River of Life
Water is the most important nutrient in your daily diet, yet most people drink too little or none at all. When properly hydrated, over two-thirds of your total body weight is water, your brain is 95%, your muscles 75% and your blood is 92%. When you allow yourself to become dehydrated, you interfere with basic functions like cognition, oxygen and nutrient delivery, digestion, elimination and vital organ function. Chronic dehydration can cause fatigue and difficulty concentrating, and can put you at increased risk for metabolic disease like diabetes and hypertension. Dehydration interferes with athletic performance and can undermine your fitness program. Water is important for weight loss, as it flushes fat and toxins from your body. Without water, you would die within a few days.
Consider the Source
You get water from the foods you eat and from water-based beverages. However, drinking pure natural water is the best way to ensure proper hydration. Many common sources of water are not pure. Even after treatment, agricultural fertilizers and pesticides, discarded pharmaceuticals, allergens, heavy metals and nuclear waste can be found in most tap water. Reverse osmosis and distillation are filtration methods that remove impurities from drinking water. Revers osmosis filters can be purchased for your home, or you can buy inexpensive filtered water at retailers like Whole Foods.
Beware the Bottle
Most of the bottled water available in stores is simply tap water. Sometimes it is enhanced to improve flavor or to add nutrients. Plastic bottles themselves can be harmful to human health. Many contain BPA, a harmful chemical classified as an endocrine disruptor that can interfere with hormonal balance and reproductive health. Of the many brands and types of bottled water available, volcanic filtered spring water is found to be the most pure. It is alkaline in nature and contains important trace minerals and electrolytes necessary for proper nervous system function.
Toxic Tampering
All tap water has been treated with chemicals that can be harmful to human health. Chlorine is the most common chemical added to city water systems to kill bacteria and other harmful parasites. Yet chlorine itself is a toxin that can cause cancer, heart disease and other health problems. Fluoride is another additive that is highly toxic to humans. First added to drinking water in the mid-1900s to combat tooth decay, there is little clinical evidence to support its continued use. Fluoride is classified as a neurotoxin that has been linked to osteoporosis, heart disease, reproductive problems, dental fluorosis and cognitive impairment. Fluoride enhances the absorption of aluminum which is commonly found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
Resources
Healthy nutrition goes hand-in-hand with physical fitness. As the saying goes, “You can’t out-train a bad diet.” Whether you want to learn the basics or keep up with the latest, W.I.T.S. has course offerings to meet your needs. Bite into the basics with Certified Personal Trainer or Lifestyle Fitness Coaching. Take a stab at Nutrition Concepts or Sport and Exercise Nutrition. Dig into Pregnancy Fitness or Older Adult Fitness Foundations. Feed your brain with continuing education from any of our awesome CEC bundles!