Water is Life ... A Deep Dive into the Many Ways Water Serves Your Highest Good

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Water is Life ... A Deep Dive into the Many Ways Water Serves Your Highest Good

I've often marveled at how precious water is to our existence. And although precious water is our body's 2nd most important nutrient ( the 1st most important being oxygen ), many people rarely give it the place, beautiful treatment and acknowledgement it deserves within their daily experience. You might remember hearing in grade school how your body, just like the planet's surface, is made up of 60- 70% water. Water really IS life.

Many years ago, while pregnant with my third child, I had the joy of sitting in deep conversations with Deanna Delong, author of the water benefits reference guide for wellness educators Drink Water For Life ( inspired by her extensive research on water, which included insights from the influential book Your Body's Many Cries for Water ). We marveled at what water does in every single function and system of the human body. It was a delightful, comprehensive and illuminating series of discussions. Since that time, I have come to respect and cherish water on a whole new level.

It's estimated that nearly 75% of all Americans are chronically dehydrated. You'll learn in this post why, in my view, water is one of the top most useful, safe natural allies in multi-dimensional health and well being, not just for Americans, but for our species at large. Once we begin to understand all that water can do for us ( and as us ), it is much easier for us to get into a healthier relationship with it and with ourselves.

WATER IN OUR BODY:

In many ways, water is YOU. Water may just be this planet's top natural remedy. Water constitutes, migrates and interpenetrates everything within your physical structure. Inherent in it's natural chemistry water holds, among other things, polarity, cohesion, and surface tension that help smooth and orchestrate the mutli-functionality and fluidity of every cell of the human matter based vessel.  You are invited to pour yourself a tall, clean glass of refreshing water as you discover just some of the body systems that water supports:

  • Proper Brain Function and Connectivity - water helps cushion your brain and spinal cord, maintain optimal memory function, improve focus and mental alertness, perform tasks of clear cognition and memory by conducting electrical neurological synapses. the human brain is 95% water and without proper hydration, brain fog, poor memory recall, impaired judgement and reasoning, poor mood and headaches can ensue. 
  • Maintaining Healthy Body Weight - drinking water in the proper amounts may activate metabolism and energy levels while it also helps signal to the brain that you are fully satiated, thereby suppressing appetite. dehydration can cause you to believe you need to eat when you really need liquid intake.
  • Healthy Digestion- ample water in your body doesn't just help you to have the right amount of digestive fluids of the body, it also helps reduce constipation and aids in optimal nutrient absorption
  • Heart and Blood Health - our human life blood is 90% water! and the cardiovascular system requires plenty of water for it's optimal functioning. water in blood helps maintain healthy blood pressure and properly deliver oxygen throughout the entire body
  • Detoxifying the Body, Kidneys and Liver - proper hydration helps the body excrete toxins through the breath, urine, skin and digestive tract. insufficient water can lead to kidney stones, acne prone skin and other skin conditions
  • Vocal Strength- drinking enough water is especially important for those that use their voice for a living. proper hydration promotes the formation of a protective mucus barrier between vocal cord folds, which helps reduce inflammations and guard against vocal physiology damage. 
  • Reduction of Allergy Symptoms - not only does water help create healthy mucus linings, it can also help prevent higher histamine production and alleviate allergy symptoms. distilled water steam treatments help keep airways moist and can also help reduce symptoms of asthma attacks.
  • Glowing and Healthy Skin- ample water intake helps plump up and hydrate skin cells, clear toxins, speed skin healing, reduce puffiness and inflammation, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin tone and may promote collagen production
  • Lubrication of Joints and Muscles- a good structural fluidity of being requires that our joints and muscles function smoothly. water helps to lubricant the spaces between our joints and keep muscles electrical signals firing cohesively
  • Healthy Growth of A Baby - from our watery beginnings in our mother's wombs we are reminded how water helps with every aspect and function of our place in Life. semen, ovum, amniotic fluid and all cells of an embryo, fetus and newborn have water as a key ingredient of dna transmission. even human breastmilk, our first and unquestionably our most perfect living food is comprised of 87 percent water
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    From washing wounds, preventing wrinkles and dry eyes, helping with weight loss all the way to reducing migraines and heart attacks, the powerful natural ally of using water wisely and staying well hydrated can have profound effects on our over all health and well-being. You might be wondering how much water does your body actually need to thrive?

