at full capacity and set our days up for success!
7. FEEL HAPPIER
We all know that crash that comes when we’re getting HANGRY! Some of us more than others (hehe). Well lo and behold, there’s an equivalent feeling for dehydration and it can so deeply affect our moods that it can make us feel sad, grumpy and confused. By keeping hydrated, we can all feel optimally balanced and energized. Water stimulates the flow of nutrients and hormones that release the feel-good endorphins we all need to feel joyful happiness.
Maintain that cool/calm/collected/sexy/happy self of yours by drinking the recommended amount of water! We are all bio-individuals with unique needs, but on average, according to The National Academy of Medicine, men should have about 3.7 liters of water each day and women about 2.7. While this may seem astronomical, this number includes water that we get from food, which accounts for approximately 20%. In translation, men need roughly 2.96 liters and women 2.16, which is still above the basic recommendation of 8 cups a day, so as a rule of thumb — let’s make a habit out of sipping from our reusable water bottles and make sure we’re never thirsty. Please note that too much water can result in mineral imbalances, so no need to overdo it.
Water filter tips:
✅ We have a Big Berkey water filter in our home that permanently lives near the sink. It’s super easy to fill up multiple glass bottles at time. We pop them in the fridge, so there’s anyways a fresh supply of crisp filtered water. And an easy hack to keeping that Berkey sparkling on the outside is to scrub it occasionally with a little baking soda paste — hard water spots be gone ✨
✅ We remineralize our water by keeping alkaline water drops on hand that include important trace minerals that support gut and skin health…and when we run out, lemon works just as well!
✅ We love our Jolie Shower Head to keep our hair and skin glowing! Our skin is after all our biggest organ after all and is immediately connected to our immune system. When our digestive tract or skin is compromised in any way, our internal organs, particularly the big filterers (livers, kidneys, lymphatic system) are directly impacted. So, if we want to keep that glow outside, the only way is to protect both the internal and external.
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