Hello! I answered my cell phone.
“Dana, I am mad!” my client exclaimed.
“Oh, why is that?” I questioned.
“I have done everything right today and my blood sugar is still over 200.”
We began working through the Ten Essentials for Health™. The answers he gave were impressive, he was doing a good job!
Then I asked, “How much water have you had today?”
There was a moment of silence, and then slowly, “I haven’t drunk much water today.”
BINGO! We found our answer. “Drink two bottles of water and give me a call back with your blood sugar reading in 20-30 minutes.”
Amazingly, 30 minutes or so later, blood sugar levels were normal. The poor client was doing almost everything right, he was just really thirsty and didn’t even know it.
Water: an essential component of life. Its role in maintaining proper hydration cannot be overstated. The human body is composed of approximately 60% water, making it crucial for various physiological functions, including temperature regulation, nutrient transportation, and waste elimination.
Despite its significance, many individuals do not consume adequate amounts of water daily, which can lead to dehydration and subsequent health complications including higher glucose levels, higher blood pressure readings, foggy brain and confusion, weakness and fatigue, painful joints, and a host of other challenges.
Water helps maintain body temperature. When we are well hydrated, water helps to dissipate excess heat (often created by inflammation), through the process of sweating, keeping the body cool and preventing overheating (Popkin, D’Anci, and Rosenberg).
Additionally, proper hydration supports cardiovascular health by ensuring the maintenance of adequate blood volume and circulation necessary for delivering oxygen and nutrients to tissues throughout the body.
Another critical function of water is its ability to facilitate digestion and nutrient absorption. Water aids in the breakdown of food, allowing essential nutrients to be more easily absorbed by the intestines. Moreover, it helps prevent constipation by softening stool and promoting regular bowel movements (Jéquier and Constant).
Cognitive function and energy levels are also influenced by hydration status. Even mild dehydration has been shown to impair concentration, memory, and mood. Studies indicate that individuals who do not drink enough water may experience increased fatigue and decreased cognitive performance, affecting daily productivity and overall well-being (Ganio et al.).
To maintain optimal hydration, experts recommend drinking an adequate amount of water daily. While individual needs may vary based on factors such as age, activity level, and climate, the general guideline is approximately eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, commonly known as the "8x8 rule". (Mayo Clinic)
Water is essential for numerous bodily functions and for maintaining your best health. Strive to drink sufficient amounts of water daily to prevent dehydration and support optimal physiological functions.
In the Bible, we find a beautiful invitation: “Ho, everyone that thirsts, come to the waters, and he that hath no money; come...without money and without price…Incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live.” Isaiah 55:1-3.
Jeremiah picks up the narrative identifying the Source of this water: “O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the Fountain of Living Water.” Jeremiah 17:13.
When the children of Israel were in the desert, twice God gave them water from a rock (Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:8-11). Paul expounds upon that narrative in 1 Corinthians 10:4 and exclaims, “And [they] did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ.”
In the conversation with the women at the well, Christ calls Himself the Living Water, “If you knew the gift of God, and Who it is that saith, Give Me to drink; you would have asked of Him, and He would have given you Living Water…Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:10-14.
Later Christ exclaims on the last day of a great feast, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of Living Water.” John 7:37.
In Revelation 14:6-7 we read a call to return to the everlasting Gospel and true worship which includes the fountains of water: “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth…saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water.”
At the end of this earth’s history, we read the fulfillment of this promise: “And He said unto me, It is done! I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that thirsts of the Fountain of Water of Life freely. He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.” Revelation 21:6-7.
Water may seem bitter to you now; it was for the Israelite too (see Exodus 15:23-27), but God made the bitter waters sweet and included a promise for health and healing, “If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and will do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD that heals you.” He then provides them with an abundance of water. (v. 27).
God has something better for you! Water is the best hydrating liquid available to us. Drink it freely and reap the benefits God has to offer you by cooperating with Him for both now and all eternity.
Blue Skies,
Dana West, RD, LD, ACLMDIP
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References:
Ganio, Matthew S., et al. "Mild Dehydration Impairs Cognitive Performance and Mood of Men." British Journal of Nutrition, vol. 106, no. 10, 2011, pp. 1535-1543.
Jéquier, Eric, and Felix Constant. "Water as an Essential Nutrient: The Physiological Basis of Hydration." European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 64, no. 2, 2010, pp. 115-123.
Mayo Clinic Staff. "Water: How Much Should You Drink Every Day?" Mayo Clinic, 14 Oct. 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256.
Popkin, Barry M., Kathryn E. D’Anci, and Irwin H. Rosenberg. "Water, Hydration, and Health." Nutrition Reviews, vol. 68, no. 8, 2010, pp. 439-458.
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