Your Thirst Is Talking to You      

We may lose about 10-15 cups of fluid each day through urine, sweat, bowel movements, eating a salty or dry diet, or making our kidneys flush in overdrive to rid us of toxins we have imbibed. Exercise, illness and most certainly the weather can have an affect on water loss. Water vapor in the breath alone is responsible for almost half of our water loss.  

What Is the Thirst Signal?  Losing fluid causes the blood volume and blood pressure to drop, signaling thirst.   Sometimes when we get that signal we misread it as hunger.  In between meals first consider that your signal of needing something might just be your thirst talking to you.    

 
"I Just Don't Feel Like Drinking Water, So What."  Dehydration is an early factor of many dis-ease conditions of the body. Dehydration can start as fatigue, depression, poor digestion, or sluggish blood circulation and lead to even more serious conditions.  In addition to the sensation of thirst, also look for these signs of dehydration:

Hydration Problems and Remedies  

Hydration is essential for proper digestion as fluids are the medium for enzymatic activity. Without proper hydration the stomach cannot secrete the 2/3 of a liter of hydrochloric acid typically needed to digest a meal.    

Here are two common hydration problems with remedies.   

Do you feel full after drinking just a little water?  This may be due to weak digestion or insufficient acid production in the  stomach.  You need some fire to get thirsty.   To increase digestive capacity, add a wedge of lime, a pinch of salt and a slice of ginger.   

Do you have dry skin and cannot quench your thirst even though you drink lots of water. What is going on?  The deeper physiology is not getting enough moisture. This occurs when your agni (digestive fire)  is low and ama (toxin deposits) blocks the microchannels (shrotas) which carry water to the cells. So the water just passes through superficially.  

To cleanse the channels and enhance moisture absorption, Ayurveda recommends boiling the water you drink,  This activates the water with heat and brings out its sharp and more penetrating qualities that can cleanse the microchannels of stagnant ama and move more deeply into the physiology. Agni is further enhanced by adding digestive spices to the water. 

Here is a great formula for hot spice water:

• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp coriander seeds all in a quart thermos of boiled water.   
• When it is hot out you can let the water cool to room temperature before drinking.