The Proper Way to Drink Water - in General

By Gary Nako

The Proper Way to Drink Water? - In a special segment televised by a Japan TV network on Aug. 4, 2007 this subject was considered. Below are the main points that were brought out by the Professor who conducted the discussion.

According to that program. . .

Adults doing normal activity need to drink at least 2.5 liters (1 liter = 1.057 quarts) of water daily as replacement fluid. That includes not just the water you drink, but also the liquid contained in the foods you eat.

How do we lose water? 1.5 liters are lost through urine and stools, 0.5 liters are lost through perspiration and 0.5 liters are lost through breathing (exhalation).

Body percentage of water
Infants are 80% water
Adults are 60% water
Elderly persons are 50% water (because the sense of thirst deteriorates with age)

Drink water upon waking
After rinsing your mouth, drink a large glass of 'good' water to replenish the liquid you lost during the night (it is said that we lose about 300 ml or 12 oz of water via perspiration and exhalation). Also, since water contains calcium, it helps to keep you from getting irritable throughout the day.

Drink water before mealtimes
Drink a glass of water about 30 minutes before meals so that you have the water in your intestines when you start eating. That will help you to digest the foods you eat. If possible, try not to drink liquids during your mealsbecause 1. doing so will dilute stomach fluids needed for digestion 2. the foods you eat contain enough liquids 3. some people have a tendency to 'wash down' their food without sufficient chewing.

If you do drink something during or directly after a meal, it is recommended that you drink a warm liquid. Drinking cold liquids will solidify the oily foods you just ate and make them harder to digest.

(By chewing well and thoroughly crushing your food before swallowing, you can lighten the load on your stomach and intestines. It is believed that the condition of your stomach and intestines is directly related to how long you will live.)

Drink water after heavy exercise
During the program, they brought in a hot and sweaty man who had been peddling a stationary bicycle. They placed before him 15 glasses (each filled with 100 ml or 4 oz of water) and told him to drink as much as he wanted. After drinking only 3 glasses of water, he said he was satisfied (although still dehydrated).

The professor explained that this phenomena occurs because the salt that the body has lost through heavy sweating has caused the brain to give an improper signal. So after heavy exercise, add a little salt to your water to correct the condition. A sports drink will also do.

Drink water at bedtime
It is very important to drink a glass of water before going to bed. Why? Because most strokes occur during the early morning hours. In Japan, they call that water "Takara Mizu" or "Treasure Water" (I suppose because it helps to keep you alive overnight so that you can get up the next morning).

One lady in the audience commented, "Yes, but if I drink water before going to bed, I have to get up during the night to go the bathroom." To which the Professor suggested that "Adding a little honey and lemon to your glass of water usually helps". (I have found recently that adding a pinch of sea salt also helps. But of course, too much salt is not good.)

In conclusion, the Professor encouraged everyone to make a conscious effort to drink at least 2.5 liters of 'good' waterdaily (drink even when you do not feel thirsty).


PS: Considering that dehydration or lack of water is thought to be the cause of about 95% of all diseases and illnesses, that is a very good suggestion.