Well, it’s day six of drinking at least 96 ounces (.75 gallons) of water a day, and guess what?!? I AM STILL DEHYDRATED!
According to science, our bodies are a lot like plants. After long periods of not having our hydration needs met, our bodies adapt by triggering a water conservation sensor. This is Chronic Cellular Dehydration and the bodies conservation has an effect on how much water is distributed on a intra and extracellular level.
This effect means, that just because you drink a gallon of water one day, doesn’t mean you will be fully hydrated after you drink that gallon. It takes a long period for the body to adapt to decreased and increased water consumption. Those water conservation sensors will not relax until hydration become consistent enough to saturate the body day after day.
If you have been in a hydration deficit for years, it can take a while for the body to re-acclimate, slowly re-hydrating the body on a cellular level. When we look at it this way, we can understand the primary underlying cause of aging, is the dehydration of the cells, organs, muscles and tissues. Other health conditions arise from dehydration. The blood thickens, the muscles lose their tone, and the kidneys have a harder time processing toxins out of the blood and removing them from the body.
“But I don’t like water.”
I hear that more often than I would like to admit from people. They are the same people who live off of Mt.Dew and Dr. Pepper, or Diet Coke. They are also the same people who complain about frequent headaches, bloating and joint inflammation. Many of them have dark circles around their eyes.
I understand that water isn’t as good in other cities, as it is here in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I have experienced tap water other places, and it’s unbearable. I am thankful for what I have, and I crave our water when I am away. Still, I am in a hydration deficit. Over the last six days, I have seen incremental change based on water alone. I limit myself to one and a half cups coffee a day, and the rest is just, water.
It’s bland, yes, but my body wants and needs it so badly, that I am committed to getting those conservation sensors to relax, so the real healing in my cells can happen.
And if you want to drink more water, but you “don’t like it” , that is what you have to weigh for yourself. Do you want to feel better in the long run, or do you want another 20 oz bottle of fluid sugar now, that is going to make things worse later?
At this point, it isn’t about “will power”, it’s about making responsible decisions that I am proud of. It’s taking control over who I want to be. “Will power” sounds so, “woo-woo”, like grasping at straws. “Self Control” sounds like self ownership; like I have a fucking say in my Now and my Future. You can lose your “will power” if you didn’t have much “Will” to begin with, but you are the only one who has control of you. So if you “lose control” that is a conscious decision to rebel against yourself.
I am sick of rebelling against myself. I know what I need. You know what you need. We don’t need anyone to tell us, but sometimes it is nice to have reminders.
GET HYDRATED! GOOOOOOO H2O!
Give this post a nice little like, a share or a comment. Pass it on to a friend and become hydration accountability partners. Your skin will thank you for it!
Follow along on my Dry July Journey at the links below! Cheers!
Dry July-Day Three- Epigenetics and Sleep
Dry July- Day Four- Independence Day
Madge Midgely 
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