Last week I mentioned the Breath and Water Club newsletter. Some of you don’t go back that far, and you wondered what it was. (I started it in 2004, and it ran for 6 years before it morphed into Tenacity Notes.)
I’ve moved the back issues of the Breath and Water newsletter from my Web site to a blog site. You can find them at breathandwater.com. While doing so, I came across this issue about water, and I liked being reminded of these things. (#38, July 2007) Maybe you’ll like it too. Here’s part of it:
I received emails about “Water Facts” from a few people. I’ll share it with you, but first let’s remember what we’ve learned from each other about the effects of drinking water.
* joints are less stiff
* thinking is clearer, you’re smarter
* never knew you were thirsty until you started drinking water
* constipation is gone
* complexion is clear
* calf muscles are free from cramping
When you add breathing, you find that:
* people you work with are less irritating
* your spouse is suddenly kinder
* life is not so hard as you’d thought it was
* you feel more rested all day
* you stop prevaricating about momentous life decisions – you get pregnant, go to graduate school, begin a new mid-life career
* you’re not so stressed out
* and interestingly, the people around you are not so stressed out
Here’s the Water Facts people have sent me. I have no idea where these statistics came from or if they’re accurate. But they are certainly not incompatible with what we already know from our own practice.
* 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
* Even mild dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism by 3%.
* One glass of water shut down nighttime hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
* Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
* Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
* A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
* Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
* In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.
That’s the end of the excerpt. The Breath and Water Club newsletters were much longer than Tenacity Notes, and came monthly rather than weekly. I invite you to check them out — again or for the first time. Maybe you’ll find something you really like. Or maybe you’ll find something you want to take issue with. In either case, let me know.