Detoxification

Unfortunately the current answer to that question from the scientists is, we don't know. They say there are just too many variables to give an exact answer to the question. But almost everyone has an opinion on the subject. And the answers given are often wildly different.

A couple of years ago a scientist came out with a report saying that you should drink water only when you are thirsty. This is certainly a nice, simple, common sense answer. However, it really doesn't work for most people. If you maintain a very active lifestyle, exercise regularly and are always on the move then it might work for you. But for most people this simply isn't enough water to maintain optimum detoxification levels. As we get older our ability to sense hunger and thirst are not as keen as they were when we were teenagers. Plus we are creatures of habit. We rarely eat when we are hungry and drink when we are thirsty. We eat and drink because it is that time of day - lunch time, dinner time or breakfast. Usually the result is we eat too much food and don't drink enough water.

For many years the standard answer to the water-drinking question was called the 8 X 8 plan. In other words, drink 8 full glasses of water a day, 8 fluid ounces in each glass for a total of 64 fluid ounces per day. For the metric world that is about 240 ml. per glass and almost 2 liters total per day. Now think about that for a minute. That is a full glass of water every 2 hours for 16 straight hours. Do you drink that much water everyday? Be honest. You probably don't and the fact is most people don't. It is estimated that 80 percent of Americans are dehydrated to one degree or another. That is a staggeringly high number.

Believe it or not, the next most common water drinking plan would have most people drinking even more water. It simply didn't make sense to tell everyone to drink 64 ounces of water everyday. Clearly a 120-pound woman and a 240-pound man would need to drink different amounts of water. So you take your weight in pounds, divide it by 2 and that is the amount in fluid ounces that you should drink everyday. So this plan would have a 240-pound man drinking an incredible 120 ounces of water everyday. That is almost a gallon of water every day!

Perhaps the best indicator as far as detoxification is concerned is to check the amount of coloration in your urine. If your urine is dark yellow in color then you are probably not drinking enough water. If it is close to clear in color then you are drinking enough to give your system a good cleansing.

For most people the best simplified plan for a normal day is to follow the 8 X 8 plan as close as possible. Then check the color of your urine to make sure your natural detoxification systems are at peak performance. Long term, and for best detoxification effects by your organs’ natural processes, adjust up or down as needed.