Water
is the substance of life. The majority of people in
Utah are dehydrated, and they don't even realize it. In fact, up to 80%
of the people in Utah may be dehydrated. Before
you assume that you are not in that group, because you don't feel thirsty,
realize that thirst really has nothing to do with dehydration. You may also
believe that you get enough water because you drink beverages that have water as
an ingredient, such as coffee, tea, and sodas. Even though these beverages are
made with water, when they are ingested, they actually cause us to lose water!
You don't need other beverages - what you need is water.
Two-thirds
of our bodies consist of water. Approximately 83% of our blood is water, 75% of
our muscles are water, 22% of our bones are water, and 74% of our brains are
water. Our brains even float around in water! With these percentages, it should
be obvious as to why we require water to live in a
high-altitude desert environment like Salt Lake City. The water in our
bodies is lost every minute of every day - through sweat, tears, breathing and
urination - and simply through our pores. You are losing water right now, at
this very moment, and it needs to be replaced.
Dehydration affects more than just people outdoors in the sun, but
the heat and aridity of Utah summers makes it an even more ubiquitous and
serious problem for Salt Lake City residents. Some signs of dehydration include headaches, muscle aches
and cramps, fibromyalgia and joint pain.
As we perform chiropractic adjustments, we encourage you to increase
your water intake so that the cells of the body are able to get the nutrients
they need to heal properly. This happens
best when you are well hydrated.
Oftentimes chiropractic adjustments for neck and back pain leads to
detoxification and a flush of toxins that build up in our systems and therefore
it is important to be drinking enough water to help your body eliminate those
toxins.
By
increasing your water intake to eight glasses per day, in about a week's time,
you may notice that you have more energy, your mind is clearer, your skin is
healthier, and your food digests easier, and you may even find that you lose
weight! A good rule of thumb is to also
drink one glass of water for every cup of coffee or tea you have, as well as
for every soda. If you are exercising in
the Utah heat it is important to drink even more
water. You can do your part in helping
your body heal by getting regular chiropractic adjustments and by drinking more
water.
~
Dr. Hendricks
