A matter of life and death. I want to inform you about an elemental substance that none of us can live without yet it kills hundreds of thousands of people worldwide every year. I have no doubt that the reason so many people die when exposed to this substance every year is because of their lack of knowledge about, appreciation of, and respect for this powerful substance. I want to tell you briefly my own personal story of escaping death because of my lack of knowledge and respect for this substance. Growing up in rural Mississippi, at the age of nine years old, I had never seen anything like what almost took my life that day in the summer of 1969. Maybe you’ve already figured it out, maybe you’re still wondering what in the world I’m talking about. The substance that I’m referring to is called water, and in this case, a large pool of crystal clear water. Water is something that we certainly can’t live without, but yet, as I said hundreds of thousands die from the exposure to this substance every year. Water is life-giving and live taking. Before I get into my personal story though, the Pharmacist in me has to tell you a few facts about water and the human body. Check out the info-graphic below.
I know you’ve probably heard that our bodies are 60% water, but did you know that the percentage of water in your body decreases as you age? Even at your oldest, water still makes up at least half of your body composition, so doesn’t it make sense that it is essential to your health? As a pharmacist I encounter people every day with all kinds of health problems. I also see many others who come to me seeking what natural supplements they can take as opposed to the side effect prone prescription medications. The first question I always ask them is, “How much water are you drinking every day?” Probably 90% of them tell me they are not drinking anywhere close to enough. If I asked you the same question, what would your answer be? You may need to ask me, “How much water is enough water?” The general rule of thumb for water consumption for human beings is you should be drinking at least half your body weight in ounces a day. For example, if you weight 100 pounds, you should be drinking at least 50 ounces of water a day. Like I said, most people I know do not drink enough water! In fact I believe that the vast majority of people walking around today are suffering from, at least, mild dehydration!
Here are some statements from Dr. Batmanghelidj’s book, “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water: You are not Sick, You are Thirsty.”
- 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
- In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
- Even MILD dehydration will slow down the body’s metabolism as much as 3%.
- 1 glass of water will stop midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of dieters – University of Washington study.
- Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
- Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
- A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
- Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can cut the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and make it 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
- Increasing your intake of water during a case of the flu or common cold can reduce the number of sick days by 2-3 days.
Some recent studies have been conducted at UConn’s Human Performance Lab that show even mild dehydration can alter a person’s mood, energy level, and ability to think clearly. I know what some of you may be thinking, “Sounds like my husband or wife is dehydrated all day long! I have got to get them to start drinking more water!!” The next time they are having a bad day, you should offer them a glass of refreshing water, chances are they are probably thirsty and don’t even know it! Because the truth is, once you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Most people only think about drinking when they feel thirst, but by then it is often already too late. Unfortunately, thirst isn’t always a reliable gauge of the body’s need for water, especially in children and older adults. The best indicator of your body’s hydration level is the color of your urine. Clear or light colored urine means you’re well hydrated, whereas a dark yellow or amber color, usually signals dehydration.
Now back to my story of escaping death as a 9 year old boy. On that hot July day in the summer of 1969, I would quickly learn the life taking effect water can have on a person. Our family was on vacation at a camp in central Mississippi. It was our first day there, and my little brother and I were exploring the property while my dad was out fishing with a friend in one of the camp lakes, and my mom was preparing lunch in the cabin. We spotted a fenced in area and went to see what was behind it. The gate was open so we walked right in and found, to our amazement, a large in-ground swimming pool. We had never seen anything like it! We walked by the diving board and while I peered into the crystal clear water, I said to my brother, “this water isn’t even that deep, I can see the bottom!” You see, prior to that day, the only pools of water I had ever seen were the ponds in my grandfather’s cow pasture, and you could not see the bottom in those muddy ponds. I remember we were always warned, “Don’t get to close to the edge! That water is a deeper than it looks!” So I thought to myself, “I can see the bottom of this water, I’ll just jump in and wade around, (it was July in Mississippi, remember) so in I went. Not being as brave or as stupid as me, thankfully, my little brother didn’t jump in after me.
There were 3 major problems with me jumping into this crystal-clear pool of water. The first was that the water was actually 12 feet deep where I jumped in. The second and most important problem was that I could not swim. I immediately sank to the bottom, but was able to fight my way back up to the surface and cried help to my little brother. Thankfully he had his wits enough about him to run back up to the cabin to get my mom’s help. Therein lied the third problem, my mother couldn’t swim either and was actually terrified of water. All she could do was stand there and scream. Now remember that my dad was actually across the camp, out in the middle of a lake in a rowboat fishing. When he heard her terrifying screams, he rowed the boat in to the shore, ran across the ranch property and up to the top of a hill where the swimming pool was located. He jumped the fence that was surrounding the pool, but by the time he had reached the pools edge, I had already drowned and was lying on the bottom of the pool. I obviously did not die that day, as I have the ability to tell you about it in this blog post. My dad was able to pull me from the bottom of the pool and resuscitate me. All the events of that day that I just described to you were told to me by my family. The only memory I have of that eventful day besides jumping in and crying for help, as I fought my way back up from the bottom for the last time, was coming back to life on the deck of the pool with my dad kneeling over me pumping the water out of my lungs. Why was my life spared on that hot July day in 1969? Maybe it was so I could inspire you have a healthy respect for water. So I want to ask you again, are you drinking enough water?? Remember by the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated!
I hope that you never experience the life taking effects of water, that you will have a healthier respect and appreciation for water, and that you will make the decision to daily experience its amazing life giving effects. If you have any questions for me about optimum hydration or any other health matter, then please contact me by filling out the contact form or leave a voice message by clicking on the “Ask Dr. Phil” microphone on CarsonNatural.com! There is another product I recently discovered that you may be interested in. This product can provide a genetic nutrition and fitness assessment based upon your unique DNA and lifestyle. Click here for a short video detailing the assessment. If you’re interested in achieving a new level of wellness, then please contact me through the channels above! Also just below here is an email signup box to sign up for our monthly newsletter if you haven’t already! All you have to do is enter your email address and press enter. In our newsletter is a recap of selected blogs, a funny story, patient testimonials, product reviews and a money saving coupon code for products in our online store!
Healthy Blessings,
Dr. Phil
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