Water, Water, Everywhere...

So lately I’ve been obsessed with water. OBSESSED. To the point where every drop looks like this to me:

Yet this is not so for all. Despite the fact that more than half of a human’s body weight is water, most individuals don’t drink nearly enough water. (Further research is necessary for other species, however if you are an elemental, I’m assuming you’re near 100%...) But alas! I was there too once. In fact, let me start from the beginning:

Wait, wrong story... Ah, here we go... When I was younger, I rarely drank water. My beverages of choice were either sodas or soft drinks of some kind. In college, I switched over to juices. I was in love with apple and cranberry juice, or at least I was in love with the sugar. Buster Bluth and I had very much in common during that time.

Then in my twenties, I switched over to just water. As of 2014, I’ve been drinking mostly water for almost 4 years. I do drink some tea, and I do allow for the occasional adult beverages, but for the most part water is the way to go for me. But what have I discovered in my deepening relationship with water? Just drinking water isn’t enough. You can drink ONLY water EVERDAY and still be dehydrated. My life experiences and adventures have shown me that one factor that can indeed play a significant role in preventing a normal human being from feeling like a SUPER human being, and that is 

  

So in light of that, I’d like to share a few things I’ve learned over the years and how they’ve helped me to unravel some of the mysteries of hydration.

1. Drinking water ISN’T enough. You have to drink a certain amount. 

Paul Chek, in his book Eat, Move and Be Healthy, recommends that the average person should drink half of their body weight in water every day. So if you weigh 140 lbs, you should be drinking 70 ounces a day. (If you measure your weight in kilograms, then multiply your weight in kg by 0.033 and that will determine how many liters to drink a day.) Sounds like a lot, but I promise, it gets easier over time.

2. Temperature MATTERS.

And the temperature is LUKE-IAMYOURFATHER-WARM water. 

This might be more difficult for some than others, but it is easier to drink lukewarm or room temperature water. Cold water actually sits into your stomach until it is body temperature, the temperature needed to absorb it. 

In a nutshell this means no ICE. I know, I know, this makes you feel like this:

and as Chuck Noland implies, you feel as if ice in your glass makes you feel civilized... but your body will thank you if you give it more lukewarm water. 

3. SALT is key.

And No, I’m not just talking about Supernatural.

For some people, drinking adequate amounts of water can be difficult, or can cause them to have to pee ALL the time. This can be helped by added a pinch of UNPROCESSED sea salt, Celtic Sea Salt works best. This also helps make sure that people who don’t intake enough salt, get enough as well. And yes, salt is important to stay hydrated, but like everything else, is just as dangerous if you have too much of it. My advice is to put a pinch of salt in your water, but never enough to taste it. If you can taste the salt, you’ve added too much. And yes, I try to put a pinch of salt in all of my water, and No, it’s not always easy. I carry salt with me everywhere (and not just because I’m a Supernatural fan), and it is a lifestyle choice. So this may not be the first step to attempt if you’re looking to up your hydration levels. But if you’ve done everything else easier than this, I highly suggest it. You will be able to tell the difference. Some people even claim that they prefer the mouthfeel of water when salt is added. 

4. WHEN to drink water

I will not lie to you, this was on of the difficult things for me to adapt to, and I do struggle with it sometimes. In the defense of what I’m about to say, however, I find it makes an INCREDIBLE difference. 

There is a school of thought lead by Dr. BATMANghelidj (No, I did not make up that name,

so how cool is that?!?, and YES I refer to him as Dr. Batman) that it doesn’t matter how much water you drink but also when you drink it. I don’t know about you, but my day can go very much like the doctor’s definition of time, so learning the behaviors of when to drink water has been quite the endeavor. But basically, Dr. Batman suggests that you drink:

30 oz of water right before breakfast

30 oz of water right before lunch

16 oz of water right before dinner

Water as needed in between or after (particularly if you sweat a lot or engage in physical activity)

This is supposed to make sure that all of your water isn't taken in kind with the food you eat (as water in food instead of just water) and is supposed to help with overeating since you’ll kind of be somewhat full just from the water. As I mentioned before, this was a Herculean task for me. Thirty ounces of water is a lot. But once you Master it (you'll be free), if you stick to this schedule, you’ll almost never feel dehydrated.

