Don’t let your brain shrivel like a prune…
So I have been fairly preoccupied lately but I’m still lurking around!!
Have been spending the last couple of weeks on the Gold Coast and Byron Bay, hanging with about 6 of my closest low fat raw vegan friends. There is so much fruit around here at the moment – plenty of melon, mangoes, bananas, papayas…also the boys have been tucking into DateOrade (soaked blended dates with lots of water).
Top inspired by orange Anne
Also I just spent a few days with my dad and he is now cooked vegan for the next few weeks! Touch down! That’s 4 members of the family vegan so far….one to go…
Today I’m going to explore the importance of adding pure water to our diets. I remember once reading an interview when I was about 15 years old with SuperModel Elle McPherson… in the interview Elle was talking about her morning routine, I remember her saying she downed 2 litres of water first thing, since then I have been much more focused on hydration and consistenly drink 1 litre of water on rising followed by another 1-2 litres throughout the day.
Why add water?
Well our bodies are around 75% water – every one of our cells, our tissues and organs need water to function optimally.
So water makes up almost 3/4 of our bodies total weight! Ironically this water level is equal to many fruits and also to the planets water balance. The brain is about 85% water (shrivelled prune anyone?), bones 35% water, blood 83% water and the liver 90% water. Apparently 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated 
We no longer live in a tropical rainforest environment where we would’ve received a good portion of our water requirements from the environment via our largest organ – our skin.
The main dehydrating factors to consider these days….
- environmental pollution – cars, factories, airplanes etc
- Cooked food, put a biscuit through a juicer and see how much juice you get….now try an orange..
- Air conditioning and heating – we lose about 120mls every hour we sit in this artificial environments
- Makeup
- Household chemicals, paints
- Chemical dyes in clothing
- Negative emotions
- Prescription and recreational drugs
- Getting burnt
A teeny 2% drop in our body’s water supply can spell dehydration. If you’re doing any kind of physical exercise, you’ll need more water to replace the loss from sweat.
I’m happy to report that mainstream medical opinion seems to remain strong on recommending adults drink eight glasses of water a day…but it’s important to remember, if you’re an active person, if you’re unwell, eating dehydrating gourmet raw foods or breastfeeding, your water requirements will be much higher.
http://www.youtube.com/user/fruitbatanneI met the lovely fruitBatAnne! On Day 42 of oranges only
Water is amazing as it works to energise every cell and organ in the body. It is crucial to every bodily operation and when we become dehydrated, the body instinctively begins to ration water to each organ.
Enzymes, hormones and coenzymes are all dissolved in watery body fluids and act on metabolites (amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals) that are similarly dissolved.
Unfortunately it’s a very rare occasion to get written a script for water!! Obviously recommending water as a solution doesn’t pay the bills.. It’s a shame when you look at all the ailments water has been associated with treating: allergies, asthma, depression, high blood pressure, diabetes, headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome, colitis, alcohol dependency, lower back pain, neck pain, and on and on.
Says it all really
How can you tell if you need to drink more water?…
One simple indicator DR and myself like to use is urine colour, it may not be foolproof but it has proven to be very accurate, if there is an odour, or a strong colour, you’re not drinking enough water. Rather than get to this stage make sure are drinking at least 2 litres a day, of course this amount can increase significantly depending on many factors, a few including climate, exercise and individual health history.
If you want more “pure” thoughts then I suggest you keep yourself hydrated! Water is a perfect conductor of electricity and this becomes important in the day to day operation of our bodies. This electrical potential of brain chemistry must be present for any of our “thoughts” to take place. Remember that no matter how purified and clean the water is you drink, careless words and thoughts can destroy beauty-full crystals formed within.
Darrick foraging breakfast...he's single girls, lovely raw dude
Some water facts…
- Water is the adhesive that bonds your cell structure.
- Enables food to be metabolised optimally
- Keeps wrinkles at bay & a shrivelled prune brain!
- Water is such a miracle! It acts as a solvent for waste products like carbon dioxide, urea and various electrolytes that the body excretes. Water is necessary for the safe transport of these waste products to and from all cells of the body.
- Enzymes, (an important part in the healing capacity of your body), only function optimally when we have enough water. Enzymes in our stomach need to bathe in water before they are activated in preparation for digestion.
- If you enjoy having soft skin, efficient eliminatory system and a sharp brain then i suggest you get enough water!!
- Water is the bodies lubricant
- Water forms the fluids that surround the joints.
