Be sure to drink enough water or Mother Nature will take offense

We never seem to get the health message from Mother Nature. Our planet is covered with 71 percent water. The volume of all the oceans add up to 1.332 billion cubic miles of water which is the same as 310 million cubic miles with an average depth of 12,430 feet.

For thousands of years, Mother Nature has been filling our bodies with S0 percent water as she tries to match our content of water to that of the oceans. Although our bodies nearly match the percent of water in the oceans, we have decided we’d rather drink soda and sugary drinks instead of water when we have to replace our body’s water. And, because Mother Nature doesn’t like what we do, she causes us to get sick.

When our lost body water is not replaced with water, Mother Nature let’s us know she is angry by causing us to have kidney stones, weakness and confusion. To answer her, we drink liquids that contain bubbles and sugar. Even the caffeine in beverages flushes out water from our bodies. Tea, coffee, beer in excess and liquor upset Mother Nature. When we go to the pool or beach and sweat on a beach chair, Mother Nature takes offense. One of her enemies is dehydration.

A person is probably dehydrated when the mouth gets dry, he or she feels dizzy, or a person gets light-headed or confused. Meanwhile, we continue to drink the sweet drinks and soda, adding calories and making us fat. We often switch to vegetable drinks that contain too much sodium and cause high blood pressure.

Every day we lose water through perspiration, breathing, urine and bowel movements. Although the food we eat often contains 20 percent water, it is not enough replacement. We need to drink water. According to a rough guide, a person’s weight in pounds divided in half will give an approximation of the number of ounces of water that person should drink, daily. A 140 pound individual should drink 70 ounces of water a day. And that intake should be through the day; not all at once. The average cup or glass contains 8 ounces. According to the Institute of Medicine, the average man should drink 13 cups a day and the average women should drink nine cups.

Unfortunately, today people have more choices and drink less water than years ago. Also, avoiding anti-inflammatory drugs and aspirins is worthwhile when perspiring. People who exercise or work in the heat need more fluids. There is a problem when people drink too much water called water intoxication. This illness may cause symptoms that are similar to dehydration. Because these illnesses are opposite and difficult to distinguish, if a person looks confused and dehydrated, it is an emergency: call 911.

On the other side of the world, half of the world’s schools do not have access to clean water and adequate sanitation. Approximately 1.8 million child deaths are a result of diarrhea. Four million people die a year from water related diseases. Unsafe water is the biggest killer of children under age 5. Ninety percent of deaths due to diarrhea are in this age group.

In the United States, the average American uses 140 to 170 gallons of water a day. The average bath requires 37 gallons of water. You use about 5 gallons of water if you leave the water running while brushing your teeth.

Dr. Milton Friedman can be reached at tcgn@montgomerynews.com.