Water For Life - Total Hydration is Total Health
Loads of energy, glowing skin, great health, vitality, bright eyes, no aching joints, no grumbling illnesses, total motivation and a body to die for….. by just drinking the right amount of water!
TOTAL HYDRATION IS TOTAL HEALTH.
Water, air and food are the three things essential for life. We know we would die without air, and we know we have to eat everyday to survive, but we still ignore the need for water. We simply don’t drink enough water, no matter how many times we are told.
BASIC FACTS
Our bodies are 75 percent water. If we drop this by just 2 percent, we are dehydrated. As soon as we are dehydrated our bodily functions slow down and we begin to operate inefficiently.
Water is the body’s transport system, which move nutrients around it as well as carrying waste out of our body. Water breaks down food, keeps our body temperature balanced and it keeps our skin elastic,
We can live for weeks without food but only a few days without water.
Tiredness, high blood pressure, headaches, dizziness, aching joints, low immunity, indigestion, urinary tract infection are all caused by dehydration. If you have any of these symptoms, or maybe all of them, it may just be that bringing your consumption of water up to 2 liters everyday can change your life.
There is no danger in drinking water correctly. It is relatively inexpensive, it is readily available and the benefits are truly phenomenal.
Water is all around us, within us, in the air we breathe, in our skin cells, organs and blood. We lose water all the time, when we sweat, talk and breathe. We need to replace water all the time to stay fully hydrated.
· The brain is 75 percent water
· Blood is 92 percent water
· Bones are 22 percent water
· Muscles are 75 percent water
· Brain cells are 82 percent water
· Moderate dehydration can cause headaches and even dizziness.
· The brain weighs 1.5 kilograms, of which 200 grams are actual brain – the rest is water.
· We need water to exhale
· Water helps us to breathe as it moistens air on inhalation
· Water inside the body regulates our body temperature
· We lose as much water when we are sleeping as we do when we are awake
· On hot days, sweating causes us to lose up to 16 glasses of water per day
· Mild dehydration slows down metabolism by as much as 3 percent
· Lack of water is the number one cause of tiredness
· It takes only a 2 percent drop in hydration to slow down recall, give trouble with basic maths, and cause difficulty in focusing on reading or screen work
· Approximately 90 percent of the world’s population is chronically dehydrated
How to Drink Water
Drinking the correct amount of water can make phenomenal differences to our bodies and our lives. You will notice incredible levels of energy, glowing skin, weight loss, reduction of cellulite, better immunity, less fatigue, and lethargy, the ability to think clearly throughout the day and a general all-around increased level of health and well being.
Simple steps to follow in order to feel the good results
· Drink at least 2 liters of water per day
· On summer or on hot days, increase the daily amount by at least half a liter.
· Make sure that at least 1.5 liters of the water we drink is still or ideally at room temperature
· Make sure the water is fresh – a bottle newly opened that day, a glassful freshly pour from the tap or filter jug
· Spread out water intake over the whole day – 1 glass every hour
· Replace any water lost – if you drink a cup of coffee have at least the same amount in water, same also with alcohol. This will be in addition to our 2 liters daily requirements.
· During work out or exercise, drink more water.
· Keep our water fresh as much as possible.
· Tap, alkaline, oxygenated, reverse osmosis, filtered, purified – any water counts as long as it is pure water.
SIGNS OF DEHYDRATION
Mild
Thirst
Headache
Fatigue
Flushed skin
Dry mouth and throat
Moderate
Rapid heart rate
Dizziness
Low blood pressure
Weakness and lack of energy
Highly concentrated urine, but low in volume
Severe
Muscle spasms
Swollen tongue
Poor blood circulation
Increased weakness
Failing kidney function
Dehydration is complete when urine is clear.
When to Drink Water
As soon as you get up, drink a glassful of water. This will hydrate you from the night before.
For breakfast, drink a glass of hot water with fresh lemon or calamansi juice to cleanse our body.
Every time we go to the toilet – take a glass of water to replace the fluids lost
Before lunch and dinner, drink a glass of water. This will dampen our appetite and stop us drinking with our food, which decreases absorption of nutrients.