     

    What is "proper hydration"?

    Are you drinking enough water?

    Although there is no set amount of water that all experts agree upon, many researchers suggest drinking a minimum of around half your body weight in fluid ounces every day to maintain the optimal functioning of all systems of the body... more if you exercise heavily, have a special healing requirement or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

    HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW TO FIGURE OUT AN OPTIMAL BASE AMOUNT FOR YOUR DAILY WATER INTAKE:

    In our example we'll say that we are figuring out water intake for a person who is 150 pounds in weight

    150 pounds divided by 2 = 75 (use this number now in ounces)

    75 ounces divided by 8 ounce cups = apprx. 9 and a half cups ( we round up )

    by the above example an average 150 pound individual could benefit optimally from a base intake of around 9 and a half cups of water per day, spread throughout the day. 

    ***An extra hydration tip: For good digestion, one of the best times to drink water is about half an hour before and/ or about one hour after each meal. This can help you absorb the nutrients in your meal much better.

     ***And for those who are physically active: It is advisable to pre hydrate at least one hour before workouts.

    You may have heard about how useful electrolytes are in proper hydration. Electrolytes are mineral ions that help conduct and enable the smooth flow of electrical signals throughout the body, replenish mineral losses and help you make the most of the available water within your body. There are sports aides on the market that help to replenish and rebalance electrolytes.

    However, you can also make your own

    THIRST QUENCHING NATURAL ELECTROLYTE SPORTS AID:

    Some of the top athletes who've taken my herbalism for athletes workshops have reported great performance and post performance recovery using this simple, all natural electrolyte recipe. You can make your own natural electrolyte sports aid drink using pure coconut water, calcium magnesium powder ( key mineral electrolytes) and the energizing, mineral rich adrenal support herb Organic Stinging Nettles. 

    2 cups fresh Coconut Water

    2 cups Stinging Nettles Infusion ( 1oz dried nettles steeped in 1 quart of boiling hot water for 4 hours, covered, then strained )

    1/8 - 1/4 tsp Himalayan Sea Salt

    1 tsp Calcium Magnesium Powder

    optional: flavor with 1/4 cup of fruit juice ( like pineapple ) and or sweeten with 1-2 TBLSPs honey or stevia

    *** Blend together all ingredients. Makes 1 quart. Drink as you would a commercial sports aide. Will keep in fridge for up to two days. You can substitute all water, all coconut water or all nettles infusion to make up the full 4 cups of fluids depending on what you have on hand. Both coconut water and nettles infusion contain other naturally occurring minerals and electrolytes.

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    The healthiest hydration includes drinking the HIGHEST QUALITY WATER that is available to you. 

    Since water makes up most of our bodies, the water we drink should be as clean and pathogen free as possible. I mean, think about it..... that ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Eliminating the possibility of water born diseases, harmful substances and pathogens ( like giardia, E.coli, cryptosporidium, typhoid fever, hepatitis A, arsenic, heavy metals, amoebas or cholera, etc ) ensures that up to at least 60 percent of our body and 95 percent of your brain begins in good, clean running order. You can upgrade your physiology today by upgrading the quality and intake of your water. Worth it!

    Most bottled water is not regulated for filtration and is most often discovered to be tap water which sits in BPA laden plastic bottles for long periods of time before making its way to the consumers lips. Although decent drinkable tap water is readily available in most places, it's good to be aware that tap water is of differing quality and filtration standards depending upon it's sources and the regulations of the municipality where it is distributed. For this reason, its a good idea to filter the water we drink with a high quality filter whenever possible.

    One of my favorite go to, high performance home water filters is the  Travel Berkey Water Filter  I like that I can set this on a countertop or bring it with me camping... and it has been tested to remove more than 99.999% of viruses and  pathogenic bacteria, while also removing or dramatically reducing protozoa (such as giardia and cryptosporidium), trihalomethanes, inorganic minerals, heavy metals (including arsenic, lead, mercury, chromium), pharmaceutical drugs (including caffeine, Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Progesterone, Triclosan) from water. One of my other very favorite low cost water purifying methods, due to its ease of use and other wellness boosting properties is to use Natural Shungite Water Purifying Stones to purify water. You can learn more about how to make really good clean, affordable wellness promoting Shungite Water in my previous blogpost  So simple.

