Recently a man with Stage IV prostate cancer came to me, carrying a large bottle of diet cola. This wasn’t nourishing for such a sick man, but he’s not alone. Most of us down vats of coffee, soda pop, and alcohol and wonder why we’re sick or wrinkled up like prunes.

A big part of your healing journey is going to involve water. There’s so much hype regarding this vital liquid:

There’s spring water, mountain water, artesian water, ionized water, enhanced water, purified water, and special waters from countries all around the world. It’s easy to get totally confused about which one is the best to drink.

The other day at my local health-food store, I saw a woman with a case of “enhanced water” in her cart— it had apparently been energized under a pyramid and then charged with negative ions before it was pumped into the bottles. But there she was, strolling along with a double Americano coffee (whew!) in her hand, and I wondered what good this hoopty-doo water was going to do for her. Plus, the bottles were plastic; remember, we now know that plastics can leach dangerous xenoestrogens into our systems and contribute to our toxic estrogen load. This woman would have been much better off with tap water. I have an under-the-sink filtration system in my kitchen, and when I’m at home I drink eight large glasses of water each day. When I travel I use spring water . . . yes, from plastic bottles. But I consistently detoxify my liver to make sure that unwanted estrogens don’t build up in my body.

Sometimes as we age, we don’t feel hydrated—we may be drinking enough water, but it doesn’t seem to be going into our cells. Perhaps we need to take a look at our electrolytes, ensuring that minerals such as potassium and sodium are in the proper mix. If our digestive systems aren’t functioning properly, or if our diet is poor or we live in a hot or humid climate, our electrolyte balance could be compromised.

If you suspect that this is indeed the case, you can purchase an electrolyte solution at a health-food store.

When you drink water with added electrolytes, it slakes your thirst, and you can tell that you’re better hydrated: Your skin will appear to be more elastic, and the skin on the backs of your hands will snap back instead of staying in peaks when you pinch it.

Please note that symptoms of low blood sugar, hyperinsulinemia, or prediabetes can include constant thirst and a dry mouth—check with your doctor if you’re experiencing these symptoms. Adding an electrolyte solution to your water may help, as will balancing blood sugars by eating protein at meals.