Initially, these symptoms may appear as routine fatigue, dry skin, headaches and constipation. over the longer term, every body function will degrade more quickly, leaving us prone to all sorts of degenerative conditions.

An adequate daily water intake

~ Is essential for digestion, nutrient absorption and elimination.

~ Aids circulation.

~ Helps regulate body temperature.

~ Lubricates and cushions joints.

~ Keeps the skin healthy.

~ Helps remove toxins from the body.

We've all heard a million times how important it is to drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. But, adults need even more than that.

A general rule of thumb is, for every 50 pounds of body weight we should drink one quart of water per day.

A person weighing 150 lbs should drink three quarts per day. A 200lb person should drink a full gallon per day. Athletes should drink even more than that. Getting plenty of water each day is one of the most beneficial things we can do for our overall health.

What Type of Water Should We Drink?

Just as important than how much water you should be drinking is what type of water you should drink.

The answer is clean spring water and water that has been filtered by reversed osmosis. It’s also important to avoid fluoridated water.

Why Distilled Water Is Not A Healthy Choice

Distillation is the process in which water is boiled, evaporated, and the vapor condensed back to liquid water. It has the wrong ionization, pH, polarization and oxidation potentials, and if you drink it for too long it can drain your body of necessary minerals. This happens because distilled water is like a vacuum without any minerals, so it will actually leach beneficial minerals from your body to balance it out. While this might be beneficial for a short period during some sort of detoxification regimen, it’s usually highly counter-productive in the long run.

Distilled water is also highly acidic. Most of us are far too acidic already and the last thing we need to be drinking is a fluid that will make us even more acidic.

Distilled water is usually touted as beneficial because of its lack of contaminants. However, many of the devices that distill water are made of metal, which will actually add certain toxic metals like nickel back to the water.

What About Bottled Water?

Bottled water is okay on occasion, but not for daily use.

Not only is bottled water a major strain on the environment, but a lot of bottled water is no cleaner than tap water. In fact, about 40 percent of bottled water IS regular tap water, which may or may not have received any additional treatment.

The metal antimony (a silvery white metal of medium hardness) has been found in many commercially bottled water brands, for example. The amount of antimony leeching into the water you're drinking depends on the manufacturer, and can vary greatly. One study that looked at 63 brands of bottled water produced in Europe and Canada, found concentrations of antimony that were more than 100 times the typical level found in clean groundwater (2 parts per trillion).

It’s also been found that the longer a bottle of water sits on a shelf in stores, the greater the dose of antimony present. The biggest offenders were packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers. It is believed that the amount of antimony leeching from these PET bottles differs based on exposure to sunlight, higher temperatures, and varying pH levels.

Most municipal tap water must actually adhere to stricter purity standards than the bottled water industry. In fact, one study, a third of more than 100 bottled water brands tested for contaminants were found to contain chemicals like arsenic and carcinogenic compounds, at levels exceeding state or industry standards.

Nalgene bottles should also be avoided as they can leach another unsafe chemical called BPA into your water. Glass bottles are best, but if you’re traveling and can’t use a glass bottle, the high-density polyethelene (HDPE) Nalgene bottles appear to be a safer choice, so far.

Many stores now offer purified water filtration systems on site where you can bring your own containers in to refill.

Try to drink water at room temperature if possible, as ice-cold water can harm the delicate lining of the stomach.

Articles

10 Easy Ways to Conserve Water ... and why it matters. Save money on your water bill and be a part of the solutions to depletion of one of our most vital resources.

Is That Rocket Fuel in Your Drinking Water? If the human body is a machine, water makes it go. But many people aren't getting the cleanest "fuel" to put into their bodies every day -- unless, that is, you're talking about rocket fuel. The straight story on contaminants in our water and a brief guide to how you can ensure pure, great-tasting and safe water in your home.

Books

Messages From Water This book outlines the beginning of Dr. Emoto's work, how he came upon his idea of photographing water crystals, how the environment influences water, problems with contamination, and quality. He then moves onto pictures of the crystals when subjected to sounds, music, and voices.

Water Crystals In Motion DVD By taking a photographic look at water crystals, we are able to determine the mysterious effects that music and words have on water. Until now researchers alone - with the use of their microscopes - had the capacity to witness water crystals grow and expand. Not any more - caught on video for the first time.

Your Body's Many Cries for Water According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, the body possesses many different thirst signals. A dry mouth is not a reliable indicator of your body's water needs. He describes a variety of more reliable ones, and helps you learn to understand when your body is calling for water. This is an awesome book loaded with useful health information.