- If you want to drop Kg’s quickly (for health reasons) then drink more water & cut salt out completely! When our systems receive enough water then fluid retention decreases, a long with an improvement in gland and hormone functions
- Water helps to clear up constipation by moving food through the intestinal tract and thereby eliminating waste- the best detox agent.
- If you are having mental challenges or concentration problems then there is a good chance you are dehydrated. Migraines and head aches are a sure sign of a dehydrated system. I am much happier when I am hydrated, try it.
- Water forms the base for saliva
- Water regulates the body temperature, as the cooling and heating is distributed through perspiration.
Our health is only as good as our weakest link so if you are dehydrated make sure you start drinking much more water so you are peeing clear 8-12 times a day! I truly believe that before true health can occur we need to be properly hydrated.
Water is the only element known to man and womyn that exists naturally in all three of the following states:
* in a “solid state” such as ice,
* in a “liquid state” as water
* in a “gaseous state” as vapor.
These different water “states” have been absolutely essential to the development of our world, plants, foods, bodies, health…not to mention the part the play in our heating, cooling, power and our electricity…(I suggest you stay out of heating and airconditioning as much as possible if your aim is to increase your hydration).
So Nobel Prize-winner George Wald, had a strong belief that our Universe was designed to support life. He came to this conclusion through his study on the elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.
He has been quoted as saying ...”They all have unique properties that fit the job and are not shared by any element in the periodic system and LIFE everywhere has to be made of some combination of these four simple building blocks.”
The solution to pollution is dilution! Sooo Drink up! P.S – The Sea Shephard is one of my hero’s…
Keep it sweet & juicy
A very good and informative article on the importance of drinking water by everyone including the raw-foodists. As we ascend in raw-life, we realize that there are many other factors which contribute to our health and well-being besides living on 100% raw food. Pure air and water are the primary ones. I think Freelee will be an accomplished writer in the raw-food movement in the near future.
Ahh wow what a lovely comment Jayanth, I appreciate your feedback, I hope the water message gets out loud and clear
People (including myself) are so much nicer when they are hydrated
Lovefreelee
Freelee I was best friends with Dr Batman (Yours Body’s Many Cries for Water) and did a lot of the water photos on his website
http://www.watercure.com and on his dvds.
Sun
http://www.sunstarphoto.com
Coooool! I love his book, im reading it over now X
Water! Great info, thx Freelee! In the book “The Raw Detox Diet” author Natalia Rose says this about a related topic, Organic Hydration:
Organic Hydration describes water derived from plant sources, like green plant and fruit juices instead of from a spring, well or faucet. These green juiices provide pefect cellular hydration and will take the place of drinking glasses of water. You will not need to drink 8 glasses of water if on a raw diet. You will be ingesting a diet of fresh fruits and juices leaving your cells with little to no additiopnal hydration requirements. The only reason people need additional hydration is because of their diet is mostly nonhydrated foods.”
The reason I mention this is because I know you and others on your site do raw and when you are raw, and doing it right, your body does not crave water, or need water because the cells of your body are being hydrated correctly by diet. I always used to drink tons of water before going raw and now I do not need to, nor does my body crave it. So a suoermodel (by the way you are much prettier and healthier looking than her!) whith a bad diet will of course need all that water to look hydrated and beautiful. You, Freelee, do not!
I did a 21 day fast on water recently. It is interesting that during this fast, I was drinking 3 to 4 liters of water not to quench my thirst but rather to satisfy my hunger. It cannot even be called ‘hunger’ in its conventional sense. Sometimes, I felt that the water was being taken by my body to cleanse itself. It’s an awesome experience indeed!
wow thanks for sharing, I really feel you hit it on the head there when you say the water was being taken by the body to cleanse itself…amazing
Hey rich thank you !
I never actually crave water, it would mean that im dehydrated if I did. I know the body needs to be supplemented with water especially in the dehydrating environment most of us live in. Green juices aren’t going to meet our daily water requirements because they are not pure water & we need pure water. Yes we get water from fruits but still it is not pure water, it has carbs, fat, proteins etc which need to be metabolised by the body…hence the water from fruits & greens juices is processed differently and is far less optimal than drinking pure water. I bless my water with gratitude regularly before I drink it too, powerful
Thanks so much for popping in X
I disagree Freelee. From my research and even discussions with a molecular biologist (my cousin) I stand by this statement from the Raw Detox Diet
So from your response you feel drinking pure water is different for your cells and I can agree to disagree but I have done the research on this drinking water thing for the sake of drinking water vs. hydrating your cells with fruits and green juices or green smoothies as I do. I do drink over 120 oz of green smoothies each day and I never need to add water to hydrate my cells as this quote from the Raw Detox Diet book says:”These green juices provide perfect cellular hydration and will take the place of drinking glasses of water. You will not need to drink 8 glasses of water if on a raw diet. You will be ingesting a diet of fresh fruits and juices leaving your cells with little to no additional hydration requirements”.