Make sure we have had at least 1.5 liters of water before 6pm
Drink a glass of water every hour when we are awake to ensure proper hydration
A drop in the body’s water level causes a decline in blood volume which in turn triggers the hypothalamus to send out the demand for a drink. This will result to a slight rise in the concentration of sodium in our blood, which make us thirsty. As we aged, the sense of thirst become dulled at the same time, we had a lower percentage of reserve body water than we had when we were young. This is why it is important to drink water every waking hour even if we do not feel thirsty.
Without water, we would poison ourselves with our own metabolic wastes. The kidneys remove waste products like uric acid, urea and lactic acid that must be dissolved in water. If water is not enough to remove these effectively, they may cause damage to kidneys.
Digestion and metabolism needs also water for certain enzymatic and chemical reactions in the body. Water carries oxygen and nutrients to cell through the blood and helps in the regulation of body temperature by perspiration. Water is very important to every parts of our body.
Dehydration may contribute to excess body fat, digestive problems, poor muscle tone, and poor functioning of many organs.
Water comes in many kinds: alkaline, tap, oxygenated, spring water, mineral water, distilled, reverse osmosis water, purified water and many more. There are many stories about different water, whatever the source, it is better to be drinking water than not drinking it at all.
Water Contaminants
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk.
To protect drinking water from disease-causing organisms, or pathogens, water suppliers often add a disinfectant, such as chlorine, to drinking water. However, disinfection practices can be complicated because certain microbial pathogens, such as Cryptosporidium, are highly resistant to traditional disinfection practices. Also, disinfectants themselves can react with naturally-occurring materials in the water to form byproducts, such as trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids, which may pose health risks.
A major challenge for water suppliers is how to control and limit the risks from pathogens and disinfection byproducts. It is important to provide protection from pathogens while simultaneously minimizing health risks to the population from disinfection byproducts.
1. Microbes
Coliform bacteria are common in the environment and are generally not harmful. However, the presence of these bacteria in drinking water is usually a result of a problem with the treatment system or the pipes which distribute water, and indicates that the water may be contaminated with germs that can cause disease.
Fecal coliform and E coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms.
Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.
Cryptosporidium is a parasite that enters lakes and rivers through sewage and animal waste. It causes cryptosporidiosis, a mild gastrointestinal disease. However, the disease can be severe or fatal for people with severely weakened immune systems.
2. Inorganic Contaminants like Lead
Lead is a toxic metal that is harmful if inhaled or swallowed. Lead can be found in air, soil, dust, food, and water.
Lead enters the water (“leaches”) through contact with the plumbing.
Lead leaches into water through corrosion of pipes, solder, fixtures and faucets (brass) and fittings.
The amount of lead in your water also depends on the types and amounts of minerals in the water, how long the water stays in the pipes, the amount of wear in the pipes, the water’s acidity and its temperature.
*Corrosion is a dissolving or wearing away of metal caused by a chemical reaction between water and your plumbing.
3. Disinfectants
To protect drinking water from disease-causing organisms, or pathogens, water suppliers often add a disinfectant, such as chlorine, to drinking water. However, disinfection practices can be complicated because certain microbial pathogens, such as Cryptosporidium, are highly resistant to traditional disinfection practices. Also, disinfectants themselves can react with naturally-occurring materials in the water to form byproducts, such as trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids, which may pose health risks.
Chloramine is a water additive used to control microbes, particularly as a residual disinfectant in distribution system pipes. It is formed when ammonia is added to water containing free chlorine. Monochloramine is one form of chloramines commonly used for disinfection by municipal water systems. Other chloramines (di- and tri-) are not intentionally used to disinfect drinking water and are generally not formed during the drinking water disinfection process.
Some people who use water containing chloramine in excess of the maximum residual disinfectant level could experience irritating effects to their eyes and nose, stomach discomfort or anemia.
The gaseous or liquid form of chlorine is a water additive used by many companies to control microbes. It is relatively inexpensive and has the lowest production and operating costs and longest history for large continuous disinfection operations.
Some people who use water containing chlorine well in excess of the maximum residual disinfectant level could experience irritating effects to their eyes and nose and those who drink it could experience stomach discomfort.
