How easily do you want blood cells to glide through your veins? Do you want your sinuses to process pollen easily? Do you want to cushion your spine and brain? How easily do you want nutrient particles and waste to move into and out of your intestinal walls? Imagine how difficult it is for your guts to move chips along a dry or mucous-filled canal? Oy! Moisture is needed, and it’s easiest if every day you drink the appropriate amount of healthy, clean water.
How much water to drink? Half your body weight in ounces is an easy way to measure. If you weigh 180; that’s 90 ounces. I drink a glass on the way to the bathroom in the morning. Then, I fill a liter bottle and put it next to my desk. By noon, I know I’ve drunk half of my day’s water. I refill the bottle, and by evening, I’m drunk enough.
How do you know if you’re drinking enough? Try the pinch test–pinch the flesh on the top of your forearm. The skin should easily pinch and return to normal. Three ten-ounce glasses with your meals and a morning coffee just doesn’t cut it, unless you weigh 80 pounds. How long do you spend in the bathroom for your morning bowel movement? A couple minutes at most should do it. Easy evacuation depends on adequate hydration.
I often don’t drink with meals (sometimes drinking with meal helps, sometimes it doesn’t–more in a future post). Your hydration needs depend on your diet. How much pasta, bread, chips and dry foods to you eat? Think about sliding that through a dry gullet.