Flourish - Basics
HydratION
WHY HYDRATION is IMPORTANT
Our bodies are made up mostly of water, so it makes sense that we need to replenish it each day to keep our systems functioning properly. Water is fundamental for great health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19724292/
Water and the minerals it contains play many important roles in the body. Water helps:
Carry nutrients and oxygen throughout the body
Regulate body temperature
Support digestion and nutrient absorption
Support healthy bowel function
Remove waste from the body
Maintain proper blood flow
Support cognitive function, energy, and mood
A baby’s body is about 75% water, and as we age, that percentage decreases to around 55%. Even though more than half of our body is water, dehydration is common. Choosing water over other beverages has been shown to reduce the risk of weight gain. This study on children showed a 31% decrease in weight with adequate water intake. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19336356/
Adequate hydration has also been associated with benefits such as better cognitive function and mood, fewer headaches, less fatigue, and healthier weight management.
Thirsty, anyone?
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Drink enough water for many reasons, but especially so that your lymphatic system operates effectively.
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Learn how and why to filter your water. It’s better to buy a filter than be a filter.
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Juicing is one of the most effective ways to get concentrated nutrition. Learn about some other drink options, as well.
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In order to evaluate super-alkalized water, it is important to understand the normal range of blood pH.
How Much?
There isn’t one perfect amount of water for everyone. Hydration needs vary based on factors such as age, activity level, climate, diet, and overall health. I aim for at least 64 ounces of water each day, and drink more when exercising or spending time outside in hot weather. Don’t rely on thirst alone. As we age, our sense of thirst can diminish, making it especially important to pay attention to hydration.
Athletes and highly active people need additional fluids to replace what is lost through sweat. Even about a 2% loss of body water can negatively affect physical and cognitive performance. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17921463/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8438652/
Make drinking water a daily habit—not something you only think about when you’re thirsty!
Suggestions
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Fill a large pitcher or water bottle with at least 64 ounces of water and sip it throughout the day. This makes it easy to keep track of how much you’re drinking.
Take water with you when you leave the house.
Drink more when you exercise, sweat, or spend time outside in hot weather.
Water bottles
Water bottle (32 ounces, glass)
Water bottle (36 ounces, stainless)
Water bottle (64 ounces, stainless)
For variety, flavor your water with lemon, lime, orange, cucumber, or fresh herbs such as mint.
Hot lemon and ginger water is soothing and delicious.
Use an app such as Plant Nanny to remind you to drink throughout the day.
If drinking a lot of water with meals makes you feel overly full or uncomfortable, try drinking more of your water between meals instead.
I keep a large glass of water in my room each night and drink it first thing in the morning. After breakfast, I fill a large glass pitcher and drink from it throughout the day. If I’m leaving the house, I fill a large water bottle and take it with me.
Buy a Filter, Don’t Be A Filter!
There is a lot of confusion about water filters. Here is what I have learned: know what is in your water first, then choose a filter designed to remove those specific contaminants.
I prefer drinking water that retains naturally occurring minerals, so I use a carbon filtration system. Carbon filters can remove or reduce many common contaminants while allowing minerals to remain.
I checked my local water using the EWG.org. Even though I was already filtering our water, I learned that hexavalent chromium, radium, and total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) had been detected in our water supply.
Water Filters
my WATER FILTER picks
I definitely went a little overboard, and I now have several water filters! I have always had a whole-house carbon filter to filter the water throughout our home for drinking, showering, dishwashing, and laundry. I also have a reverse osmosis system and a couple of portable water filters that I use when traveling. For periods of fasting or detoxing, I have used reverse osmosis or distilled water based on recommendations I received.
CARBON WATER FILTER
This filter treats the water throughout our home, giving us great-tasting, filtered water from every faucet. Granular activated carbon (GAC) can reduce chlorine, taste and odor compounds, many volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and certain other contaminants while generally retaining naturally occurring minerals.
Here is the whole-house filter I use:
If you don’t purchase the whole-house filter, consider an under-sink filter for drinking and cooking along with a shower-head filter.
Under-sink filter: 100US Granular Activated Carbon Under the Sink water filter
Shower-head filter: 75 SH KDF Shower water filter
My whole house carbon filter.
REVERSE OSMOSIS OR DISTILLED
I use reverse osmosis (RO) or distilled water during periods of fasting or detoxing, based on recommendations I received. I don't use either as my regular drinking water because I prefer water that contains naturally occurring minerals. RO filtration removes many dissolved minerals and contaminants from water. The World Health Organization's report Nutrients in Drinking Water discusses the role of minerals in drinking water and considerations surrounding demineralized water.
There are several 2-stage and 3-stage RO systems available, including under-sink options. You may need a different system if you have well water. 3-stage under sink RO water filter system.
TRAVELING
When traveling without access to a filter, I buy bottled water that contains minerals, such as Evian or Fiji.
For filtering water while traveling, I use:
Lifestraw Go Water Filter Bottles: These have an internal filter designed to reduce certain contaminants. They're convenient for traveling and fit easily in a suitcase, which is why I bought them for my family.
Travel Berkey Water Filter: This is a larger option that's better suited for traveling by car. Honestly, it's large enough—and beautiful enough—to use in your kitchen.
Juicing and Other Drinks
JUICING
Americans get about 20% of their daily water intake from food. Fruits and vegetables naturally contain a lot of water, so eating a plant-rich diet can contribute significantly to hydration. Juicing is another way to increase your intake of both fluids and nutrients from fruits and vegetables.
