Toast Your Good Health with a Glass of Water
It was the last thing I expected to see, a serious frown directed at me by my osteopath. I try to visit him three or four times a year to smooth out the kinks and discomfort brought on by hours of sitting at work and awkward sleeping positions. Normally our sessions are problem free – the combination massage therapy and reflexology treatments always leave me feeling better and more inclined to keep my posture strong.
While I know I’m getting older and putting extra burdens on my body, I didn’t expect to hear that I could be in danger.
“I could smell uric acid,” he told me during our post-therapy consultation. Because I am used to my own body, he theorized, that was probably the reason I had detected nothing unusual. Coming from an educational background, and a mother who was a science teacher, I knew uric acid was a waste product found often in the blood and urine. It is one thing that contribute to the formation of kidney stones. In my case, uric acid was an indicator that I was headed for serious kidney problems.
“You’re still young, you should be kicking ass,” my osteopath scolded. Now, it appeared if I didn’t take better care of myself I could be on dialysis in five years.
Luckily, my problem has a solution that doesn’t require surgery or extensive therapy. In order to reverse my current condition, my osteopath told me to do one thing: drink more water. Half my body weight in ounces daily, to be exact. The key, of course, is sticking to such a regimen.
Drink Your Water!
No doubt you’ve heard it from everybody – your parents, your doctor, health talk show mainstays. The road to wellness is actually a river of pure, clean water, and while to drink sixty-four ounces or more a day seems like an impossible task, it is actually one of the simplest steps you can take to starting a sound health improvement program. After all, our bodies are approximately sixty percent water, so it is only natural that we constantly replenish ourselves in order to feel good. Water is fat free, calorie-free, and contains neither sugar nor caffeine, as opposed to a number of “health” shakes and drinks on the market.
Think about how many times a day you eat or have a snack. How often do you have a drink to accompany your meals? How often do you default to the combo meal that comes with a soft drink? Sure, you can order a diet drink and not contend with calories or fat, but consider the sugars (or sugar substitutes) and other ingredients that may counter effect your dieting program. By replacing each drink with a glass of water, not only are you closer to your daily allowance, but you greatly increase the chances of a healthier you!
Water energizes: As you engage in a strenuous workout, you need fluids to replace what you lose. Friends may suggest sports drinks with electrolytes, but these same drinks may have sugar, which may counter affect your exercise. Drinking water as you exercise can keep you energized to complete your workout.
Water refreshes: On a hot day, nothing cools down the body like a glass of ice water. Of course, it doesn’t have to be a hundred degrees for water consumption to be necessary. Drink a glass or two between meals for a continued good feeling.
Water cleanses: As was reminded me, the more water you drink, the better for your kidneys. Yes, you might imagine that drinking water you need to urinate more, but this is actually a good thing. Water breaks down calcium deposits that can form into kidney stones, so the more you drink the less chance you will have of getting them. You may notice, too, that your urine becomes a lighter color when you drink more water in a day. This is a good sign, it means you are keeping your kidneys healthy. Ideally, you want to be sure your urine is as clear as possible. This lets you know that your body is free of toxins that would otherwise cause serious health problems in the future.
As for me, I’ll enjoy as much as I can each day and hope my osteopath is smiling when I see him next.
Kathryn Lively writes about Richmond health issues.