The stream behind our house.
It's late January, and every inch of Nevada County is soaking wet. We have been rained on, hailed on, and snowed on so much that I've started to forget there ever was a summer. Meanwhile, I am on a mission to drink enough water every day, which is having a positive effect on every cell in my body. What better time to share my thoughts on our friend H20?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (or TCM), winter is the time of Water. The body parts that TCM associates with winter are the kidneys, bladder, and adrenals.
The kidneys have the job of regulating the blood, which flows through them like a never-ending river. Since our blood is our life-force itself, the kidneys are given great respect-- in fact, they are considered the home of our "chi" or essential energy. The bladder, on the other hand, is a vessel for our liquid waste, and it fills and empties several times a day. It is considered the seat of our emotions.
Adequate water energy, in the Chinese energetic system, will nourish the "wood" energy of the spring-- the new growth, the green wood of sprouting and leafing out. Unlike the trees and flowers, we are not taken care of by nature alone, but must be vigilant about the amount of water and rest that we get during the winter. If we nourish ourselves deeply, we will burst forth right along with the tulips, enjoying that incomparable "spring fever" as we were meant to.
Our adrenals, the seat of this dynamic energy, are like reservoirs which become tapped by the non-stop demands of summer and fall. Winter is by it's nature slower and simpler; the days are colder and shorter, we long to sleep a few extra hours a night. We can fight the impulse to hibernate (our modern Christmas Season is a perfect example of Man vs. Nature), but the most Type A among us still feel drawn to watching videos in a nest of blankets. Although we are told by our culture that this is "lazy" and "indulgent", it is actually the body's way of re-filling these precious reservoirs.
So we know we're supposed to drink water, but how much is enough? There is an easy rule of thumb for your daily water intake: drink half of your body weight in ounces. (If you weigh 120 lbs, that would be 60 ounces of water a day). Measuring out your water at the beginning of the day is the best way to make sure that this really happens. I keep this glass jar at work and a plastic bottle in the car; together they total my daily intake.
You can spice up your water with a splash of lemon (I love Meyers, which are in season in California right now!), but be aware that juices and teas, even herbal teas, are diuretic in nature, and do not count towards your daily goal. Green and black teas are especially dehydrating, and you actually need to increase your intake of water to compensate for their actions.
Many people say that they do not feel thirsty in the winter, but dry weather and indoor heating can be as hard on the body as the hot summer sun. Amazingly enough, by the time you FEEL thirsty, you are already dehydrated. For some reason, the body can mute it's own signals for water until the situation is already Code Red on a cellular level. This seems like a serious design flaw, since we all know that we cannot live without water for more than three days, even though we can live without food for a whole month! Ironically, as you start drinking more water, you "re-set" your water gauge, and you will find that you are appropriately thirsty more often.
The list of ailments attributed to dehydration is so long that it sounds like one of those old ads for snake oil: fatigue, allergies, constipation, memory loss, foggy thinking, dry skin, mood swings, achy joints, slow healing, slow recovery post-exercise, liver congestion, and asthma, and toads in the bed. (Just testing you.)
As the spring allergy season gets closer, it is even more important to follow the rule of thumb for water intake. If water is not present to help wash pollen and pollutants from the respiratory system, the body will produce extra mucus to compensate. Unfortunately, mucus is a MUCH less elegant way of doing the job!
If an allergy to pets or pollen comes on suddenly, try reaching for your bottle of water before you reach for an inhaler, a decongestant, or even an herbal remedy. If you can drink 20 ounces of water immediately, you can often stop the allergic reaction altogether. (Thanks to Linda for this handy trick!)
You may also be amazed at how adequate water can help with constipation, even the chronic kind. If you suffer from this problem, try drinking enough water, and see if this doesn't change everything within a few days. Many people resort to chemical or herbal laxatives, when dehydration is the real issue.
Well, here's wishing all you little ducks a moist, damp, saturated, waterlogged, hydrated, soaking winter. Wear your raincoat and remember to fill your water bottle!!!
