How did water become complicated?
Ever bought an expensive toy for your kid, or cat, and they end up playing with the box? Well, I've got a secret hack for you. Give them water. It keeps kids busy for hours and chases cats away. Win-win. (I'm a dog person, sorry.)
A child and water. They can pour water from a jug onto sand for hours. Swimming? All summer. And showers? I can watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy during one shower.
As adults, we tend to lose that fascination a bit. Unless the water is dosed with hops or some tonic. And so a dreaded word starts creeping into conversation...
HYDRATION!
It used to be 8 glasses a day. Now it's Stanley cups and vials of electrolytes. Everything is more complicated. Why?
Well, first up, water isn't just water. Water is always H2O, but it's seldom alone, unless it's distilled. It usually has other ingredients, such as minerals or chemicals, or even bacteria and viruses. How to choose?
1. Distilled water - This is pure water without anything in it. However, water tends to rebalance itself so it will steal minerals from your body if you drink it regularly.
2. Deionized water - Water with the minerals removed. May still contain bacteria and viruses. Will also steal minerals from your body.
3. Reverse Osmosis water - Filtered water that is close to distilled water. It has the same issue in that it has no minerals and so is likely to leech them from your body.
4. Spring water - Usually what you buy in bottles, but you'd have to check the source, as often bottled water is "processed water" (filtered tap water in a bottle). Checking the pH is also crucial as low pH (below 7) can cause acidity in the body.
5. Filtered water (My choice) - Probably the best choice as it removes chemicals like chlorine and bacteria and most viruses, but not minerals.
6. Ozonated, structured, alkalized water - Water, but with stuff added or special processes. Can be good but is seldom cost effective.
So now, we just drink our filtered water, and we are hydrated right? Slow down young padawan.
Besides fluid balance and nutrient transportation, one of the main functions of water in the body is for muscle and nerve activity which requires minerals in the water. Did you know you can put electronics in distilled water and they won't get damaged? Because there are no minerals to conduct electricity.
So drinking water without minerals doesn't help the electrical functions in your body like nerve impulses and muscle contraction and release. Which is why you often get cramps from dehydration, not because of a lack of water, but a lack of minerals or electrolytes.?
So drinking enough water every day is crucial to good health and the guideline is 300ml for every 10kg you weigh. But adding electrolytes, like, ummm, I don't know, The Daily Electrolyte Hydration Powder, can really ramp up the benefits of being hydrated. Like better immunity, energy, mental health, skin health, heart health, digestive health, even sleep.
Of course, this would be in addition to...
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