In a clinical setting we often see people with ongoing issues of muscle tension, tightness and an inability for the body to relax. Most of the time these conditions occur simply because of poor hydration!

When checking the rate of your pulse – often a rapid pulse indicates inflammation and more often than not, dehydration. At the same time just gently touch your skin, around the inner arm, wrist to elbow. Does it feel dry? These simple assessments can give some basic information about your overall levels of hydration which will impact greatly on the quality of the blood and its capacity to move freely through the body.

Water being the foundation for life is the foundation of your blood! Poor hydration equates with poor micro-circulation of blood. It is that simple.

 

Some simple facts about water and your body:

• Composes 75% of your brain.
• Makes up 85% of your blood.
• Composes 25 % of your bones.
• Makes up 75% of your muscles.
• Helps your body absorb nutrients.
• Protects and cushions your vital organs.
• Helps convert food to energy.
• Moistens our breath to enhance our breathing.
• Helps carry oxygen and nutrients to your cells.
• Cushions your joints.
• Removes waste.
• Regulates your body temperature.

 

1. In chronic disease the body will always dehydrate as part of the dis-ease process, further putting the body out of balance.
2. The body’s water needs will fluctuate depending on what you are doing and the kinds of foods you are eating. Remember drinks like tea and coffee are dehydrating as they have a diuretic effect on our body!
3. Thirst is an indicator of our water needs as is the colour / quantity of our urine. In a dehydrated state our thirst increases and the concentration of our urine will also increase. However, sometimes hunger and thirst are misinterpreted and people eat when they are actually thirsty.
4. To maximize the absorption of water into our body you can use a simple strategy. Add a small amount of juice to the water you are drinking. Suggested ratio is 30 parts water to 1part juice. (no orange juice! – a squeeze of lemon or lime juice is ok or any juice that is not too sweet) Or another simple way to prepare your “hydration water” is to get some organic fruits (or veggies) and cut some into pieces, (skins too) and soak them in a large container of water overnight. The water will absorb the essence of the fruits. The fruit sugar acts as a vehicle for the water into our cells optimizing the ability of our body to be hydrated.
5. Thirst will be quenched more easily using this method and the need to go to the toilet “frequently” will be reduced as the absorption of water into your body becomes more complete.
6. When hydrating, think drip irrigation. Regular small amounts during the day will be more easily absorbed and will meet the needs of the body, preventing a state of bodily distress.
7. Also be aware of the temperature of water you are drinking. Cold drinks cause the stomach to go into “shock” as it prefers anything that is ingested to be warm. Over time, if you drink cold drinks, you will weaken the stomach’s function and possibly end up with chronic digestive weakness. So think warm drinks. This is especially important for children whose digestive organs are still developing.

 

Blood Circulation

 

Micro blood circulation in the body is the true indicator of health. If there is blood stagnation anywhere in the body, then there is the potential for disease to take hold.

Stagnant blood will create blockages in normal blood flow, fluid metabolism and energy circulation through the channels. It will also greatly affect the functioning capacity of the liver and the kidneys as they both require large volumes of free flowing blood to carry out their duties of filtering the blood and keeping it healthy.

Stagnant or “sticky” blood can often be the underlying cause of elevated levels of blood pressure as the blood doesn’t flow as freely as it should, creating more friction and greater effort to pump it through the body.

Scar tissue on your body can indicate whether there is chronic blood stagnation. If the scar tissue has any kind of purplish hue or darkness, then there is possibly systemic blood stagnation.

So if you become more aware of these underlying elements of hydration and blood then you can develop a deeper understanding of health and accept responsibility in taking better care of your body.