More secrets to better immunity

I bet most of the world has a much better idea of how to improve their immune system by now. Most of what is recommended with this pandemic is being distant from others and better hygiene, like hand washing repeatedly. I know that people have been, or have become aware of certain vitamins, minerals, or herbs that are good for strengthening ones resistance. I say that because you can hardly find anything in stores that is for the immune system or for building resistance these days. Although those things are effective most of the time, there are a few things that most don't think about that can also be helpful as we strive to find ways to be less probable to contract an illness, or to be able to fight it if we do. Drinking good quality water for proper hydration and keeping active with mild exercise and activity is also extremely important for better resistance. Let's get into why.

Our bodies are made up of many things, but you may be surprised to know that about 60% is water. The brain is about 70% water, as is the heart. The skin is about 60%, while the lungs and kidneys are upwards of 80% water. Okay, I think you get what I am saying here, we are made of a lot of water. Supporting the body in replacing the water that we lose through practically everything we do has many theories. I am going to tell you why it is so vital to get water all of the time. Some believe that it is necessary to drink water only when the body craves it, others think it is essential to get a daily amount based on body weight. For most, it is instilled in us that we should drink water. Should. Of course, we know very well that we should do many things that we do not always do for our well being. I have tried for many years to figure out why some people are very good about getting the amount of water they need, while others fail miserably at this. I know that I don't quite have the answer to that question, but I have come across a few theories. One is that there are many people on this planet that struggle to absorb water correctly. As a matter of fact, they have a hard time getting rid of water that their bodies store due to the lack of proper absorption. Taste is another huge factor. I will talk more in depth about taste soon. How often have you been served a glass of water somewhere and the taste was not what you were hoping for? One of the biggest reasons I hear for not wanting to drink water is that many don't like it. When you go to a restaurant or drink from a fountain, the water is always just a filtered tap water, so usually the taste is not great.

One of the most absurd things I have heard is that we really don't need water, or that we get it naturally through other things. Reasons why that is not true will be presented shortly. All sorts of reasons exist as to why people either do, or do not drink water. Most of us are told that it is necessary to have some water in our lives, but just how much is the right amount? We seek that information, yet are not given anything more than a human derived answer. In other words, that manual that we have always thought was left out of our newborn kit that would tell us how to care for a human being has actually never existed. But that is what we need to know, the essentials for supporting our body. So through lack of instruction, the world has gone by experience and innate intelligence in these areas. Probably since the beginning of time there has been a "trial and error," way of learning things about our health and well being. Still today we continue to learn more and more about the beautiful splendor that is the human body. Research has shown that about half an ounce of water per pound of body weight is average amount of water needed. What is likely more accurate is to consider body weight, and activity, plus surrounding temperature, among other factors.

My suggestion is to get to know what you personally find is the right amount for you. As I mentioned earlier, there are many reasons for why a person would or would not be a good water drinker. Knowing that we are made of so much water, it stands to reason that if we lose some water by perspiring and through routine physiological processes, we need to put it back. Much like the balloon that has air released, it will go much further if it has more air than if it did not. A little air would push it some, but a lot of air would push it better. Our body is similar, with little water it will function, but with the right amount it will function better. Think about when you have felt dehydrated. Did you feel like running a mile, or cleaning the house, or even singing a song? When we feel dehydrated, we feel lethargic, we feel limp, perhaps foggy even. So it stands to reason that if we had been able to keep ourselves hydrated we would have never experienced those feelings. Of course becoming too dehydrated can be life threatening. The reason for this is that water provides the body with essential nutrients called electrolytes. Minerals such as potassium, sodium, and chloride among others, are provided to us through drinking good quality water. If we do not receive the electrolytes, we struggle to support ourselves, and can easily become deficient. As we strive for cleaner water, and to replace water supply, we find that water has less of what we actually need from it.

Municipal systems and water supply stores all use different methods to filter and "clean" water. We don't think about that water is supposed to have minerals in it, which are lost when it is filtered. Due to water being the source of some illnesses, and the fact that recycling is common, municipalities have to filter. When water comes from natural springs, it has been cleansed as its travels underground and above ground by being sifted through the rocks and soil. It gets its taste from the minerals that it picks up as it travels. Taste of water is going to depend on the mineral content. From mountain range to mountain range, minerals will be different. When you try water that truly comes from a spring somewhere, it will taste different from others that are also from springs, but that are not from the same areas of the world. If you think you don't like water, it is likely more that you need to try different ones to see which you do like. Bottled water is also a topic in itself. For lack of time, I will leave that for another day too. What I will mention is that most bottled water is just municipal water that has been cleansed more. After the city water is filtered through machines that take out every impurity including the chlorine used to "clean" the water, it is left as practically 99.999% pure water. The issue with doing that is that now the water is without its beneficial minerals. Most of what is consumed today is of this type. What are we actually getting from this water? Not much more than byproduct. Similar to what your body does to water that is from a spring. It takes the minerals out that you need for hydration and gets rid of the rest. You stay somewhat hydrated with purified water, but lack in the real beneficial nutrients.

Making sure that you are going to benefit from the water you drink by knowing if you are absorbing is very important. Many people do not realize that they are not absorbing water correctly, and it is more common than you think. We need sodium and other minerals to properly absorb and distribute water to essential areas. When you are retaining fluid from having heart issues, or kidney issues, it may be because of a lack of minerals. Sodium is in everything we eat practically, and much higher in certain things than others, but not everyone can use sodium properly. I will not get into the reasons for sodium problems, but will mention that digestion is a huge factor. So many reasons why sodium becomes a problem for folks, and we shall leave that for another day. In fact, I want to keep these reads short, so since this topic is so broad, I will need to follow up with the other half of the discussion next time. Stay tuned, tomorrow we will get into why water can be a very important thing, along with staying active, for your immune system. Keep away from others, but get out for fresh air and exercise daily. God bless.