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The Wonders of Water

“Water is the first principal of all things” Greek Philosopher Thales

Water is everywhere—in us and around us. We are fortunate enough to live here in Madison where we are surrounded by it. Unfortunately, our waters are not what they once were. How could we let such a vital part of our lives become so polluted? The earth is made up of 70 percent water. When we were conceived, we were made up of 96 percent water, at birth 80 percent, and we finally stabilize at 70 percent, the same as the earth. The water of the earth is like the blood that flows through our veins. If we have dirty, toxic blood, we become sick.
Water is more important than most of us think. You’ve probably heard that you should be drinking about eight glasses of water a day. That may seem like a lot, however, we should actually be drinking half our body weight in ounces. So if you are 150 pounds, you should be drinking about 75 ounces a day. You may think there’s no way we need that much water, but how do you think our bodies get rid of waste or flush out the toxins in our blood? Coffee, soda, beer? Hardly. Water serves as the transporter of energy throughout our bodies. If we lose over 50 percent of water from our bodies, we can no longer sustain life. Water sustains our lives, yet what are we doing to sustain our water?

Madison water
It was just released recently that the standards for our water system are being lowered yet again. Madison Utility officials announced they have increased the chlorine levels at all of the city’s 23 wells. Chlorine is added to water systems to make sure bacteria and viruses can’t survive in drinking supply. Madison’s standard chlorine level has been at 0.2, but a new level of 0.3 will has been phased in. According to the U.S. Council of Environmental Quality, “Cancer risk among people drinking chlorinated water is 93 percent higher than those who do not.” We don’t use chlorine in our water because it is the most effective means of disinfection, or the safest, but simply because it is cheaper. Fortunately, the Co-op carries two water filters that remove chlorine. The Fresh Water Works uses activated carbon to rid water of over 40 contaminants. The 10-stage water filter removes contaminants, particulates, fine sediment, lead, and protozoa, and will also lower acidity and increase alkalinity.

Hidden messages
A creative and visionary researcher, Masuro Emoto is known for his controversial claim that when human thoughts are directed at water before it is frozen, images of the resulting water crystals will be beautiful or ugly depending on whether the thoughts are positive or negative. In his books, Hidden Messages in Water and the The True Power of Water, Emoto’s experiments consist of exposing water in glasses to different forms of music, prayer or words, and then freezing and examining the aesthetics of the resulting crystals with microscopic photography. When he placed positive words such as “love” and “thank you” on the water containers, they formed hexagonal snowflake like pictures. When he placed negative words such as “hate” and “you fool” on the containers, the water failed to create any crystals. The words “love and gratitude” formed the most complex and beautiful pictures. It makes one think a little of our influence on water. Mr. Emoto made a journey to the largest lake in Japan, Lake Biwa, where the water has abnormal algae growth and a horrible smell. A group of 350 people got together and recited a prayer called the Great Declaration ten times to the lake. One month later they reported there was no more abnormal growth and no odor. If you feel this idea resonating with you, check out the books and pick up a pack of the water cling labels.

Water cures
In the book Water Cures, Drugs Kill, Dr. F. Batmanghelidj claims that chronic unintentional dehydration is the primary cause of pain and disease in the human body, including cancer. It is a scientific fact that water is a nutrient and does indeed possess a dominant metabolic role in all physiological functions of the body. There are many case studies in his book that show how water helped many illnesses.

I know of an alternative healer who, upon first consultation, will put you on a water diet for two weeks. You need not change anything in your diet, simply increase your water intake to that of half your body weight in ounces. After the two weeks, she will take a look at what illnesses remain in the body and begin to work there. Often, more than 50 percent of the illnesses that were present before the two weeks are gone. Water reduces sugar cravings, depression anxiety and many other things. Some indications of dehydration include lethargy, sadness, hunger, sugar cravings, shortness of temper and sleep disorders.
In the dead of summer, it is even more important to get enough water in your system. You’re hot, you’re sweating, and you’re out doing all kinds of activities. All of these things deplete your water levels. It’s a good idea to have water with you at all times. You might consider obtaining a washable water container to have with you such as stainless steel or glass. Most other materials can leach into your water. Get your kids to get into the habit of drinking water too. Little bodies lose water much faster than we do, so keep them hydrated. Just chucking them in the nearest pool or hosing them down won’t do it either. They must drink it. So enjoy the rest of the summer and chug-a-lug that water!