Water is Vital for
Good Health

Water is the basis of all life and that includes your body. Your muscles that move your body are 75% water; your blood that transport nutrients is 82% water; your lungs that provide your oxygen are 90% water; your brain that is the control center of your body is 76% water; even your bones are 25% water.

You're not just what you eat; but also what you drink.  This is why water is so important to your health.

One of the easiest and cheapest ways to help the body function optimally and remain disease-free is to keep it well hydrated with water. By drinking sufficient water throughout each day, we assist our body's ability to flush toxins and metabolic waste.

Chronic dehydration is thought to be a cause of many conditions including bowel and bladder problems, anxiety attacks, food intolerances, acid stomach, heartburn, muscle and joint pain, poor brain function, hot flashes, asthma, allergies, arthritis, angina, migraine headaches, hypertension, raised cholesterol, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, depression, and diabetes in the elderly. With prolonged dehydration, brain cells actually begin to shrink.

Water can also slow aging, kidney stones, constipation, arteriosclerosis, obesity, glaucoma, cataracts, diabetes, hypoglycemia, lung problems and many other diseases.

You can feel a difference immediately, but you must drink at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces a day. 

Don't confuse water consumption with fluid consumption. Caffeine, acts as a dehydrating agent. Tea, coffee, and sodas are not good substitutes for water. When your body cries out for thirst, you're likely to over feed it with food instead.

A dry mouth is not a reliable indicator of your body's water needs. The sensation of thirst and hunger are generated simultaneously to indicate the brain's needs. If you're not getting plenty of water, you'll likely eat more to satisfy your body's urge for water. When you feel hungry, try drinking water first. You may not be as hungry as you think.

As we age, the sense of thirst becomes dulled. We also have less reserve body water than we did when we were younger.

Filter your water

City tap water can contain chlorine, fluoride, arsenic, metals, other chemicals, bacteria, viruses and parasites, so drink filtered or purified water.

Detox the body

Lack of water causes toxins to build up in the system.  Without water, we would poison ourselves with our own metabolic wastes. The kidneys remove waste products such as uric acid, urea, and lactic acid that must be dissolved in water.

Water carries nutrients and oxygen to cells through the blood. It keeps the lungs moist and is essential for breathing. If you don't take in enough, every bodily function will be impaired. Water transports hormones, chemical messengers and nutrients to vital organs of the body. When we don't keep our bodies well hydrated, they may react with a variety of symptoms, some of which, we would never think are related to our poor drinking habits.

Heartburn

Heartburn is a signal of water shortage in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. It is a major thirst signal of the human body. The use of antacids or tablet medications in the treatment of this pain does not correct dehydration, and the body continues to suffer as a result of its water shortage.

Not recognizing heartburn as a sign of dehydration and treating it with antacids and pill medications will, in time, produce inflammation of the stomach and duodenum, hiatal hernia, ulceration, and eventually cancers in the gastrointestinal tract, including the liver and pancreas.

Drinking water will make you smart!  The body is 75% water and 25% solid matter, and your body needs to stay well hydrated to operate at it's best. Not only will your body function more efficiently, but you also may avoid many health problems. And, since your brain tissue is 85% water, your brain functions rely heavily on an ample water supply.

Reference: F. Batmanghelidj, M.D, http://www.watercure.com

Article Compiled and Edited by:
Beverly Hartsfield is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, the owner of www.earthincommon.com and the administrator of www.ntptalk.com.  After suffering from mercury poisoning, chemical sensitivities, allergies, Candida, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue, she restored her health with nutrition. You can contact her via email at ideas@earthincommon.com.

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