I am sure we all agree that water is second in importance to oxygen in the life and death game.

So, how much, how often and when seem to be good questions. In my experience most people are dehydrated to the point of serious colapse and dis-ease.

I have some ideas about water, but would like to hear yours.

Over to you! :-~

Hi Nat Oh! Now this is a good subject to start a thread on.
(Water)

It's so very important that we drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. That's a half gallon. More may be needed in these hot summer days.

Dehydration is the most dangerous thing. It will cause fatigue, malaise, and a general feeling of not feeling well. You may even have nausea. You may have to go to the doctor or hospital.

I drink at least 8 glasses of 8ounces per day. It's more like 3 quarts that I consume all during the summer. And I'm not even a heavy sweater!

~~ Sunny ~~

Hi Sunny Side O:)

Thanks for your response and I hope there will be plenty more.

I (of course) agree with everything you say, but I really wanted to get at the heart of the topic.

When should we drink water, how much, what temperature, how long between eating or before eating?

I have trained with the College of Natural Nutrition here in the UK, and a large part of the teaching centres on water and its properties. I believe many, many common illnesses are caused by drinking poor quality or inadequate amounts of water. I would be particularly concerned it fluoride was added to my water (as is common in the US) because it?s a very dangerous poison, that stresses the body and weakens people.

What do you think? :wink:

Hello, Nat Ok...I have some answers based on my own expierences: When should we drink water?

At least 8 times a day or more. (Cool not icy or cold.) This is much better on our stomachs.

Hmmmm, :-k how long before a meal, or after a meal? I kind of 'sip' it most times, but I have been known to drink half before, and half after the meal.

Then there's my tea! / I love my decaf tea. ( I cannot have caffiene.) I enjoy a cup of tea about an hour after lunch and another one after dinner in the evening.

Oh! That's interesting you have trained at a nutrition college. You are correct! The fluoride is poison and is a frightening thing added to our water, and we cannot do anything about it, as far as I know.

The Gov't claims it's good for us, but most all of us know it's not! banned;

~~ Sunny ~~ [-o<

Hi there

Let me say what I think.

We should all aim to drink at least 2 litres of water a day, although not more than half a pint in an hour.

Water should be blood temperature so it is absorbed quickly and requires no autonomic nervous response to keep homeostasis on track. Warm water will also trigger the body to convert stored fats into sugars (the reverse of insulin)

Start each day with half a pint half an hour before you eat anything. This will release some sugars, as well as set up the stomach for digestion etc.

Always drink water half an hour before eating, do not drink water or fluids while eating and do not drink water for two hours after a meal. If you must drink some very small sips. Drinking fluids will dilute the stomach acids and you will ferment rather than digest your food.

Finish the day with some water to; as much as you can that wont have you running for the loo!

Drinking "thickened? water is even better for you.

Take a tablespoon of linseeds (flaxseeds) and soak them in mineral water for 12 hours (overnight) and drink this first thing in the morning. With or without seeds to suit.

This thickened water will carry a message of hydration to the large intestine, where it needs it most. The seeds are also an excellent natural laxative, and digestive aid, as well as very soothing. Make up another glass and drink this in the evening.

What do you think?

Hehee.... I don't need any natural laxative! :roll:

~~ Sunny ~~

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Generally it is said that 2 to 3 litres of water should be consumed daily for a normal healthy adult. But water requirement will vary from person to person and will vary as per season also. e.g. in winter one need not comsume the similar quantity that one consumes in summer. Opinons in medical world keep changing very fast. Best way is to keep drinking as and when the need is felt.

It has been theorized that cooler water or cold water actually ups the metabolism as energy is used to process it. This has been suggested for those that are in the process of losing weight. So, studies indicate that water temperature definitely affects the water absorbtion process in the body. As far as how much, I am a vegetarian eating about 80% raw and recieve most of my water through the veggies and juices I consume although I also drink a good amount of water.

To answer your other questions Nat, I think water consumption is something for which you can't formulate a specific normalized rate. From my studies as a paleoethnobotanist/foodways specialist there are cultures that survive (and very well I must admit) in regions of very little water. Some field work in the Amazon has shown that cultures that regard rivers and streams as sacred recieve much of their water intake from vegative resources and although the temperature norms are higher than those in North America they consume less water. Knowing this I think that someone telling you to be healthy you have to drink eight glasses of a gallon of water a day is incorrect, my experience and scientific study indicates that you (or I) need to drink enough water for you - and it may be more or less than eight glasses at room temperature. I will say though that consumption of water during a meal will aid digestion and nutrient absorbtion. Sorry for the long post but there it is for what it's worth.

Interesting thread. I don't know the answer either but I would like to comment on Hoodoopapa's post above.

I think studies such as the Amazon one that was stated must also take into considerations such as genetics that make up and environment that surround the subjects. I can remember reading one study where human nutritionists were studying the caloric requirements of military personnel in the arctic. Initial results were that military personnel origianlly not from that area required much more calories to simply maintain body weight. Locals from that region, although doing increased activity required much less calories to maintain body weight. As military personnel began to aclimate and work in the cold environment, calories required to maintain body weight slowly began to trend towards that of the locals - meaning that even though military personnel performed heavy-duty physical workloads, their need for calories to maintain body weight began to decrease. I can't help but wonder if this is similar to the decreased requirement for water of the Amazonians due to geographical, genetic and/or environmental conditions.

I try to drink lots of water. Dehydration, for me, leads to sluggishness and often a headache. I notice that Hoodoopapa also drinks lots of water (above post). Your body is a chemical reaction machine. Without water to to faciliate this (ie. as a medium to help bring chemicals togehter), I belieev it just would not function as efficiently. Again, this is my own theory

Interesting post indeed. Thanks for sharing everyone!

I agree with Ian. You have to find out how YOUR body reacts when it is dehydrating. For me I get shaky and feel somewhat light headed. Also there are simple tests that you can do that will determine if you are getting enough water (ask your doctor about these).

wow it looks like we have more experts here!! welcome Hoodoopapa!!!

hi, i am trying to make sure that i am drinking more water as i should ,but with 8 glasses i am forever going for a pee , LOL .but they do say it flushes the toxins out of the body so i will try to get into the habit of drinking more , dont want the toxins hanging around, never know what they might get up to

The latest nutritional studies I have read on the amount of water a person needs to drink a day says you need to drink at least 72 oz. of water a day . That is nine 8 oz. glases of water a day . I buy artesian spring water in five gallon bottles that I use in my water cooler . Artesian spring water comes from thousands of feet below ground and it has pretty much the same mineral contents world wide . Instead of containing floride artesian spring or well water contains florine which occurs naturally . It also contain a certain amount of iron and other trace minerals the body needs and tastes much better than distilled water or water that has floride added . In most cities world wide the water you get from your faucets has clorine added and you can often smell the clorine . Try to find bottled artesian spring water in your area when ever possible . It may cost more than city water from water treatment facilities but the health benifits are well worth the price !