I have seen this repeated by many raw food gurus over and over so I went to my cousin and asked to verify the above statement, which they did. Your cells do not care if it is “pure water” as you say or water from juices. Can you show me some research that supports your statement? The example my cousin gave me was eating fruits all day, then drinking 10 glasses of water during the same day, perhaps as you do. Your body does not care if the water comes from a glass or fruit and either way, it is mixed with fruit eventually. There is no difference to your cells from pure water, as you say. If you were stranded on an island, had no water but only fruit, you could most certainly hydrate your cells with only the fruit and survive as well as just water and even better because of the other benefits of fruits we all know.
I am not saying to not drink water as you do. I am saying all my research indicates it is of no greater benefit to hydrating your cells, than eating fruit or drinking fruit or green smoothies made with fruit and greens and water. Following a proper raw diet does it all for you! I carry a bottle of my home made distilled water all day for thirst, but not to hydrate my cells.
Look it up and see for yourself. We can agree to disagree, that’s OK also!
Hey Rich,
Thanks for your comment. I’m just wondering if your pee is clear during the day? Also what sport do you do ? Thanks
Also I don’t regard Natalie Rose’s (who eats cooked food) book as being a good source of information on maintaining one’s hydration, she isn’t athletic that I know of. Can you provide the scientific data concluding that green juices and fruits are equally as hydrating for the cells as pure water…I am honestly very interested to see the info.
Thanks my friend X
“Darrick foraging breakfast…he’s single girls, lovely raw dude”
lol, does he know you’re writing this?
haha no but i bet he would be happy about it
You single eva because I know someone…;-P
Freelea, I thoroughly enjoy reading your blogs. This one on water if filled with great facts, some of them I hadn’t heard before.
Thanks so much
thank you so much for taking the time to post X
Do you eat organic carrots?
Not regularly, maybe once a year but I am not opposed to sweet young carrots less than a few days old
Hey FreeLee
I have a 12 CD Perfect Health Course by Dr Douglas Grahm and I wish I could post it but that is not possible. In it he discusses the hydration from a raw food diet and how that provides proper cellular hydration. No raw food guru out there says not to drink water, but they all say it is not needed for cellular hydration, as your super model example says. Yes I pee clear all the time, 8-12 times a day. When making my green smoothies I add 3 cups of distilled water and all fruit and some greens. It is about 120 oz of liquid when done. As far as sports. I have MS and can not do anything but swim which I do 3-4 times a week.
I also drink additional water but do not see the need to hydrate to the extreme that you do unless doing very strenuous exercise, as I understand you do. There is no evidence that the water from fruit is not pure water and not as good for you as pure water. Watermellon is 90 % water by example. Here is a good article:http://www.raw-food-health.net/ImportanceOfWater.html
Keep up the great blogging Freelee!
Freelee
some other good info that both food and beverages can satisfy your water needs:
CAN WE DRINK TOO MUCH WATER?
During intense exercise the kidneys cannot excrete excess water. The extra water moves into the cells, including brain cells. The result can be fatal. For that reason, athletes should estimate how much they should drink by weighing themselves before and after long training runs to see how much they lose, and thus how much water and salt they should replace.
The studies that found 13% of the runners tested drank too much water, resulting in abnormally low blood sodium levels. The low sodium levels made many of these people very sick, and close to the point of death. The importance lesson here is to balance your water intake with your sodium intake.
from this website:http://www.watercure.com/faq.html#toomuch
Also:
Nutrition Fact Sheet: Water
Physiological Functions
Water is considered an essential nutrient because it must be consumed from exogenous sources to satisfy metabolic demand. Water constitutes approximately 60% of adult body weight. It is a catalyst for a majority of enzymatic reactions including those involved in nutrient digestion, absorption, transport, and metabolism. It is also required for facilitating excretion of metabolic waste by the kidneys. Inadequate intake of water compromises cell functions by contributing electrolyte imbalances, contraction of plasma volume, and inability to regulate body temperature.
Factors Affecting Availability
Water is not consumed in sufficient amounts by most individuals since thirst does not develop until body fluids are depleted well below levels required for optimal functioning. Mechanisms that trigger thirst sensations are stimulated by increased osmolality or decreased extracellular volume which are not detected until significant contraction of plasma volume has occurred. Groups most vulnerable to dehydration, infants, elderly adults, and athletes, are either not able to adequately express thirst sensations or to detect them. With extreme heat and excessive perspiration, thirst may lag behind actual water requirements. To prevent dehydration, a minimum of eight cups of fluid is required daily from beverages and foods.
