Water
Water is the basic component of all existing things and every single cell is made up of water
Our body is roughly 75% water, and about 3/4 of our planet’s surface is covered with water containing a vast amount of life forms.Water carries elements of life, It has the ability totransmit and maintain them and is critical for the life and functioning of cells, tissues, and organs in our body.
All the chemical processes by which the body operates require an adequate supply of water in order to keep the body functioning at peak efficiency. It is an effective agent for the digestive system, cleansing and refreshing it, washing away dirt, germs and bacteria. If we are not properly hydrated, our kidneys must work harder to eliminate toxins and the body suffers as a consequence thereof.
It further regulates the body’s temperature, acts as a medium for cellular reproduction, and keeps tissues soft and permeable.
Dehydration causes the blood to thicken, increasing the risks of stroke and heart disease and can mimic hypoglycaemia, causing headaches, tiredness, and fainting spells.
Our body is roughly 75% water, and about 3/4 of our planet's surface is covered with water containing a vast amount of life forms
The food we eat provides 2-4 cups of water, so we need to drink at least 6-8 glasses (2L) of water each day to replace the losses.
Unfortunately drinking other beverages in place of water such as sodas and coffee does not assist the body in the same way as water does. Instead it acts as diuretics causing loss of water, as more water is required to metabolize the sugar in a drink than the drink itself provides.
You need an extra glass of water for every high-sugar, caffeinated, or alcoholic beverage you drink. Therefore pure plain water is the best way to replace the fluid you need.
As much as we need to drink water, one time that we should NOT drink water is with meals. Drinking with meals dilutes the gastric juice and slows the digestive process. The best time to drink water is between meals -20 minutes before a meal, and not until 1-2 hours after a meal; to ensure maximum and proper digestion of your meal. When you are ill, drinking plenty of water will replace any fluid lost during a fever, assist in eliminating toxins and ensure that every part of your body functions well.
The body loses at least ten cups of water every day through sweating, elimination and metabolic processes.
External treatments with water such as hydrotherapy also have major health benefits as it stimulates the body into a healing process. Frequent bathing also helps our largest organ, the skin, to eliminate toxins effectively.
As much as we need to drink water, one time that we should NOT drink water is with meals..
What can water do for us? Let’s have a deeper look at some of the various organs that need water.
- Starting with the stomach; water helps maintain the thin mucous layer at the bottom of the stomach that prevent hydrochloric acid from burning through it, causing ulcers.
- The liver needs 2 glasses of water daily to produce hydrochloric acid for every meal you consume.
- The pancreas produces 4 vital hormones essential for the final breakdown and absorption of nutrients and produces insulin and glycogen that control blood sugar, All of these hormones are reliant on water for production.
- The colon needs water to form stools that can move easily and exit the body, Not consume enough moisture rich foods and drinking enough water can result in constipation and dry stools.
- The brain is a hydro electric system, made up of 85% water. Dehydration if left untreated can cause the brain cells to shrink, causing headaches.
- The alveoli in the lungs each contain a drop of water. The surface tension of this drop, facilitates needed carbon dioxide gas exchange.
Can we drink too much water ? Only if we don’t consume the correct salt / minerals with the water.
What can water be used externally for healing
Hydro therapy is a very popular way of dealing with various ailments. Hot and cold treatments such as saunas, hot / cold showers or a quick dip in cold pool increases circulation and metabolism up to 400%, This means an accelerated rate at which healing and elimination takes place.
No steam sauna? Take a 3 min hot water shower followed by 30 sec cold water. Repeat 3 times. Hot and cold foot buckets can also be done for sprains, infections and to improve circulation.
Do 30 min hot and 30 sec in ice water. Repeat 3 times..
Direct heat foot bath.
Water as hot as you can handle for 20min when finished rinse with cold and dry. Works wonders for headaches, stress, chest congestion etc.
Not all water is good for you... Our Municipalities do a great job treating our water so that we do not suffer from water born diseases. BUT..
The following are various newspaperclips highlighting concerns around our tap water.
The problem with tap water is that chemicals like chlorine, fluoride and aluminium sulphate are left in the water after treating it. Municipalities also don’t remove, hormones, medications, pesticides and herbicides and other industrial pollutants that have contaminated our water supply.
Needless to say these factors can have very negative and harmful effects in the long run.
Extracts from an article (Cape Times Newspaper)
“…ticking time – bomb of disease outbreaks, with raw sewage spillages into community water sources being reported in 95 municipalities over the past 15 months.”
