Rather crude -- but I hope it got your attention. If you were thinking of skipping this section of the book to read something ‘more exciting’ -- DON’T.

Water is the essence of your being. Back before the days of the inflated dollar, it was said that it would take only 98 cents worth of materials to produce a human being. Of course, this did not consider the cost of design, production or the fact that it is impossible to create such a being ‘from scratch’ so to say. However, the basis of the belief was that most of your body is water. While our bodies posses a great deal of the earth minerals, percentage-wise our cells are overwhelmingly water. Sources estimate the amount of water in the human body is between 60 and 70%. If we could bottle it that would be 40-50 quarts!

Water is our most valuable nutrient. The following table lists a few of the benefits it provides:

- Quenches thirst - Aids digestion of food - Cools the body through perspiration - Flushes out and carries away bodily waste - Distributes nutrients via bloodstream - Carries nutrients to organs - Reduces risk of kidney stones - Lubricates joints (providing more cushioning) - Necessary for all tissue/organ building functions

- Promotes good skin tone - Dilutes alcohol - Relives headaches - Decreases premenstrual bloating - Provides Calcium & Magnesium - Curbs appetite and snacking - Helps absorption of nutrients - Moistens mucous membranes - Helps relieve constipation

If we ever heard of a magic elixir that did all that water can do, we would throw money at the manufacturer to possess it. Besides love and air, water is the best value we get in this life.

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How Much?
‘She always has a glass in her hand.’ ‘He is always exercising -- bending his elbow, weight lifting a glass.’ If their glasses are filled with water, they are the exception. You will take notice of the person who drinks enough water because it seems as if they are constantly doing so. Most people today consume alternative beverages, less salubrious than water. These surrogate beverages do provide fluid guarding against dehydration, but the alternative drinks often contain deleterious extras like sugars, caffeine, preservatives or alcohol. Often although you are taking in fluids, the beverage is perpetuating cell dehydration. Certain beverages steal liquid from necessary tissues. For example, caffeine and alcohol act like diuretics and stimulate urine production, adding to dehydration. To offset the dehydration effect of 1 oz. of alcohol, you need to drink an 8 oz. glass of water. Chances are your body does not receive enough water. Chances are you already know this. Let’s examine our needs more closely before reaching conclusions. The body receives water in 3 ways:

• water we drink
• water that exists in our food
• water that is formed by the body during the process of metabolism (breaking down our nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats)

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