    Offering your body high quality, pure water in optimal amounts and in beneficial timing is a medicine and a magic all it's own. I invite you to drink deep this elixir of Life optimally from this moment forward.

    And speaking of clean water for all....If you are interested in helping to bring clean drinking water to others in water scarce communities around the world ( yup 1 in 10 of our fellow humans on the planet still need access to safe, clean drinking water ), you can hook up with and make your offerings to a solid, impactful organization like CharityWater.org

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    Hydrotherapy.... A great bath or shower can move your whole day in the right direction. Water has been used since time immemorial in purification rituals from wound cleansing, to therapeutic baths all the way to baptisms and other holy rites. In his masterful book,  Back to Eden,  author Jethro Kloss lists a multitude of ways water has been and can be used therapeutically for maintaining health and in powerful healing modalities. Back to Eden is one of my favorite old fashioned, down to earth books that I read cover to cover several times decades ago when I was an aspiring herbalist that still holds up to the holistic wellness needs of humans today. In Back to Eden, Jethro Kloss tells of how at different temperatures water effects the nervous, cellular and eliminatory systems of the body in significant ways. Water offered to a being at different times, different temperatures and in or on various parts of the body can do every thing from relax muscle tension, cleanse out the digestive tract, reduce inflammation, clear infection, induce vomiting, reduce fevered states and beyond. I'm sure you yourself can recall in your own experience the difference in effect and immediate feeling of taking a hot soaky bath versus jumping into a cold bracing shower. Woooooohoo! Every cell of the body instantly responds! Water is a tremendously versatile, cost effective natural wellness ally with way more potential to effect physical and emotional change than most people often realize. I may go more in depth into the details of hydrotherapy in future posts. For now, I will simply recommend soaking in a lovely bath while reading this fascinating book by Mr. Kloss when you feel called to expand into timeless natural wellness wisdoms.
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    The Beauty and Blessing of Tears
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    Sometimes, the best medicine is to just let go and have a good cry. 
    In the body's great wisdom, it has provided each of us humans with 15 to 30 gallons per year of a combination of three unique kinds of tears. All tears are released from the lacrimal glands, located above the eyelids, and are predominantly comprised of water. Basal tears are a kind of lubricating, nourishing tear which are always in your eyes, protecting the eyes themselves from harmful debris. Solutions that address dry eye are attempting to replenish basal tears. Our second form of tears are reflex tears which form whenever the eyes are exposed to strong irritants, like a sudden hit on the nose, smoke or onion fumes or even heavy winds. It turns out that the third kind of tears from crying as a healthy response to sorrow, frustration, joy and stress is a kind of watery natural medicine with a wisdom all its own. Emotional tears, also known as psychic tears, have a unique chemical composition with higher concentrations of protein-based hormones, including prolactin, as well as the neurotransmitter leucine enkephalin. Leucine enkephalin is a natural painkiller the body produces during experiences of stress. A good, cleansing watery cry helps naturally reduce pain and stress throughout the entire body..... while suppressing a needed cry can have negative physical effects on the body, including increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other stress-related disorders. In other words, big boys (and girls) not only do cry, but for the sake of overall health and well being, they may need to just let go, let the water flow and heartily cry out some pent up emotion more regularly. Outwardly expressing our watery depths with emotional tears is part of our species' non verbal primal language, immediately translatable across cultures. Occasionally crying is part of what it is to be human. And for this we can shed a simple tear of gratitude for the golden threads that still weave us all together.
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    WATER ON OUR PLANET
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    Scientists, philosophers and poets have all marveled at the wonder that is water on this planet. Water, the womb of humanity, makes the difference and is the key element that helps create and sustain all Life on Earth. It is one of our most precious natural resources. For every bite of food we eat to the moisture in the air we breathe contains or even requires water just to come into being at all.
    In the ecologically sustainable design science known as Permaculture, we are constantly reminded that where there is water, there is Life. This is true whether in a garden, a human body, a thriving forest or the entire globe. In a Permaculture garden, good sustainable design requires a gardener to "plant the water first ". This means that before a gardener ever plants a seed or a tree root or introduces other wildlife into the garden, they will create water catchments, longer water harvesting contours and edge, and symbiotic groupings of elements within the design that maximize water's natural tendency to flow downward within the landscape. When water is planted first, life naturally builds eco-systemically upon itself within a garden. This type of conscious treatment of and care for water within personal home and garden design shows water the respect it deserves as a key foundation of Life. If you'd like to learn more about planting the water first in your own home or garden, I highly recommend these fabulous four books Gaia's Garden , Water Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond vol 1 and Water Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond vol 2 and Water Storage
