While spending a few days on the local university campus recently, I happened to notice the numerous beverage vending machines on the premises. In the area I walked around, it seemed that one never had to travel more than a hundred feet or so between one vending machine and the next. I also noted that most machines boasted a bold slogan, such as “Pure Refreshment,” “Real taste,” or simply “Thirsty?” It seems slogans still sell products, even in the halls of academic discourse, but how do these beverages, and the claims made for them, really relate to our actual needs to satisfy our thirst?

There is a long-standing concern, especially within the past half century, regarding how much fluid we should drink, and when, not to mention the quality.

Many health authorities tell us that we must be ever-vigilant about getting enough water into our bodies, as it is very easy to become dehydrated even before we begin to feel thirsty—a situation which can manifest as fatigue, as well as a host of various illnesses. Besides the fluids contained in our foods, moisture in the air around us, and bathing/showering, which are all means by which we absorb moisture into the body, we are advised to consume a minimum of eight to ten full glasses of pure water on a daily basis. This is to replace the fluids we lose every day through the various bodily functions, so that we keep the body healthy and in prime operating condition. The book Your Body’s Many Cries for Water by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, published in the 1990s, helped to popularize the idea that toxins which cause illness can be flushed out by drinking lots of water, an idea that has really caught on with the masses. Other beverages, such as coffee, tea, milk, beer, wine, and fruit drinks or juices, are said to be inferior sources of fluids, or even to increase one’s total need for pure water.

On the other side of the question, various sources advocate a more “natural” approach to the amount of water we consume. Although dehydration is a very real condition with serious consequences, the recommendation to drink a specified amount of water on a daily basis, regardless of factors such as environment, climate, types of foods consumed, and activity levels, is not warranted. In this alternative view, thirst is indeed the best indicator of how much we need to drink. And as well as flushing out toxins, excess water moving through the body may also have the unwelcome effect of flushing out essential nutrients that have not yet been absorbed, thereby disturbing the body’s delicate electrolyte balance.

An article at snopes.com points out that the rule about drinking a prescribed amount of water has no identifiable source, and that indeed numerous health specialists take exception to it, along with the notion that beverages other than plain water do not have a positive impact on the body’s fluid balance.

It is interesting to contemplate how people before modern times, or living in more primitive conditions, would have viewed the issue, when they did not usually have such easy access to drinking water “on tap” as we do today. Indeed, drinking copious amounts of water, especially when not really thirsty, would have probably been incomprehensible to most people in past times, even as recently as one or two generations ago.

According to Charles Eisenstein in The Yoga of Eating, traditional Chinese medicine holds that over-consumption of water, especially cold water, actually promotes ill health. What is needed is to trust the body to know what it needs, and to become finely attuned to the body’s signals, which is the best way to maintain the body’s exquisite balance. Eisenstein recommends engaging in the full sensual experience each time we drink or assess our level of thirst, so that we will develop our own inner knowing of what, when, and how much to consume. This seems quite a different, and ultimately more satisfying, approach than mindlessly gulping down a required amount of water each day. And one which, like all self-awareness practices, also takes some time and commitment to master.

It is highly likely that, when practicing such self awareness, one will feel more thirst in warm weather during the summer season, depending of course, upon activity levels and environment. For instance, activities such as gardening, working, or playing outdoors on a typical summer day would naturally generate more need for fluids, and therefore more thirst, than sitting in an air-conditioned classroom or office.

There are many thirst-quenching beverages to choose from which can promote health and well-being, especially in the summer time.

Although cold water is not generally the healthiest beverage (it makes more work for the body to maintain its equilibrium and can also interfere with digestion if taken at or close to mealtime), there is almost nothing as satisfying as a good cold drink of water when one is feeling really hot and sweaty. I have childhood memories of relishing the refreshingly cold water directly from my grandparents’ farm well when playing outdoors on hot summer days—delicious!

Nowadays, we often apply various technologies to further improve the taste and quality of municipally treated tap water. There is no easy answer to the question of what water treatment techniques are best, although filtering methods seem to be the most popular. One easy way to improve the taste and quality is to simply let tap water stand at room temperature in an open container for about 6 to 24 hours which allows the chlorine to evaporate. Some also prefer to let the water stand in a glass container exposed to sunlight, which is said to have a positive energizing effect on the water.

Water can also be subtly flavoured by adding simple food substances. Lemon or lime slices are commonly used, but other fruits can also be experimented with. An unusually refreshing flavouring is to add slices of cucumber to a pitcher of water. Herbs, such as mint or lemon balm, can also be steeped in water, with a somewhat different taste effect than if they are brewed as tea.

Another easy and refreshing summer drink is to make a pot of tea using fruit-flavoured herbal tea bags, lightly sweetened with a wholesome sweetener such as stevia or honey, and let it cool. A variation is to make a concentrated tea by using less water, and when cooled, top it up with sparkling bottled spring water (choose a bottled product without added artificial flavourings).

Recipes

Real Sports Drink
(from www.freshhealthycooking.com)

Sports drinks have become very popular, but most brands contain unhealthy additives as well as plentiful amounts of highly processed or artificial sweeteners. Here is a simply prepared beverage that can be used to replace those electrolytes in a thirsty situation.

1 cup of filtered water
juice of one organic lemon, lime, orange, or other juicy fruit
1/8 tsp Celtic sea salt
2 tbsp whey (liquid drained or separated from plain yogurt—very rich in nutrients)
1 tsp raw honey

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a non-plastic water bottle.

Ginger Ale
(from Nourishing Traditions)

Homemade lacto-fermented beverages are also gaining in popularity among natural-food enthusiasts and represent a whole new world of beverages. Try this lacto-fermented citrus ginger drink for a really refreshing treat!

Combine in a 2 quart glass jar (or 2 one-quart jars):
3/4 cup peeled and finely chopped or grated ginger root
1/2 cup fresh lime/lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 cup unrefined sugar
2 tsp unrefined salt
1/4 cup whey (liquid drained or separated from plain yogurt)
Enough water to fill a 2 quart glass jar

Cover tightly. Leave at room temperature for 2–3 days to develop lacto-fermentation activity. Then store in refrigerator for up to a few months. To serve, strain into drinking glasses. Sweeten with honey, if desired. May also be mixed with carbonated water.

Sources:
Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, Your Body’s Many Cries For Water, published by The Therapist Ltd., 1992.
http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp
Charles Eisenstein, The Yoga of Eating, New Trends Publishing, 2003
www.freshhealthycooking.com
Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, Nourishing Traditions, New Trends Publishing, 1999.

Sandra Brandt has had a lifelong interest in whole natural foods. She is located in Regina, where she gives cooking classes, presentations, and dietary consultations. She can be reached via email: brandt.s@sasktel.net. Also see the colour display ad on page 13 of the 17.2 July/August issue of the WHOLifE Journal.