Re: Water - The Elixir of Life! Quote:
Originally Posted by alpha1 A test whether one is drinking enough water or not: bad breath or not? Sufficient water will prevent bad breath (because hydration will cause saliva to be present and saliva keeps the mouth sterile preventing bacteria growth) |
That indeed goes without saying, those are the first symptoms of dehydration. A mouth is a chamber of bacterial activity, initiated by the saliva. Now, we needn't fear bacteria as there are more healthy, life-enhancing bacteria in our bodies than the bad ones. Lactobacilli and streptococcus are the 'bad' bacteria in the saliva, and when they aren't flushed out by water every 6-7 hours they may begin to thrive and cause tooth decay, horrible bad breath and a general feeling of unhealthiness.
There are other symptoms of dehydration too.. like the urine color becoming too dark (unless you take oral B-Vitamins which can cause discoloration even if hydration is optimal), dry skin, aching body and a general intolerance of extreme temperatures.
The modern lifestyle does not allow for people to behave in the way nature intended them to. It goes as deep as people not following the circadian rhythm which operates on senses rather than thoughts. This circadian rhythm if followed can also regulate hunger and thirst more effectively, unlike the 24/7 workers that we've all become. Somewhere every bit helps bring back the nature from within man. I've not for once thought about availability of bathrooms before drinking water because male office-goers like us can find one at most times, but it indeed is a problem for women because their bladder control isn't as optimal as men either.
I'm also not one for the highly ritualized process of ancient India, some of it is mumbo-jumbo but most of it aren't.. taking a swig of water would require one to move it around the mouth a couple of times and then swallow, which creates not only a cleaner mouth but also thoroughly rinses off the acids and bacteria and takes them down, I follow that most times and it makes drinking water more efficient rather than having to rely on huge quantities.
As Mr.Jeroen also has said, if the body is desperate for water it will make it obvious, I've supervised on-site in productions operations early on and the sheer humidity, and boiling heat in a closed-out floor had me drinking a liter an hour. If one doesn't listen to the tell-tale signs of water deprivation and dehydration because they are either too busy, or are drinking coffee/tea/Pepsi to compensate assuming that they too, are liquids.. then that scale of ignorance is something we can do nothing about. |