Today I want to cover a topic that I mention to everyone in their initial visits; and that is, the importance of drinking water. If you have been at my practice, you know that I insist in this like a broken record:
-Did you drink plenty of water today? Remember that we area in the process of healing and water is essential for healing.
Those are my words every-single-time.
Now, what’s the big deal with water?
Well, as you may know, our bodies are composed of about 60% water. Water is essential for all living things, and without it, we wouldn’t survive.
Water serves a number of essential functions like:
- being a vital nutrient in the life of every cell,
- regulating our internal body temperature by sweating and respiration,
- transporting and metabolizing carbohydrates and proteins that are used as food by our bodies,
- assisting in flushing toxins through urination and sweat,
- acting as a shock absorber for the brain and spinal cord,
- lubricating joints,
- maintaining hydrated intervertebral discs,
- promoting a healthy muscle function in conjunction with other minerals.
I want to focus today in the importance of water for healing. In order to heal, cells need water and blood supply around them. Dehydration causes a slow down in the healing process. In order to have a healthy life, we must have contact with water, food, air and physical activity. The more organic the quality of these, the better health we will enjoy. And by organic I don’t want you to think only in the “organic” word that you read all over the food stores, but in the meaning of this word as: organic- relating to or derived from living matter and –forming an integral element of a WHOLE:
- The more organic the quality of the water; meaning the more connected to it’s true source,
- the more organic the quality of the food, meaning the more derived from a clean living matter source,
- the more organic the air, meaning the more it comes from living organisms,
- the more organic the physical activity, meaning the more it connects with our own source of whole self,
…THE BETTER HEALTH WE WILL EXPRESS.
All this may sound confusing but the idea behind this is that the clearer, the purer, the more connected to its source your water, air, food and physical activity is, the healthier and happier you will be.
Now, going back to the relationship of water with the healing process, most people drink adequate amounts of liquid but in the forms of soda, juice, sweet tea, coffee, alcoholic beverages, etc., which greatly deplete our bodies from water and other minerals. So that means that if we consume them (and let’s be honest, I do because I love coffee), we must increase even more our water intake because diuretics lead to dehydration. Muscle tightness and cramps are signs that our bodies are dehydrated, which can be prevented by reducing the amount of the aforementioned diuretics and increasing the amounts of pure clean water.
On the other hand, there are other causes for muscle tightness and cramping, like mineral imbalances. Calcium is responsible for muscle contraction, while magnesium is responsible for muscle relaxation. Not having an adequate amount of magnesium in our bodies prevents the muscles to relax and can cause muscle tightness, cramping, restless leg syndrome and even twitching.
Drinking water it not only important for muscle tension. Many people seek chiropractic care for headaches and migraines and drinking water is especially important for people who are experiencing headaches and migraines because those thrive on dehydration.
Having a healthy aligned spine go hand to hand with maintaining a healthy water balance in our bodies. In order to work in unison with the body, we must support its function by giving it what it needs to thrive. Having a healthy spine and a healthy water balance is a step towards reaching your health and well-being goals. Let’s start with the simple things to reach bigger things.
In health,
Dr. G. Martha Crespo-Jiménez, DC
If you have tried several of these strategies and you don’t see any improvement, I suggest you see your primary health care provider. This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone.
Photo by mrjn Photography