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    And if you are interested in helping clean, conserve and protect our planet's precious oceans, you can connect with a wonderful organization like surfrider.org
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    WATER IN HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS
    Water... the fluid space where spirit meets matter and science. There is a kind of primordial intelligence in water that helps form the seed of creation.
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    Have you ever dipped into a refreshing pool of water and felt completely transformed? Or seen a stagnating puddle of water and felt constricted, angry or out of sorts?
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    Well, it turns out that water doesn't just maintain memory function in the human brain. We are just beginning to discover how water, in and of itself, acts as a memory bank of consciousness. It is thought that a single drop of water can store several terabytes of information. 
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    Rather than dismiss the idea of water's ability to hold information as simply a spiritual notion employed in the making of holy water, some scientists have investigated the memory holding merits of water's lesser researched capacities. In 2007 Dr. Montagnier , a member of the Nobel Prize winning scientific team that discovered the HIV virus, published a paper titled DNA Waves and Water, formally giving scientific acknowledgment to the concept that water can hold consciousness. This, among other such studies, has helped open the way for other researcher's work in the field of water consciousness to have voice.
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     The Japanese researcher Masaru Emoto helped bring the idea of how water can be programmed with human intent into the collective's awareness in his groundbreaking work on water structure. He discovered that a lovely symmetry and various cohesive patterns emerge within the matrix of water when exposed to positive or uplifting thoughts, music or intents. In his work, these patterns expressed themselves as symmetrical crystalline, snowflake like structures or, in the case of negative thoughts, music or intents, as asymmetrical forms and distortions within the water matrix. From these experiments it was surmised that water has the ability to be programmed with and be a holder of intent, ideas or feelings. Just consider the implications this discovery has on the power of our self talk, of what we tells our ever receptive bodies about ourselves. For more details and more truly beautiful photos of water crystals there are three great books by Dr. Emoto on the subject :  The Healing Power of Water ,  Messages from Water vol. 1 and Messages from Water vol. 2 All marvelous reads that, in part, suggest that the waters bless you as you bless them.
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    In 2015, the multi-disciplinary, peer reviewed journal, Nature Communications, published a comprehensive study, conducted by the well-respected Max Planck Institute in Mainz, Germany entitled “The Structural Memory of Water Persists on a Picosecond Timescale”. This study demonstrated that water cannot be treated merely as a type of continuum (or as substance through which information only travels but does not remain), but that specific local memory-enabling structures do in fact exist within the liquid forms of water. It adds a further scientific support to the notion that water can hold a kind of memory. 
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    Considering the idea that science has begun to acknowledge that water can hold consciousness, you are invited into creating a new, more multi-dimensional relationship with every drop of water you drink, every heartfelt tear you release and every bath in which you immerse yourself. You are invited to purify, protect and bless the waters of the Earth and of your body in every thought and action. Bringing the highest consciousness to the planet at this time begins with ourselves, with honoring and nourishing the holy water that is US.
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    May our respect for and love of the very essence of Life be continuously renewed as we discover new wellsprings of inspiration and nourishment in living....and as always..... may we forever THRIVE,
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    Aleli Estrada from Anima-Botanica.com
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    This post is intended for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat any particular condition. For medical advise please consult with your trusted healthcare professional. Blessings on your wellness journey.
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    We'd love to chat with you in the COMMENTS.... Let's talk all things WATER 💦.... Are you drinking enough water? How has water blessed your life? What was your favorite water wisdom you learned about here? What is your favorite organization that helps protect water for future generations? ❤

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