Chlorine dioxide is a water additive used to control microbes and can be used to control tastes and odors. It rapidly disappears from stored water.
Some infants, young children, and fetuses of pregnant women who drink water containing chlorine dioxide in excess of the maximum residual disinfectant level could experience nervous system effects. Some people who drink water containing chlorine dioxide well in excess of the MRDL for many years may experience anemia.
Water Safety in Manila
Water makes at least six major stopovers to ensure its quality once it is delivered to individual households in Metro Manila and surrounding areas.
The basic process involves the following steps:
flow of water from Umiray River, to Angat Dam, then to Ipo Dam
settling process in the Bicti Settling Basin
delivery of water to La Mesa Treatment Plants 1 and 2, and Balara Treatment Plants 1 and 2
water treatment involving four processes—including coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection
distribution of water using gravity and pumping
To kill contaminants in water, chlorine, a chemical disinfectant, is applied at different points of the treatment process. The Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water (PNSDW) monitors the water’s chlorine level. Compliance with drinking water standards is regulated by the Department of Health (DOH), the lead agency tasked to implement the Sanitation Code of the Philippines.
In Metro Manila, the DOH-led Metro Manila Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Committee monitors compliance with standards, and publishes water quality pronouncements every month. Both Maynilad and Manila Water say they regularly pass and even exceed a number of PNSDW requirements–in particular, the required level of residual chlorine. This refers to the amount of the chemical remaining in the water once it reaches a customer’s faucet, considering that it gets depleted every time it attacks bacteria and viruses. The PNSDW requires a residual chlorine level of 0.3 parts per million. This means that if water, at the treatment plant, is mixed with 0.7 ppm of chlorine and passes through kilometers of pipelines—with the chlorine killing impurities and getting used up along the way—water should still end up at a household tap with 0.3 ppm of the disinfectant. The PNSDW sets the maximum amount of chlorine, at any point of the distribution system, at 1.5 ppm. Water from Maynilad has a residual chlorine level of 0.85 ppm, while that from Manila Water also has 0.85 ppm based on latest water analysis report.
Kinds of Water
1. Tap water
Tap water is obtained from surface water – in Manila, the reservoir is the La Mesa Dam. It can also be obtained from ground water, such as wells. There are many wells all throughout the country and is one of the major source of water in the Philippines.
Tap water contains calcium and magnesium. Tap water can sometimes appear cloudy, and this is often mistaken for a mineral impurity in the water. Cloudy water, also known as white water, is actually caused by air bubbles coming out of solution in the water. Because cold water holds more air than warm water, small bubbles will appear in water with a high dissolved oxygen content that is heated or depressurized, because this reduces how much dissolved gas the water can hold. This condition is completely harmless, and the cloudiness of the water disappears quickly as the gas is released from the water.
Some people, believing that their tap water is unsafe, have turned to expensive bottled water, only to discover that most brands of bottled water contain the same or more contaminants as ordinary tap water, leading to a conclusion that bottled water is nothing more than high priced tap water.
This leads us back to the question of what is in tap water, and is it safe to drink? There isn’t one definite answer to either question, since tap water changes greatly from place to place. Some communities have excellent quality tap water, while others may be downright awful.
Chlorine is a disinfectant which is added to tap water during treatment from source. Chlorine can leave organic material like trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids in the water. The level of chlorine found is small, 1L of chlorinated water gives 0.2 mg of chlorine, which is too small to cause any health problems
Tap water remains susceptible to biological or chemical contamination. In the event of contamination deemed dangerous to public health, government officials typically issue an advisory regarding water consumption. In the case of biological contamination, residents are usually advised to boil their water before consumption or to use bottled water as an alternative. In the case of chemical contamination, residents may be advised to refrain from consuming tap water entirely until the matter is resolved.
2. Mineral Water
Mineral water is water that is filled with natural minerals. After all, mineral water can come both from a natural source or an artificial source.
Mineral water is water from a mineral spring containing various minerals such as salts and sulfur compounds. Traditionally, mineral waters were used or consumed at their spring sources, In modern times, it is far more common for mineral waters to be bottled at the source for distributed consumption. Travelling to the mineral water site for direct access to the water is now uncommon, and in many cases not possible (because of exclusive commercial ownership rights). There are more than 3,000 brands of mineral water commercially available worldwide
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies mineral water as water containing at least 250 parts per million total dissolved solids (TDS), originating from a geologically and physically protected underground water source. No minerals may be added to this water.
