Hunger or thirst?

Is that feeling in your gut hunger or thirst? It could be both, but before you eat, try drinking a glass of pure water first. Dehydration can feel like hunger.

A great many people are living unintentional, but chronically dehydrated. Since the body is largely composed of water and every cell in the body uses H2O for cell function, when the body is dehydrated it is not able to release waste and take in nutrients.

This results in less than optimal cell function and manifesting a variety of symptoms or disorders.

People that are dehydrated don’t think as clearly, feel fatigue, get headaches, suffer from excess stomach acid and many other maladies.

So, drink water every day — lots of it.

A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces. So a 200 pound person would drink around 100 ounces of water a day.

A couple of tips to enhance your wellness with water are:

1. First thing upon arising… drink at least 8 ounces of water. During sleep our bodies breathe more deeply and moisture is lost through respiration. If you live in a dry climate or cold winters with dry air and indoor heat, you will need to drink even more water to maintain adequate hydration.

Sip water all day – a little at a time is more effective, so that the cells have a chance to absorb it. When the cells are dehydrated and you drink a lot of water at one time, it tends to run right out of the body without being absorbed, similar to how a heavy rain runs of dry cracked ground. The drip drip drip of a slow “all day soaker” rain absorbs deeply.

2. Before eating every meal, drink a glass of water 10-20 minutes prior to eating. This aids in digestion by hydrating the Gastro-Intestinal track, and the body won’t be struggling to extract water it needs out of the food you consume. (This will also free up energy you can use elsewhere!)

And you will tend to consume less calories since you will feel fuller. Eating fresh or slightly cooked vegetables daily is an excellent way to stay hydrated. The roughage material of the plants helps the body stay hydrated and improves digestion and elimination.

3. Adequate hydration is key to regular and easy daily eliminations of waste. Both urine — which should be light yellow to clear when properly hydrated, and bowl movements. Less time in the loo is more time for you!

So, right now, go drink some water!