Chew your water for deep hydration.
The human body has an internal ocean.
The body made up of an average of 60% water - about the same as the earth, and that is not a coincidence. The organs with some of the highest fluid compositions are the lungs (83%), muscles and kidneys (79%), brain and heart (73% each) and skin (63%).
But these are only averages, and in Ayurveda we take a more personalised approach to health. Your fluid levels change with age, gender (including over each menstrual cycle), season, geographic location and hydration levels.
That last one is key because it is the one that is within our control. Hydration levels indicate the amount of water content we have in our bodies, and these can be experienced in our ability to stay cool on a hot day, enjoy joint flexibility and mobility, flush out waste products and toxins like pharmaceuticals, chemicals, caffeine and alcohol, maintain bright and shiny eyes, hair, skin and nails, as well as optimise our ability to digest and absorb essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Hydration also regulates our enzyme and hormone balance, and keeps us looking and feeling youthful.
The digestive tract is a long, convoluted and porous tube which begins at the mouth and going all the way to the anus. The more hydrated this tube is, the more efficiently food is converted into nourishment, and waste can be eliminated. Many people who experience digestive issues like sensitive stomachs, acidity, gas, bloating, constipation, low metabolism, sluggishness and nutritional deficits have dryness and irritation in the digestive tract from a lack of hydration. Cracks, crevices and redness on the surface of the tongue are a mirror of the digestive tract.
The general guidelines suggest that we need to drink about 2-3 litres of water a day, which is up to 13 cups of water. While this varies according to a range of factors, here’s the recommendation from a holistic perspective: it doesn't matter how much you drink, but how much you can absorb. Running water along a pipe will often result in the same amount of water passing out of that pipe. How can we increase the absorption of fluid into all the critical organs and support the bodily functions that require plenty of H2O?
Here are three suggestions to increase your hydration over the festive season, especially if you feel dehydrated, often forget to drink water, drink caffeine and alcohol, take medication or have digestive issues:
Drink warm water: Everything we consume needs to be brought to our internal body temperature for optimal digestion and absorption, which is about 37 degC. Drinking anything straight out of the fridge requires the body to first warm the fluid up. If you are already tired, overheated or dehydrated, cold water can make you feel more thirsty, and needing more water to get comfortable. Switch to warm or room temperature water and notice how much quicker you feel satiated!
Chew you water: Rehydration drinks often contain electrolytes to help increase fluid absorption and aid muscle recovery after exercise. But they also contain lots of additives and preservatives, not to mention some interesting food colours you would never see in nature. Adding a small amount of spices such as fennel, cardamom or cumin to hot water, and allowing it to steep for a few minutes, can increase water absorption by stimulating the digestive system without all the chemicals. You could also add a pinch of rock salt or a natural sweetener if you want to.
Drink to quench thirst: While a prescriptive approach to the quantity of water is useful in a broad sense, everyone is different everyday. Paying attention to the signals of thirst and attending to them regularly increase deep hydration because you are feeding your body what it needs, when it needs it. This is when optimal absorption occurs, because the body is primed for fluid. We need more water in summer than winter, more on physically active days, and less at night compared to during the day. Learn to cultivate self awareness or find guidance to tune into the signals from the wonderful tools of mind and body that you already have.
When we are well hydrated, we have an inner sense of cool and calm, and greater emotional balanced. Joint pain, hot headedness and irritability can be supported by deep hydration, as well as some other tools. This is the holistic experience that we can enjoy by recognising that we are connected in mind, body and spirit.
Small changes can bring lifelong wellness.