Extracts from the article (Cape Argus, )
“When chlorine is added to drinking and swimming water, it combines with other chemicals …cause cell damage.” “Among problems associated with chlorine are asthma…skin problems…”
Extracts from the article (Health Talk Magazine)
“Startling evidence has linked Aluminium in tap water with Alzheimer’s disease. Investment should be made in a home purifier …these remove contaminants such as aluminium, heavy metals, chlorine.
Take control of the quality of your water by filtering your water.
Major Contaminants in Water.
Let’s have a closer look at some of the major contaminants in our water supply
Chlorine:
Used in drinking water and swimming pools to kill bacteria, this chemical reacts with organic chemicals left in the water by soil and decaying vegetation, forming a group of chemicals called disinfection by-products that may be associated with rectal, bladder and pancreatic cancers. These chemicals may also cause major birth defects. Chlorine in drinking /pool water can cause sore throat, coughing, eye irritation, rapid breathing, narrowing of the bronchi, wheezing, blue coloring of the skin, pain in the lung region, and lung collapse.
Fluoride:
Found in tap water , toothpaste, too much of this chemical can cause mottling of teeth. Fluoride is removed from the body by the kidneys and people with kidney disease who drink lots of water with fluoride can accumulate fluoride in their bones producing skeletal fluorosis, eventually causing a crippling effect.
You can reduce exposure by installing filters in your house – for drinking water andfor shower heads.
Chloroform:
Found in air, drinking water, and food, chloroform can cause cancer, reproductive damage, birth defects, dizziness, fatigue and headaches .Drink filtered / distilled water and opt for organic foods.
You have a few options when choosing a water filter.All systems have there own strengths and weaknesses. Which one you choose depends on your needs and budget. Any system is better than pure tap water.
What else can we drink. Besides water there are a few other healthy drinking options you can treat yourself to.
Freshly squeezed lemon in luke warm water can be drunk first thing in the morning before training or consuming anything else. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper every now and then.
This helps activate the digestive juices and alkalizes the body. It also helps form a mucus lining to protect the stomach from digestive acids when eating food.
Green juice can be drunk after lemon water and before exercise or before meals.Plenty of leafy greens with some lemon or ginger and granny smith apples for sweetness.
Hot beverages: Drink herbal and spice teas like Rooibos and ginger black or with plant based milk using honey or stevia if sweetness needed. You can also make ice tea with apple, lemons and cinnamon, mint etc.
Remember this about fluids
- Start the day by drinking water 1-2 glasses before you eat or drink anything else.
- Remeber drinking with a meal can lead to bloating, indigestion, and even nutrient malabsorption.
- If you need fluid to wash down food your are most probably not consuming healthy fresh foods with lots of moisture, not chewed slowly and properly enough or you might be dehydrated and not producing enough salyva to moisten the food.
If you apply these simple steps you won’t need to drink anyhting and inprove your health. - The recommended daily amount of fluids is: 5 glasses (1 litre) for 5 to 8 year olds. 7 glasses (1.5 litres) for 9 to12 year olds. 8 to 10 glasses (2 litres) for 13+ years.
A major component in our cells’ ability to absorbe water is Salt.
In order for water to be abosorbed into a cell, we need sodium which is found in the extracellular fluid as well as potassium found in fruits & vegetables.
All salt contains sodium and chloride but normal white table salt contains only these 2 elements leading to too much sodium and no potassium which interferes with the cellular osmosis. This can lead to high blood presure, water retention, dehydration etc.
Not having any salt is also bad as our cells need sodium chloride and other minerals to function.
Sodium is very important as it is the main carrier of glucose and needs to be bound to glucose before it can be absorbed into the bloodstream.
So what salt can we use to ensure we consume balanced minerals?
- Celtic or Himalayan salt contain 84 – 92 different minerals in different ratios giving our cells the right mineral balance for optimal water absorption and function.
- The quickest way to rehidrate is to place a Celtic or Hymalayan salt crystal under the tongue to dissolve where it gets absober directly into the blood and since it is high in magnesium which is a water hungery mineral when it gets absobed into the cell it also draws water into the cell.
- This process also creates energy which is a great pick-me-up instead of coffee.
- You can increase the amount over time to a teaspoon of salt crystals consumed over the period of the day along with your 2 lt of water.
● Water & Salt Barbara Oneil
● http://h2o.co.za/product/stefani-veneza-gravity-filter-6-litre-2/
● http://www.water-purifier.co.za/
● https://gonatural.co.za/product-information/go-natural-distiller/
● https://www.puritech.co.za/reverse-osmosis/