It’s Never Too Late To Start A New Goal – Like Drinking More Water.

ASK GIOVANNA!
Welcome to “Ask Giovanna” in collaboration with Wendy Reichental, a West Island freelance writer and recent RCRT, former student, and fellow sole mate. We decided to collaborate on this new series to bring you informative yet sprinkled with some humour monthly segments that will address a variety of relevant subjects. We welcome your suggestions or questions and will do our best to answer them. In the meanwhile, thanks for visiting, get cosy, enjoy and join our conversation!

WR: There’s been so much written about the importance of drinking water, and especially during the winter when we are probably least likely to feel thirsty. Can you give us a quick overview of the benefits of drinking more water?

GD: There are many great reasons why drinking water is important, how it helps the body function, and how simply incorporating drinking more water in our day can help us reach our optimal and ultimate goal of staying healthy. I believe that when we know the reasons why we need or should do something, understanding it helps us do it. After all, Knowledge is Power!

WR: I couldn’t agree more. How does our daily intake of water influence our body?

GD: It is a fact that all living things on earth including humans need water to survive. Water is the main element in the body. (About 60%). Water is necessary as a body solvent and lubricant. And each body function requires water to run optimally. We lose water through respiration, perspiration, urination, and defecation daily. This is simply considering basic human functions and does not include exercise, sports, working or playing in hot weather, or being sick. We lose even more water when doing any one of these activities. Daily intake of water is vital not only for our physical body to function properly but for our mental and emotional states as well. We even encourage clients to drink a glass of water following a reflexology session because it helps the kidneys to effectively eliminate the newly liberated toxins from your body and you need to replenish all the lost water by – drinking more.

WR: That is good to know. Are you also saying that not drinking enough water could have detrimental effects on our health?

GD: Exactly that, you may be interested to know that poor absorption of water can be linked to asthma, arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure, kidney stones, urinary tract infections, headaches, and more. As mentioned earlier, all our body functions require water to work at optimum. When there is a water deficiency the body will take it from other organs or parts. Blood requires the most water followed closely by the brain, the lungs, and the kidneys.

WR: Given that winter is synonymous with the cold season, it’s probably even more important to pay attention to fluids and getting enough water, especially when we are feeling under the weather.

GD: It’s extremely vital, staying hydrated during colder weather can act as our first defence against many pathogens, it helps to wash away germs and viruses out of your immune system. Additionally, In the winter we might not be as in tune with our bodies – we are prompted to drink only when we feel thirsty. This is a mistake, we can’t rely on thirst to tell us when we need to drink water, which is why just setting a small goal to drink a certain amount of water each day can be so beneficial and help ward off dehydration in the winter months.

WR: That being said, does it make a difference whether we drink hot or cold water, especially in the winter, I tend to gravitate towards all things latté and whipped cream inspired.

GD: It’s very tempting to warm up with that beverage, but the problem might be the calories. As an alternative to that, I recommend sticking to hot decaffeinated teas or tisanes with antioxidants and avoiding those more sugary drinks. Switch out your regular coffee or latté for something simple like just a hot cup of water with a squeeze of lemon to encourage another health boost of ascorbic acid and Vitamin C. There have also been some significant claims that drinking hot water can improve digestion compared with drinking cold water. Another great way to get more fluids is by eating soups, and water- rich foods like celery, cucumbers, spinach, apples, and oranges.

WR: I guess the bottom line is that drinking sufficient amounts of water is critical to maintaining our health and we need to incorporate it into our daily lifestyle routine. I discovered that putting my water in a lovely wine goblet motivates me to drink more.

GD: That’s the spirit! Whether it’s a reusable water bottle or your favourite glass, it doesn’t matter as long as you are being mindful about hydration and honouring your well-being, by fostering practices for good health!
 WR: I’ll drink to that!
 GD: Chin-chin!