However, in many places, the term "mineral water" is colloquially used to mean any bottled carbonated water or soda water, as opposed to tap water.
This may leave you wondering what is mineral water compared to regular water, like tap water and traditional bottled water. Mineral water, in its basic and natural form, is a much better source for the nutrients and additional health benefits you receive from drinking water. And what is mineral water compared to its artificial counterpart—both, in fact, are mineral water so there shouldn’t be much difference.
All water is initially mineral water until it is boiled, like distilled water, or sent through a softener or some sort of cleaning process. The fact is that there is a long list of different minerals that may be present in mineral water that could be potentially beneficial to your health. These different types of minerals might include the following: calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, sodium, potassium, chloride, nitrates, sulphates, fluoride and even bicarbonates.
The type of minerals found in the mineral water you are drinking will depend on the source of the water. For instance, minerals to be found in the hills of Italy differ from those to be found in the Rocky Mountains. Yet both places produce, bottle and export mineral waters.
Mineral water, no matter where it comes from or what minerals make it up, is an excellent addition to a healthy diet and exercise program as it will not only keep you hydrated, but also replace minerals that you lose through the normal course of your day.
There are a great number of benefits you could gain from drinking mineral water. This is because the minerals contained in this kind of water provide a number of therapeutic advantages. One way to attain the optimum development of the body is by taking in the essential vitamins and minerals.
The great thing about the minerals contained in water is they can be easily absorbed by the body. In fact, it is easier for the body to absorb the minerals from water than from most foods. Thus, it can be argued that mineral water is somewhat essential for day to day healthy living.
Here are a number of benefits that can be gained from mineral water health for your body:
It can help detoxify your body. Taking in mineral water is important in eliminating the toxins that may have entered the body through the foods that you consume every day and through the air that you breathe. Because of the detoxification properties of mineral water, the general health of your brain and body can be improved and the risk of contracting degenerative diseases can be decreased.
Mineral water can help in preventing problems with the nervous system. Poor quality water can cause pollution of the fluids in the nervous system and this in turn can cause its normal functions to falter. The complex and small waterways of the nervous system through which the body’s cells get electric signals coming from the brain could be impaired by impure water. However, if you drink mineral water regularly, you will help your nervous system remain healthy.
It aids in heightening the body’s natural healing capability. Because over 70 percent of the human body is made up of water, it is not unusual to that water intake can have a lot to do with the overall health of the body.
The magnesium contained in mineral water contributes to making the bones and muscles strong, aids in making the body relax and in sustaining the proper blood pressure , and enhances the immune system of the body. You can therefore be sure that taking in pure water is important in helping the body restore itself.
Mineral water works at promoting proper digestion and nutrient absorption. The minerals contained in mineral water such as the chlorides and the bicarbonates are important in promoting proper digestion as well as the effective regulation of the stomach and intestinal acids. Because of this, mineral water helps in the optimization of the benefits gained by the body through the foods that are taken in as they are digested effectively. The food’s nutrients are also extracted properly.
3. Purified water
This is a type of drinking water that has been treated with processes such as distillation, deionization or reverse osmosis (we'll get to those terms later). Basically, this just means that the bacteria and dissolved solids have been removed from the water by some process, making it "purified." This type of bottled water is usually labeled as purified drinking water but can also be labeled for the specific process used to produce it, for example, reverse osmosis drinking water or distilled drinking water. Many bottled water brands are actually purified drinking water.
4. Alkaline water
Alkaline water is water that is neither acidic nor neutral on the pH scale. It is on the alkaline side of the scale. Some believe the benefits of alkaline water are nearly immeasurable -- that it is vital for consistent and continued health. Others say the research on alkaline water is far from conclusive.
Alkaline water, or ionized water as it is also referred to, has a pH of approximately 8, depending on the brand or the equipment used to alkalize the water. Normal water has a neutral pH, which is the number 7 on the scale. Water, depending on its source, also has the potential to be slightly acidic.
The Hype