5. Alkaline Water

This is where I’m at now. Having explored the above four suggested habits, I have recently been introduced to alkaline water. Basically, this water has a higher pH than your normal tap water, which can be a bit on the acidic side of things. I will be completely honest, and say that I don’t know enough about it to heavily promote it or suggest it, but if I notice an undeniable awesomeness about it, I promise to share. However, if you’ve had incredible experiences with alkaline water, I’d LOVE to hear about. I’m at a stage where I’m about to level up in Water-nerdiness, and the more I can know the better. :)

And now for something new: 

What I’m currently obsessed with: Alkaline water, Dinosaurs, Peeta Mellark, CHEK Education Institute & Las Vegas initiatives for Going Green 

What I’m currently reading: Game of Thrones, Paul Chek’s Eat, Move & Be Healthy (for a second time) & The Vampire Academy (Yes, I have book ADHD)

What I’m currently watching: How I Met Your Mother, Classic Who, Warm Bodies ( Please also note that have TV ADHD)

What I'm currently stalking to consider to read/watch/buy: Parenthood, Awkward Season Three, A Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch, Boardwalk Empire.

Really REALLY Great Hair.

And if you’re a Whovian, you know that the 10th Doctor has it, and it’s a really big deal. 

People want to interact with it:

People and birds try to recreate it:

And there’s also a who population who consider taking care of such hair to be their dream job:

 or dedicate their blog to it (Oh Yes! There's more than one...):

http://davidtennantsawesomehair.tumblr.com/

http://davidtennanthairporn.tumblr.com/

http://davidtennantshair.tumblr.com/

Yet, for me at least, trying to obtain and manage really REALLY great hair can be difficult. When you’re holistically aware, shopping for shampoos and hair products can be as difficult as shopping in a grocery store (without a tricorder), particularly when you consider ingredients. There’s also the issue of cost. Like groceries, going organic or requiring products to be free of certain ingredients CAN be pricey.

Now there are many theories and schools of thoughts about hair: How often do I wash it? When is it too dry? Why is it too dry? How important is conditioner anyway? How do I get rid of the dandruff?... and so on and so forth. However, I think that one of the biggest debates when it comes to health and shampoo is the subject of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) - the stuff that makes all the bubbles- and similar derivative ingredients. 

The Debate

The traditionalist side of the argument is that SLS does not lead directly to cancer. Shampoo is shampoo and we’ve used if for years. If there is a threat, its only a mild one with SLS acting as an irritant to skin or the scalp. Most studies support this argument, and unless you eat 16 pounds of it, or let it sit in your hair for 12 plus hours, you shouldn’t really be worried. The bottom line: Life’s too short to worry about the marginal probability of potentially hazardous shampoo ingredients.

However, no one has yet carried out long term studies of the effects of SLS, so in the short run, it appears that SLS doesn’t cause cancer, but for the long-run, people only really have theories. There’s no real proof, and at one point in recent history, there was a big Sodium Laurel Sulfate scare, and large numbers of people swore off of SLS products. The hardcore anti-SLS fundamentalists will swear up and down that SLS is toxic, and directly contributes to cancer.  Sodium Laurel Sulfate is what is commonly used as a chemical to clean industrial floors. The bubbles aren’t worth it. LUKE[I AM YOUR FATHER] WARM members of this side believe that SLS may not be a direct cause of cancer, but as an irritant may lower the body’s defenses against other negative stressors. Their bottom line: Life’s probably too short because of hazardous shampoo ingredients.

So Now What? Do I stay away from Sodium Lauryl Sulfate? Or is it okay? 

According to research, you should be okay if you use products that have SLS. Especially if you’re not eating your shampoo (or your toothpaste... Yes, the bubbles in toothpaste are sometimes created by SLS too).

In my personal opinion, however, I try to stay away from SLS products. I just can’t bring myself to buy shampoo with SLS in it, especially not when I have a choice. I find the LUKE[I AM YOUR FATHER]WARM anti-SLS rationalization to be practical, and therefore, I stay away from the sulfates, although I DO like bubbles. And if I’m staying at a hotel and forgot my shampoo, or am borrowing someone else’s, I don’t let it bother me because 90% of the time I’m being proactive about protecting myself from an unnecessary hazard. But I can’t pay money for it. I can’t.

But here’s the good news, and the reason why I’m sharing info about Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (besides the opportunity to blog about The Doctor):  It’s QUITE easy to be sulfate free. Now more than ever! You don’t have to pay outrageous amounts or only order shampoo from the interwebs to get it. Yes, you may pay more than you would for some of the more common shampoos, but then again maybe not, and you don’t have to pay $20+ per the bottle either (although you most certainly can if you want).

 Most stores now also carry sulfate free shampoos including stores such as Target and Walmart. Both of which carry Organix shampoos, and Aveeno’s sulfate-free line. 

No BUBBLES!

So when you are on your quest for Really REALLY Great Hair (which is important because Really REALLY Great Hair really is Wibbley Wobbley Sexy Wexy), remember that you are also responsible for protecting your scalp, and your health (and the universe). Next time you’re picking out your hair products, try out the sulfate-free shampoos. Who knows, you might be contribute more to your overall health, or someone may start a blog about your Really REALLY Great SULFATE-FREE hair.