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In addition to knowing what you eat, paying attention to the
beverages you drink is a critical aspect of health. Water is an important
component of your diet, as it makes up more than half of your body’s tissues
and has a role in almost all of your body functions, including detoxification,
temperature regulation, and cushioning of joints.
It’s best to stick to just pure water. The following are
some beverages you should consume less of or eliminate from your diet
completely:
1. Coffee and other caffeinated drinks –
Prolonged consumption of caffeinated drinks, like coffee and energy drinks, can
make you prone to a number of health problems, such as insomnia, irregular
blood pressure, palpitations, anxiety, and mineral deficiencies.
2. Alcohol – Consumption of beer and other
types of alcohol should be limited (or eliminated completely) if you want to
improve your health. It should be completely avoided if you have high uric acid
levels. Overconsumption of alcohol can lead to metabolic syndrome, abdominal
obesity, high blood pressure, poor liver health, and more.
3. Fruit juices – Most commercial fruit
juices contain only 10 percent fruit juice. They may as well be called “sugar
water,” as they are loaded with high-fructose
corn syrup, which can cause great damage to your system. Fruit juices also contain
synthetic nutrients, artificial colors, and preservatives.
4. Soda – Whether it’s regular soda or
diet soda, you should not drink it at all. While regular soda contains high
concentrations of fructose and synthetic ingredients, diet soda contains
artificial sweeteners that are linked to brain and neurological disorders.
How to Get ‘Healthy’ Water
To determine if you’re drinking enough water, check your
urine: it should be light yellow. A darker shade of color may mean that you are
dehydrated. It is important to stay hydrated, as insufficient water levels in
your body can cause fatigue, dry skin, headaches, and constipation.
However, you shouldn’t settle for just any water. Having
some type of water filtration system at home is highly recommended, because the
water treatment procedures done by your local water company can add
contaminants to your water.
Adding chlorine to water is one of the most common treatment
methods used to clear water of inorganic material. Once chlorine reacts with
the organic substances in water, toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) can form.
Studies show that DBPs are carcinogenic and can cause reproductive problems in
lab rats.
Some treatment plants add fluoride to the water, as it is
believed that fluoride can help promote oral health. The truth is fluoride is a
neurotoxin that can worsen dental health and accumulate in your bones, causing skeletal fluorosis.
Aside from investing in a high-quality water filter, you can
also:
·
Avoid
distilled water – Aside from being too acidic, it can leach minerals from
your body.
·
Avoid
alkaline water – While distilled water’s pH level makes it too acidic,
alkaline water’s pH makes it too ionized. This type of water is only good for
short-term use (about two weeks) or detoxification.
·
Avoid bottled
water – 40 percent of bottled water is actually tap water, which may have
not been treated. Plus, there are over 30 contaminants found in bottled water,
including arsenic and carcinogenic compounds.
·
Store
water in the right containers – Even if you have the purest water on the
planet, storing it in a plastic container can cause chemicals like bisphenol-A
(BPA) to transfer to the water. Use glass containers instead.
·
Add
lemons or limes to water – Adding these can normalize water pH levels,
especially if your pH is too acidic, and provide a refreshing twist to your
drink.
About the Author
Because of her interest in natural health, Adrienne Nicole
R. regularly reads about health news and strategies. She is subscribed to the Mercola natural health
newsletter, which enables her to discover steps to take control of her health.
She is currently researching the benefits of having an efficient whole
house water filtration system in your home.
