By Dominique Allmon
In New Mexico we are in the middle of a wonderfully hot early summer. When temperatures soar, you are more likely to experience thirst. The only beverage that human body really needs is water, but many people find water tasteless and hard to swallow. They would rather drink sugar loaded lemonade or sodas and create a vicious cycle of thirst.
In New Mexico we are in the middle of a wonderfully hot early summer. When temperatures soar, you are more likely to experience thirst. The only beverage that human body really needs is water, but many people find water tasteless and hard to swallow. They would rather drink sugar loaded lemonade or sodas and create a vicious cycle of thirst.
The human body is composed of about 75 percent water. The remaining 25 percent are solid matter. Water regulates body temperature, lubricates the skin and the joints. It delivers nutrients and oxygen to your cells, removes and transports the waste products out of your body.
We lose water through urination, respiration and transpiration. Also the consumption of alcohol as well as drinks containing caffeine, like sodas, coffee and black tea for instance, causes the loss of water. If you do not replenish the lost water, you will start to experience the first signs of dehydration that go beyond thirst like headache, pain in muscles and joints, lower back pain, exhaustion, and body odor. Your urine will turn dark and have a strong odor.
The lack of water leads to a chronic dehydration which is a root cause of many degenerative diseases. You can, however, prevent and reverse dehydration simply by increasing your daily intake of water. The amount of water you need to drink depends on your lifestyle and the work you are performing. If you are more physically active and sweat more, you will need more water to replenish what you have lost.
To calculate the amount of water your body needs, take your body weight in pounds and divide that number in half. That should give you the number of ounces of water that you need to drink daily. For example, your weight is 150 pounds. Divide 150 by 2. You will get 75 or slightly more than a gallon, which is approximately the number of ounces of water your body needs. Increase this amount if you are working out, jogging, or performing other physically demanding task. Replenish your water if you regularly drink coffee and sodas.
The quality of water you drink is very important as well. Filtered, ionized water is most beneficial. A low sodium bottled mineral water with high mineral content is a good alternative if you do not own a water filter or a water ionizer, or are on the go.
Approximately 20 percent of the water your body needs comes from many foods that you eat. Fruit and vegetable have a very high water content. Make sure that you include enough of them in your diet as they also deliver the vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly.
Dehydration can have devastating effects on your body. The damage can be reversed. You can eliminate pain, hypertension, digestive disorders. You can lose weight and rejuvenate your skin and joints. Hydrate! Drink more water. And if plain water is not appealing to you, make a "spa" water.
In radiant health - passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2015
~ Infused Water Recipes ~
- Cucumber, Blueberry, Spearmint and Key Lime: 1 medium large cucumber, sliced; 1/3 cup fresh blueberries; 1/3 cup fresh spearmint leaves; 3-4 Key limes, sliced.
- Blueberries and Sage: 1 cup fresh blueberries; 1/3 cup fresh sage leaves.
- Strawberries, Lemon and Rosemary: fresh strawberries, hulled and halved; 1/2 lemon, sliced; 1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves (hard twigs removed).
- Blackberry, Green Apple, Lemon and Lemon Balm: 1 cup fresh blackberries; 1/2 green apple (such as Granny Smith or Pippin), cut in thin wedges; 1/2 lemon, sliced; 1/3 cup fresh lemon balm leaves.
- Mixed Citrus and Cilantro: 1/2 lemon, sliced; 1 orange, peel removed and sliced; 1 lime; sliced; 1/3 cup cilantro leaves.
- Watermelon and Basil: 1 cup watermelon, chopped; 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves.
- Honey Dew and Lemon Grass: 1 cup honey dew melon; 1/2 cup chopped fresh lemon grass.
These are my favorite recipes - seven different spa waters for each day of the week. It takes at least a few hours to infuse water with nutrients and the aroma of ingredients used. I prefer to infuse the water overnight. To make the water add your favorite ingredients to a 1/2 gallon jar, pour purified or a spring water, and place the jar in the fridge. Drink your spa water chilled and add ice cubes if you like it really cold. For an extra sparkle I love to add a dash of San Pellegrino into my glass of infused water, but that's me.
If you are using fresh herbs you should "bruise" them with a wooden spoon before pouring water into a jar. In this way herbs will release their essential oils.
You do not have to peel the ingredients (citrus fruits, cucumber, apples) if you are using organic produce. I peel the cucumber because in my mind it gives off more aroma when the peel is removed. I also love to leave the peel on my organic limes and lemons, but there is one thing you must know: The longer the citrus fruit with the peel on is infused in water, the more bitter the taste. I suggest that you either remove the citrus fruit slices in the morning when you are completely satisfied with the taste, or remove the peel from citrus fruits before slicing.
I hope that these recipes will inspire you to your own creations. There are endless combinations of fruit, berries and fresh herbs. You can add edible flowers such as lavender or rose. You can add spices such as cinnamon, vanilla or cardamom. You can use goji berries or dried oriental hibiscus flowers. You can add fresh ginger root. Experiment. It really is fun!
If you are using fresh herbs you should "bruise" them with a wooden spoon before pouring water into a jar. In this way herbs will release their essential oils.
You do not have to peel the ingredients (citrus fruits, cucumber, apples) if you are using organic produce. I peel the cucumber because in my mind it gives off more aroma when the peel is removed. I also love to leave the peel on my organic limes and lemons, but there is one thing you must know: The longer the citrus fruit with the peel on is infused in water, the more bitter the taste. I suggest that you either remove the citrus fruit slices in the morning when you are completely satisfied with the taste, or remove the peel from citrus fruits before slicing.
I hope that these recipes will inspire you to your own creations. There are endless combinations of fruit, berries and fresh herbs. You can add edible flowers such as lavender or rose. You can add spices such as cinnamon, vanilla or cardamom. You can use goji berries or dried oriental hibiscus flowers. You can add fresh ginger root. Experiment. It really is fun!
In radiant health - passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2015