A New Look at HYDRATION for Vibrant Health
At this time of year, with flus and colds still making the rounds, my go-to approach to stay active and ready for summer is to hone in on supporting the innate wisdom of the body.
I don’t want to be lulled into complacency by the warmer weather and longer days. I want to make sure I’m strong and resilient if I’m exposed to a bug. And if I get symptoms of illness I want to heal quickly, even if Spring has sprung. I’m sure you want that too!
So, what does it mean to support the body's innate wisdom?
It means following the laws of nature on one hand and avoiding unhealthy behaviours, toxins, and stress on the other. Allowing Mother Nature to do what she does best - striving constantly to return our cells to perfect health.
When it comes to healthy humans, the laws of nature are fresh air and sunlight, exercise and movement, clean water and nutritious whole foods, rest and sleep, supportive social relationships and play, and a spiritual connection.
This list is really the foundation for health and well-being, perhaps adding on meaningful work and abundant resources. And most importantly, practicing loving kindness toward ourselves and others.
OK! Today, I’m going to focus on one item on that list. They’re all important but this one - partnered with healthy exposure to sunlight - is a biggie, and I’m excited to pass on this exciting, relatively recent information.
It’s about water, and in particular, the type of water that's held in the plants we eat. It's probably the best way to hydrate, as it is biologically “structured” by the fruit or vegetable to be better absorbed and used by our human cells. Better than just drinking gallons of plain water, and thinking we’re good, for example.
We know that hydration is important for health, and we've all seen the recommendations to drink up to 2 litres of water a day, depending on body weight. But what’s even better is cellular hydration, which means drinking the type of water most readily absorbed and utilized by our cells.
A virtual mentor of mine, Dr Zach Bush, is a BIG fan of cellular hydration, and asserts that drinking lots of plain water often only washes straight through our bodies without being absorbed by the cells. Our cells need water inside them to perform really important functions like energy production and clearing toxins.
This is the job of EZ (exclusion zone) water, which was discovered by Dr Gerald Pollack in his study of water molecules.
Check out this 2022 TedX Talk by Dr Pollack who explains how his lab discovered EZ water, a gel-like form of water that is neither solid, liquid, nor gas, and is the form preferred by our cells and the cells of all living organisms!
He also describes the elegant interplay between light and water in our cells to create energy and remove toxins, which is the topic for my next post - the health benefits of sunlight.
If we aren't hydrating in a way that allows our cells to absorb as much water as they need, they could become “lame," not able to function at 100%, not able to produce energy or expel toxins, which translates to fatigue and/or disease for the body as a whole.
According to Dr Bush, something as simple as proper cellular hydration can prevent and sometimes reverse disease AND aging. I don't know about you, but that totally lights me up!
Here's how to be sure you're drinking water that will hydrate your thirsty cells, as recommended by Dr. Bush, Dr. Pollack, and Gina Bria, anthropologist and founder of the Hydration Foundation:
Drink good quality water and add a slice of lemon or a pinch of sea salt, which will make it structured or “EZ” water, as Dr Pollack describes in the video. I avoid tap water, preferring to filter bottled water and then structure it. If you have access to a clean (i.e. tested), natural spring, that’s the best. It comes out of the ground in this healthy, structured state.
Adding turmeric and/or coconut water to drinking water was found to increase structured/EZ water in Dr Pollack's lab.
Exposure to sunlight/infrared light increases the body's structured/EZ water, as do far infrared saunas.
Put your water out in direct sunlight for a few hours each day. Sunlight activates water and converts it into structured/EZ water.
Eat your hydration for part of the day by eating whole fruits and vegetables, or drinking them in juices and smoothies.
Try making chia pudding by soaking chia seeds in coconut milk overnight. Add about 5 tbsp chia seeds to a can of coconut milk, mix well and pop it into the fridge. Makes 4 servings. Chia absorbs water and converts it into structured/EZ water. This is a great snack as it hydrates as it satisfies your appetite.
Movement! Our bodies can make more EZ water in response to physical activity, so move lots during your day.
Grounding or “earthing,” walking barefoot on the ground or swimming in the sea, restores the body's negative electrical charge to match that of the earth and has been found to increase the structured/EZ water in our cells.
I also practice thinking loving thoughts and speaking words of compassion when I pour myself a glass of filtered water, as Dr Masaru Emoto showed that this also structures water into beautiful hexagonal crystals. Naturally, there are some who this work, but how can it be bad to think loving thoughts and speak words of kindness and gratitude???
So, enjoy this EZ (pun intended) way of boosting your health and wellness routine!