Water Balance
WATER INTAKE (milliliters)
Beverages 1400
Solid Food 700
Cellular Oxidation 200
Total 2300
WATER OUTPUT
Normal Ambient Temperature High Ambient Temperature Prolonged Exercise
Urine 1400 1200 500
Feces 100 100 100
Perspiration 100 1400 5000
Skin 350 350 350
Respiratory Tract 350 250 650
Total 2300 3300 6600
* Source: Mahan, L.K. and Escott-Stump, S. Krause’s Food, Nutrition & Diet Therapy, 10th ed., 2000.
Deficiency
Loss of body water amounting to 10% of the body weight impairs work performance and is associated with nausea, weakness, delirium, and hyperthermia. Signs of dehydration include poor skin turgor, skin tenting on the forehead, decreased urine output, concentrated urine, sunken eyes, dry mucous membranes in the mouth and nose, orthostatic blood pressure changes and tachycardia. Water losses exceeding 20% of body weight are life-threatening.
Toxicity
Also:
Water intoxication may develop if large amounts of water are provided to patients to replenish fluids lost with surgery, trauma or other conditions associated with fluid and electrolyte losses, especially if compromised renal function or hormonal imbalances are also present. The ensuing increase in intracellular fluid volume can cause swelling of brain tissue accompanied by headaches, nausea, vomiting, muscle twitching, convulsions, and even death.
another article also:
Consumption of approximately 2.5 to 3 liters (10.4-12.5 cups daily) of water is recommended to maintain optimal hydration. Both foods and beverages can satisfy this requirement. The equivalent of 8 cups of water (64 fluid ounces or 2 liters) is the MINIMUM amount of fluid recommended daily to replace water losses under conditions of moderate activity, ambient temperature, and altitude
Water requirements are most effectively met by consumption of plain water or beverages which are > 90% water by volume. Water may also be obtained from solid foods such as fruits and vegetables which have a high water content. Low moisture foods such as grains and meat products do not contribute significantly to water intake
from the website:http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/nutrition/factsheets/water.html
hope this is helpful
Rich G
Thanks for the info Rich, I can’t go past this sentence….“Water requirements are most effectively met by consumption of plain water”
- Rich to me this sentence says everything, I’m using the most effective strategy when it comes to staying hydrated and that’s exactly what is said here “most effectively met by consumption of plain water”
Also it takes 3grams of water to store 1gram of carbohydrate so the body actually has to draw water from its reserves to process the incoming fruits which could definitely leave a deficit which can lead to CFS, depression, nerve damage, cravings, lethargy…that’s if we don’t top up our reserves with pure plain water.
So once u are past that sentence you get to the next one “Water may also be obtained from solid foods such as fruits and vegetables which have a high water content.”. I agree with topping up reserves with fresh water. I am curious how u get your fresh water where you are? Is it distilled, from a spring you trust, or another source?
I still go with Dr Grahm and his opinion. When you flush your system as you do you dilute the much needed sodium from your reserves that are needed for exercise reserves. I hope you are replenishing enough salt for your body for exercise!
Hey, are you familiar with this Aussie Company making bottled warter from fruit?
http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2008/11/13/australian-company-looks-to-fruit-to-create-bottled-water.html
amazing what’s out there!
Rich
thanks Rich, I actually think you may benefit from upping your water intake.
Check out what Dr Batman says here regarding MS
http://watercure.com/ucd6.html
Im using a wellness filter at the moment, sounds interesting about that company making water from fruits….
Just wondering do you buy 100% organic fruits? DId you see my post about 3grams of water being needed to store one gram of carbs?
Hi Freelee
Yes, I get my fruit from a Whole foods market that lets me by it by the case and it is organic. Good info on the water/gram ratio I will look into that and keep it in mind. I like Dr B’s info and will get the course, thx!. Funny how Docs never discuss nutrition as it relates to my MS. Guess no money to be made writting a script for H2O!
Cool yeh its too true about the Dr’s keeping the truth from us, I love being my own doc
And re that company, they claim “The water from fruit has a slightly different molecule composition – being h2o18 rather than h2o16 (predominant in drinking water), which the company reports is scientifically proven to keep people hydrated longer, as h2o18 is retained in plants whilst h2o16, evaporates with relative ease.”
Keeps people hydrated longer….hmmm I like that!
Rich