Water For Life

I think it's interesting that God created our bodies with the need for 4 basic things:

*air

*food

*sleep

*water

The human body can endure incredibly difficult circumstances, but without these four things it cannot survive.

Yet these things are under attack in our world today: 

*The air is filled with pollutants, and we don't breathe deeply enough.

*People no longer eat real food, but man-made, chemical products that starve and toxify the body. 

*Sleep is considered a necessary evil, the less you can get by on, the better. 

*With the abundance of other beverages, most people forgo water and end up living with chronic dehydration.

I've written previous blog posts about air purifiers, deep breathing, and healthy eating habits.

Today let's consider our need for water. 

The human body consists of about 2/3 water. (This article explains the detailed percentages for various parts of the body.)

Water is necessary for every cell, for basic functions such as regulating cholesterol, circulation, digestion, detoxification, and much more. Water is necessary for life. (You can read more details about the essential roles of water in the body here.) 

You've probably heard that you should drink 8 glasses of water a day. But have you ever done it? Consistently? 

Actually, the general guideline given by most experts is to drink half of your body weight in ounces. So if you weigh 120 lbs, you should drink 60 oz of water per day. Of course, this can vary depending on your situation, exercise routine, etc. 

For a while my doctor told me I was actually drinking too much water! (At that time I was drinking about a gallon a day.) She said it was depleting my electrolytes and minerals. But there have been other times, when I was detoxing excessively, that I drank about 120 oz a day. My body needed lots of water to flush the toxins out. Right now I'm pretty close to the guideline, drinking slightly more than the recommended amount. 

If you drink other beverages besides water, then consider that in your total amount of water needed. Many beverages actually contribute to dehydration (sodas, commercial fruit juices, etc.) There are a few select beverages that can be good for your health (such as kefir, kombucha, etc.). Generally speaking, it's best to stick with only water. 

Drinking enough water is one of the simplest things you can do to improve your health. It does require planning and discipline, but the rewards are definitely worth it! So consider how much water you need each day, set a goal, and start to improve your health! =)

As far as which kind of water to drink, the opinions are many on this subject.... I'll share my thoughts, but feel free to disagree or to share any research you've found to be helpful in the comments.  

*I think that pure spring water or well water is the best. 

*Definitely don't drink straight tap water. At least filter it with something. (Tap water is full of chlorine, chemicals, in some places flouride, etc.)

*Generally, don't buy "purified" bottled water because it's essentially the same as tap water. 

*Distilled water can be helpful for short periods of time, but I don't think it's healthy for ongoing use.

*I've heard about alkaline water...some people say it's really helpful, others say it's bad for you. From my limited experience with it, I'm not in favor of it. But again, I know people who say it's great for them.

*If you buy bottled water, choose a reputable brand of spring water.

*Personally, I drink Evian, since that was the only water I didn't react to during the worst years of illness.

Experts agree we all need to drink enough water. But there's much debate about what kind of water is best. I hope my thoughts are helpful in some way, and I invite you to share your insights on this topic as well. 

Finally, I just want to mention that millions of people around the world don't have any clean water to drink. Many are dying every day from dehydration and diseases caused by contaminated water. 

Life Outreach International has set a goal of drilling 500 water wells around the world this year. I think this is a wonderful ministry! Please join me in praying for them to reach this goal and be able to give people water that will truly save their lives. Thank you!