Helping You Hydrate
Have you had enough water today?
Dehydration is a common pattern, and it can lead to numerous symptoms. Water is essential to life. In Chinese medicine the Water element corresponds to the Bladder and Kidneys and rules over the all Yin (fluids and Blood) in the body. A lack of Water (or Yin) is progressive, starting with minor symptoms and leading to greater Yin deficiency which can appear as false fires — hot flashes, night sweats, and tidal fevers.
Without getting into an exhaustive blog on water and how your body manages it, let’s keep it simple and help you get more water.
Symptoms of dehydration — you are drying up
Agitation or anxiety
Burning sensation on tongue
Constipation
Dryness anywhere —dry mouth, tongue, skin, eyes, hair, really…anywhere.
Elevated or drop in blood pressure
Exhaustion and restlessness
Headaches
Lethargy
Nausea or vomiting
Palpitations
Poor digestion, lack of digestive fluids, and bad breath
Poor immunity
Rapid pulse
Scant, dark urine
Red, dry tongue
Ringing in the ears, high pitched
Thirst
For a quick test - press in the on a pad of your finger. If it stays pitted in, you need to hydrate.
Causes of dehydrate — aka Yin and Fluid deficiency
Diet - Simply not drinking enough, water, eating too many dried foods, or foods that rob the body of moisture.
Lack of adequate oil in the diet.
Fighting Fires — Fevers, hot flashes, night sweats.
Excessive sweating or blood loss.
Age or stage of life — Nursing mothers, women in peri-menopause/menopause, and seniors are prone to Yin deficiency.
Exposure to hot and dry conditions.
Compromised water works — Problems with organs responsible for generating and managing fluids in the body — your Stomach, Kidneys, Bladder, & San Jiao.
Medical conditions, medications and treatments. For example, radiation is very hot and dehydrating.
Social and emotional concerns — There are numerous reasons a person may choose to not drink enough water for example, they may have fear of needing to have to go to the bathroom too often.
For chronic patterns it is wise to seek guidance from your healthcare provider.
How to hydrate
Drink water
How much water?
Men need about 15 cups
Women need about 11 cups
Room temperature or warm water is more readily absorbed by the body. Ice is nice sometimes, but it chills the Spleen and generates heat to warm it. Read more on that here.
Take time to understand why you are dehydrated and then create habits to help drink more.
Setting up habits to help you hydrate
Have a glass of water or tea when you first wake up.
Always take water with you when you go out. Preferably, use a reusable, plastic free water bottle whenever possible. Clara travels with a huge 32 oz stainless steel flask.
Don’t love the taste of water? (Yes, I have heard this as a reason for not drinking water). Add something into your water for flavor.
Make teas or add herbs and foods in your water to help address your particular needs.
Eat water rich foods including soups, vegetables, and fruits in season. Watermelon anyone?
Adjust your intake based on the season, your health, and activities. Gardening or running more now that the sun is out. Take your water bottle.
Know your portions. If you are unsure of how much water you drink or you know you need more, take the time to portion out what you need for the day.
Food and herbs that help clear heat and nourish Yin
We can aid water’s nourishing properties by adding things to it. Rarely is my water bottle filled with just water. It’s easy add a mint or hibiscus tea bag, or a fresh sliced cucumber, a few berries or a slice of lemon. Besides adding flavor you receive the energetic nature of the food or herb and the vitamins and minerals it has to offer. Here are some more ideas.
Aloe
All berries
All fruits — dilute or keep fruit juices to a minimum as they are excessive dense with sugar.
All leafy greens
All mints
Apples
Cucumber
Fruits
Lavender
Lemon & Lime
Nettles — divine with berries or berry flavored teas
Raspberry leaf
Rose
Strawberry
Been working out hard? Try a switchel.
Take life with a pinch of salt
Well…at least sip your water with a grain of salt. The action of the magnesium in the salt helps to pull the water into your cells giving you better hydration - even for those of you with edema. A little grain of Celtic or Himalayan sea salt will do. A little kitchen mineral magic for you. A little electrolyte recharge.
Stabilize and astringe
For those who lose water too easily through excess sweating, frequent blood loss, leaky bladder, or excessive urination, we need to stabilize and astringe. Here are a few herbs that you can add to your tea or get as supplements to aid you. As always, see guidance if you are unfamiliar with herb supplements.
cornsilk
cranberry
pippsessewa (wintergreen)
raspberry leaf
Additional thoughts
Water needs to be enlivened with minerals— if you have a reverse osmosis system consider adding liquid minerals.
There are thousands of products on the market and millions are spent in advertising, telling us the best thing to drink — we do live in a capitalistic society. For many of us, we have safe drinking water or access to filtration.
Be well,
April
