Water is essential for life and our bodies contain a high percentage of it – men around 60%, while for women the percentage is 50-55%. Respecting the recommended daily water intake will improve your circulation and have a positive impact on your overall health.
Water enables very important functions in the body, and below are some examples:
– Transporting nutrients and oxygen to the whole body
– Flushing out waste products that are passed in urine and sweat
– Plays a role in creating saliva
– Helps regulating the body temperature
– Lubricates and cushions joints, spinal cord, and tissues. This helps you enjoy physical activity and lessens discomfort caused by conditions like arthritis
– It aids digestion
As a result of a Bowen treatment, the body increases blood supply to nerve endings and affects the lymphatic circulation around the body. Because the effective functioning of these body systems is entirely reliant on sufficient fluids, fluid intake is therefore essential following a Bowen treatment.
In March 2010 The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommended a daily water intake for women to be around 1.6 litres and for men to be around 2 litres per day, with more required in hot weather or during exercise. Food is thought to contribute a further 20% of fluid into our system.
People who do not regularly drink enough fluid may find increasing their intake difficult, and so they need to be encouraged to start drinking a daily amount, for example 500ml, and increase the amount over time until they get to the target, recommended quantity. Water can be taken in small regular sips to avoid an excessive increase in urination.
Sweating, breathing and urination eliminate water from the body, so to avoid dehydration, it needs to be replaced regularly. The best choice of rehydration fluid is water. Alcoholic drinks have a diuretic effect – that is, they cause more water to be lost in urine, so drinking alcohol can lead to dehydration. Insufficient intake of fluids over time leads to dehydration. Studies have shown that at the level of 1% dehydration, there are negative effects on our mental and physical functioning and these effects become more severe as dehydration worsens.
Symptoms of mild dehydration include:
feeling dizzy or lightheaded; poor concentration; feeling thirsty; feeling tired; dark yellow and strong smelling urine; dry mouth, lips and eyes.
When the body detects that more water is needed, the kidneys reduce the amount of water lost in urine and so the urine appears darker in colour. Ideally urine should be pale yellow.
A common reaction to a Bowen treatment is headaches – this is one of the first symptoms of mild dehydration. Sometimes clients complain of headaches, a dry mouth and nausea similar with hangover symptoms where the body, in order to eliminate the alcohol, draws on the body’s reserves of water to flush it through the kidneys
Similarly, if the brain detects an area where elimination or hydration is needed, it will call on water supplies, and use the lymphatic system to flush out any dysfunctional debris or toxins, which may lead to mild dehydration if there is insufficient fluid present in the system.
It is therefore very important that clients increase their fluid intake following their Bowen session.
References: British Nutrition Foundation- Nutrition.org.uk;
Further reading: ‘Your Body’s Many Cries for Water’ by Dr F. Batmanghelidj.