Juicing can be an easy way to detox and add more plant nutrition to your diet, especially when eating large amounts of produce feels difficult. Some people also report feeling more energetic when they juice—this is true for me! Both eating whole produce and juicing can help you consume a greater variety of fruits and vegetables. Whole fruits and vegetables, however, provide the added benefit of fiber that is largely removed during juicing.
MY EXPERIENCE
I learned about juicing from my mom. She had autoimmune diseases, and I would help her juice—and drink the juice with her! After our cancer diagnoses, I began juicing almost every day: carrots, celery, beets, greens, ginger, turmeric, lemons, limes, apples, garlic, and more. These days, I juice about once a week because I’ve found so many other ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables into my diet.
I also found a wonderful local company that delivers fresh sprouts. They also make fresh juices using ingredients such as sunflower sprouts, pea sprouts, celery, and cucumber.
JUICING TIPS
When juicing sprouts such as wheatgrass, fold a small bunch in half and feed the bent section into the juicer.
Feed celery through last—it helps push some of the remaining produce through the juicer, resulting in less waste and easier cleanup.
Add freshly squeezed lemon juice to any juice for extra flavor.
JUICERS
I have an Omega MM900HDS Low Speed Masticating Juicer, and I love how simple it is to clean. You do have to cut larger fruits and vegetables into smaller pieces to fit the chute, but the easy cleanup is worth it to me!
Other options include Breville, Nama J2, and Super Angel.
Adding an apple can make juices more palatable. Green apples actually have the least amount of natural sugar.
I have always encouraged our kids to enjoy fresh juices. Now, as adults, they really appreciate the benefits of drinking fresh juice!
I order wheatgrass from Got Sprouts, bend small bunches, juice it, and drink it often! So simple!
I will often juice for two days at a time. I love these drinking glasses with lids to keep juice fresh.
OTHER DRINKS
Water should be your main drink! But when you want a little variety, here are some other options.
COFFEE
If you are a coffee lover, you may be happy to know that you don’t necessarily have to give up your morning cup. Coffee contains polyphenols and other antioxidants and has been studied for potential benefits related to several cancers. This research shows that consumption of both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee after a colon cancer diagnosis was associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer-specific and overall death.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29158191/
Here are some additional studies:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26656410/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27665923/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17484871/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24276028/
Drinking coffee occasionally, or even a cup a day, can fit into a healthy diet. I would be more cautious when coffee becomes an all-day stimulant or is loaded with added sweeteners and creamers. Several companies making mushroom coffees that combine coffee with varieties such as lion’s mane, reishi, or Ganoderma. Examples include Organo and Four Sigmatic.
SODA
If you love the taste and fizz of soda, try:
Mineral or sparkling water + pure unsweetened cranberry juice + stevia
Water + pure unsweetened cranberry juice + apple cider vinegar + stevia
TEA
Tea contains a variety of beneficial plant compounds and has been widely studied for its potential health effects including cancer. Green tea in particular contains catechins and polyphenols, including EGCG, which have antioxidant properties and have been extensively studied in cancer research.
There are over 1,300 anti-cancer studies on green tea.
Green tea contains concentrated levels of catechins (catechin, gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, and gallocatechin gallate).
Green tea contains polyphenols (EGCG, EGC, and EC), which are very high in antioxidant potential and have enhanced chemotherapy benefits.
Other teas I enjoy include black, white, dandelion root, hibiscus, and Jason Winters (blend of red clover, chaparral, oolong tea leaf, herbalene spice blend, and Indian sage leaf). https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/tea-fact-sheet#what-evidence-from-human-studies-links-tea-to-cancer-prevention
I learned from Dr. Pam Popper, founder of Wellness Forum Health, that the idea that “more alkaline is always better” can be misleading. To understand why, it helps to understand how tightly the body regulates blood pH.
If the pH of tap water is 7, then a super-alkalizing machine that produces water with pH as high as 9.5 or 10 must be better. In order to evaluate this, it’s important to understand blood pH.
The body maintains blood pH within a very narrow range of approximately 7.35–7.45. The body continually makes adjustments to keep it within this range. Dr. Popper also points out that the popular claim “cancer cannot exist in an alkaline environment” is not true. Blood cancers, for example, can exist even though blood is naturally slightly alkaline.
According to Dr. Popper, “In order to ‘assess their acidity,’ people are often encouraged to test their pH with urine strips. This is a waste of money and time for a couple of reasons. First, urine pH varies and reflects the sum of many metabolic processes. The other reason is that urine pH reveals nothing about blood pH, which does not change unless an individual is seriously ill. The body will always maintain correct pH, which varies depending on location – the pH of urine is different than blood, which is different than the pH of the stomach, etc. The question is how much compensatory activity is needed in order to maintain the right pH in all the right places.”
There is also limited evidence about the long-term health effects of regularly drinking highly alkaline water, such as water with a pH of 9.5–10. Some animal studies have raised concerns such as necrosis, fibrosis, hypertension, urinary tract and bladder infections, and pain. She admits that the results of animal studies are not always predictive of results in humans, but she does caution against super-alkalized water and the machines that make it. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9524951/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9922944/
Dr. Popper strongly recommends drinking water filtered through carbon filters and eating a low-fat, plant-based diet to reduce dietary acid load and support bone health. Visit the Diet page to learn more about this way of eating. It’s the diet I follow!
Super-alkalized Water
Next Up...
Exercise
Research shows that exercise reduces the risk of both recurrence and death from cancer. Exercise also reduces cancer-related fatigue for patients undergoing traditional treatment, such as chemotherapy.