Pure Water

The body is made up of 60-70% water! It is the main component in all of the bodily fluids such as lymph, digestive juices, urine, tears and sweat. It is involved in major bodily functions such as circulation, digestion, absorption and elimination. It is an extremely important element that carries nutrients and minerals throughout our body. Water helps our body eliminate toxins that are creating illness; it heals the pain of physical wounds, it nourishes our skin. The list is extensive of the benefits of pure water; unfortunately there is also a long list of health problems associated with not enough of the good stuff. Some are diabetes, arthritis, asthma, back pain, cataracts, chronic fatigue syndrome, colitis, depression, heartburn, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney stones, lupus, migraine, multiple sclerosis, and muscular dystrophy.

We need to drink half of our body weight in ounces, so if your weight is 120lbs. you need to drink at least 60oz. of water daily. Drink periodically throughout the day, do not wait until you are thirsty, this is your bodies late response of telling you that you are dehydrated. Eat fruits and vegetable s to get your intake up, but do not substitute these for your water.

Your tap water may not be the best source of clean water. Toxins can get into water sources from farm or factory runoff, acid rain, plastic and metal ions dissolved from the pipes. Buying your own water filtration system for your home is your best bet. Bottled water may or may not be better than your tap water. Since water is the most abundant mineral in our body we owe it ourselves to find out where it is coming from. A large portion of water bottle companies are filling their bottles with municipal tap water. So we are not only wasting money but creating more waste. Water bottles are one of the biggest contributors to our landfills, and imagine all resources it has taken to get water that has been bottled in Fiji! Although, we have done well by choosing a healthy alternative to soda and other bottled beverages, it is our responsibility to always be thinking of something other than ourselves. We need to be mindful of the environmental effects of our actions.

As conscious consumers, if we need to buy a bottle of water, because we “forgot” our bottle at home then we need to find a recycling bin to put it in. Don’t see one? Well then you carry it with you until you do or wait until you get home to place it in your own recycling bin. Be prepared; carry your full water bottle with you everywhere. There are a ton if different kinds of these as well, so make sure you know what your bottle is made out of! Some of the safest bottles that seem to exhibit the least amount of health concerns are aluminum or stainless steel bottles.

nfortunately the water shortage crisis is not only in our bodies but also in our environment. Use only what you need and do not waste. Every tiny bit helps, but more than that, if we are choosing this lifestyle of health and healing then we must follow through with it in every aspect. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world”. The responsible acts do not go unnoticed, start with yourself today and soon you will see others catching on.

~Alisha Welch is a yoga teacher and a student at Clayton College of Natural Health pursuing a master’s degree in Holistic Nutrition