Three out of Four Registered Holistic Nutritionists Agree!

I recently had the opportunity to participate in an online course offered by the Canadian Association for Holistic Nutrition Professionals and as an assignment, I was asked to prepare a seminar entitled, “If You Do Nothing Else….”  At first, it seemed like a really easy topic.  I immediately began writing an outline highlighting what I felt were the top priorities in taking charge of your own health.  I had so many ideas!  I quickly scribbled down my main headings.  And then another one occurred to me, so I wrote that down too.  As I was folding laundry, several more really important possibilities floated through my mind and I ran upstairs to add them to the list.  As I jotted down my twelfth heading, I realized that I was missing the point.

There are literally hundreds of wonderful nutrition and lifestyle changes you could make that would have a positive impact on your health, but this topic was about choosing a handful that would have the most impact.  So I decided that I would only allow myself to focus on three things.  And then it got hard!  I had no doubt whatsoever what my first two picks were.  It was the third one that I was having trouble committing to.

So I decided to play a little game.  I was out hiking with a fellow nutritionist  and I told her my dilemma.  Without telling her my choices, I asked her what her top three suggestions would be.  Her answers came from a completely different point of view from mine and sparked an excellent debate.  Now I was more undecided than ever!  So a couple of days later, as I was meeting up with two more former classmates, I posed my question again.  “If  you could only suggest three things, what would be your top three recommendations for maximum health benefits?”  Again, I received a variety of answers, and again a lively conversation followed!

However, after taking the pulse of four RHN’s, there was one point on which almost all of us agreed.

Three out of Four Holistic Nutritionists recommend:

drinking adequate amounts of pure filtered water every day!

78% of our bodies are composed of water and it is the primary component of all the fluids in our body, including blood, lymph, digestive juices, tears, urine and sweat.  Almost every action our bodies perform requires water.  If we don’t consume enough water, our circulation, digestion, and elimination of wastes are all affected negatively.  And if these things aren’t functioning optimally, then we aren’t either!  Medical research indicates that dehydration can be linked to a host of chronic diseases such as type II diabetes, arthritis, asthma, cataracts, colitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, kidney stones, migraine headaches, and multiple sclerosis.

The average person requires about 12 cups of water per day.  About five of those cups come from the food that we eat, which means we need to drink the remaining 7!  According to research by Wirthlin Worldwide, 20% of us drink no water at all, and 42% of us consumer a mere 2 glasses or fewer.  But we drink plenty of dehydrating beverages such as coffee, tea, sodas and alcohol. which only increases the amount of water we need to stay hydrated!  And drinking 3-4 glasses won’t do the trick.  You really need to drink 7-8 cups of water in addition to your food to ensure optimal health.

“But, ” you say, “I don’t like water!”

or, “I never feel thirsty.”

or, my favourite excuse, “If I drank that much water, I’d never get out of the bathroom!”

Yes, I’ve heard all your excuses and I have no doubt that I will hear them again. So,let’s deal with these overwhelming obstacles one at a time, okay?

For those of you who don’t like water.  What’s not to like?  Pure, filtered water has no taste.  And of course, that is what you’re missing!  We’ve become addicted to the taste of sodas, juices, and other processed drinks and, in comparison, water tastes boring.  However, if you give up the sugary drinks, your taste buds will quickly become more sensitive and you will appreciate your water much more.  If you need a little help getting started, try adding a small amount of unsweetened juice to your water and gradually reduce the amount until you are drinking plain water.  Or you can always add some lemon to your water for a boost of flavour and a gentle detoxifying effect.

For those of you who say you never feel thirsty, this is one of the most common symptoms of being chronically dehydrated!  You’re going to need to “prime the pump” to get your body to start sending you signals again.  Get yourself a one litre glass water bottle so you can keep track and drink 3 full bottles every day.  Drink your water between meals rather than with meals, as drinking with meals will dilute your digestive juices and interfere with good digestion.  Soon you will feel better and your body will let you know when you need to drink more.

For those of you who fear being stuck in the washroom all day; your body will adjust!  However, keep in mind, that it’s very important for your best health that wastes and toxins are regularly flushed out of your body and eliminated, so going to the washroom more often is actually a good thing, within reason.  I find it helps if you drink your water 1-2 cups at a time, rather than sipping little bits all day long.  It tends to move through more efficiently that way!

So, now that we have eliminated the most common objections to drinking water, I hope that you will all commit to making sure you’re getting enough!  (Water!  Get your minds out of the gutter, people)!