THIS week we look at some of the other cooling and hydrating foods we can consume in the coming summer months. The common ingredient – water! Pure, naturally distilled and filtered water, with the life force still in it, coming from fresh foods (especially organic).

Your body cannot function properly, for very long, without water. It helps to regulate your body temperature, digest food and eliminate waste products, as well as transport oxygen, fat and glucose to your working muscles. However, it goes beyond just drinking lots of bottled water or tap water to consuming fresh, raw, living foods such as fruits and vegetables, which contain naturally distilled water.

This “living water” helps to fulfil your fluid requirements while also supplying you with healthful nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, natural sugars, fibre, and protein.

COOK OUT

Oxygen and water give the body life and are necessary for survival. It is this living water or nutrient-rich oxygenated liquid life force that the cells of the body “crave”. Unfortunately, we have become accustomed to “cooking out” the water from our food through evaporation, and with it vital nutrients too.

‘8 GLASSES PER DAY’

To make up for the living water we lose from our foods, we are told to drink at least eight glasses of water per day. Yes, drinking water is essential for health, but it should not be our only source of hydration. Also, we cannot use the universal “eight glasses” blanket rule for everybody. For example, people living in the sweltering tropics will require more hydration than those living in Scandinavian countries. Individual lifestyles, activities and work requirements also play a part in how much water a person needs.

I have found that people who eat mostly fresh, organic foods typically need a lot less water and are better hydrated. This is because unlike tap or spring water, living water has low viscosity — it is thinner, and has a greater ease of movement or fluidity, and can easily reach cells, organs and tissues.

Notice how carrot, turmeric, or beet juice stains your fingers and seem to seep right in through the pores? Drinking water, on the other hand, sits on top of the skin as droplets.

JUICY BENEFITS

Reaching for watermelon, cucumber or young coconut water after an intense workout may more effectively hydrate your body than a glass of water, according to a study by researchers at the University of Aberdeen Medical School. This is because water-rich fruits and vegetables also provide natural sugars, amino acids, mineral salts, and vitamins lost during exercise.

The biggest advantage of consuming high water content foods is that they contain minimal calories and provide a feeling of fullness, due to the fibre.

In addition to eating fresh living foods, extracting juices through a masticating or centrifugal juicer is extremely beneficial. Fresh, natural juices are quickly assimilated, go straight to the bloodstream and regenerate the body faster. Additionally, this can really help to alleviate symptoms and accelerate the healing process in people with chronic disease.

OXYGEN-RICH FOODS

Severe dehydration of organs and tissues has also been cited as one of the causes of many chronic diseases. This alone should inspire you to increase your daily fresh fruit and veggie intake! As a bonus, chlorophyll, which is rich in oxygen, is abundant in leafy greens, wheat and barley grasses, spirulina and chlorella, to name a few.

Studies report that cancer cells thrive in an oxygen-deprived environment, and die once oxygen is increased, hence the reason some oxygen therapies have been popularised. However, there are simpler ways to get your oxygen boost — eat your veggies raw, juice them, or blend them into a delicious smoothie.

EXTRA HEALTH TIP

A simple and affordable way to get more oxygen into your body and boost your immune system is to take a brisk walk (or even better a jog) through nature and follow up with a refreshing green juice or a filling green smoothie.

Bena Nakawuki is an internationally trained and certified raw food teacher, wellness coach and editor. She is currently the only certified member of the International Association of Raw Food Coaches and Teachers in Jamaica. She is the owner of The Lotus Line and may be contacted at TheLotusLine@gmail.com, www.facebook.com – The Lotus Line of Natural Health Products and Services, and twitter.com/TheLotusLine.