Do you want to save money?    Do you want to stay healthy?    Is the Southwest hot in the summer?

Step right up folks, and listen while I tell you of this amazing miracle cure.    No, it’s not snake oil, but you can buy it in bottles.    This is a one hundred percent fully natural, FDA approved, substance.    This unique chemical is necessary for all life on earth.    If you do not get enough of this chemical, you die.    Grim but true.    Around the world at this moment, people are dying for lack of this simple chemical compound = H2O = water.

Water for Life

While people in India are currently dying of thirst, it is a sad fact that people in the United States are also dying of thirst, but more slowly.    One study estimated that almost thirty percent of our population is killing themselves slowly by not hydrating properly.    Another recent study estimated that as high as forty percent of all patients admitted to U. S. hospitals are mildly to severely dehydrated.    In some cases, dehydration lead to medical problems, while in other instances it made a disease or medical problem worse.

Some Percentages

Water is the single largest part of the human body.    The blood plasma – the stuff that carries oxygen to your cells and waste products to your liver for cleaning should be – ninety three percent (93 %) water. The fluid that rests around every cell in your body (interstitial fluid) should be ninety seven percent (97%) water.    With enough water in the body, all cells can work at peak efficiency.    Toxic by-products of regular metabolism are quickly flushed away, keeping the entire body in a state of good health. And the brain sharp and alert too.

Do You Drink Enough Water?

Especially in the low humidity of the Southwest, drinking enough fluid is crucial.    Every time you exhale, you lose moisture.    Eventually, the low level of water in the blood causes the hypothalamus to produce the anti-diuretic hormone (ADH).    ADH,  among other things, tells the body that you are thirsty.    However, as we age, our hormone production diminishes.   Thus the ability to discern the fact that we are thirsty diminishes.    You may even think you are hungry when, in fact, you are thirsty.    Since you do get some moisture through the food you eat, thirst is diminished — for a while at least.

Dehydration can have more far-reaching effects than simple thirst.    With insufficient water in the body, the mineral “salts” that regulate muscular, neural and cellular functions can become out of balance.    The human body needs certain minerals to function.    Sodium, potassium, and calcium are all involved in maintaining muscle tone and ability to function.    These minerals are also called “salts,” a general term, not referring to table salt.    Too little or too much potassium in the blood stream, especially with respect to the other salts in the blood, can lead to problems with heart beat, and even cardiac arrest.

Sodium and potassium balance are not only important for a regular heartbeat.    Too much of either of these salts will create an imbalance in the fluids inside the cells of the body.      Tissues swell and can become painful.    Swollen ankles and hands may be due to insufficient water in the diet.    The rule of thumb: eight,  eight ounce glasses per day is good in a cool, moist climate.    In the low humidity of air conditioning and the desert, eight, twelve ounce glasses per day might be closer to the mark.

A Caution

An important caution – do not drink distilled water.    Distilled water is what you use in steam irons and older car batteries.    It has all minerals removed.    This is great for steam irons and batteries, but bad for the human body.    We need those minerals in our water.

Some Terms

Deionized water has all the ions removed.    Potassium, and the other salts, exist in water as ions, thus deionized is the same as distilled water.
Purified water is now a catch-all term.    Originally this meant water with living organisms such as bacteria and algae killed.    Our cities purify our water by adding chlorine to kill the bacteria.    Tap water is technically purified water.
Filtered water has large particles removed.    This includes the bacteria killed by chlorine.    Many filters also remove the heavier ions, such as lead, which get into water from pipes, and from our desert soil.

Choose Wisely

Ideally, water should contain a moderate and balanced amount of calcium, potassium, and some sodium.    It should be free of live bacteria, and low in chlorine, lead, and heavy metals.    In most modern homes, water like this can be drawn from your tap.

To remove chlorine, simply allow water to sit for twelve to twenty four hours.    The chlorine will evaporate.    If you don’t like the taste of your tap water, you can purchase an in-line filter for your water faucet, or a filter pitcher system, or buy bottled water.    It’s a matter of taste and cost.

Reminder

It is true that if you do not get enough water, you can die.    Dehydration, even mild dehydration, can tip the balance, especially when there are other health issues, such as diabetes or ailing kidneys.

Let’s be safe out there! And don’t forget to hydrate.

Father Kino’s Herbs – for cooking and more

The last few copies of this out-of-print award winning Southwestern book are now for sale. Father Kino’s Herbs: Growing and Using Them Today   The review says:

“Award-winning garden writer Dr. Jacqueline A. Soule has pulled together a fascinating book on the life of Father Eusebio Francisco Kino and some of the plants that he brought to Southern Arizona and northwestern Sonora, and area called the Pimeria Alta.”

A steal at only $20!  This link is to our sales site. The profits from the sale go to the local Horticulture Therapy non-profit Tierra del Sol Institute.  We hope you will help support this great Southwest non-profit!

Legal Note

© Article copyright Savor the Southwest // Jacqueline A. Soule. All rights reserved. You must ask permission to republish an entire blog post or article. Okay to use a short excerpt but you must give proper credit. You must include a link back to the original post on our site. No stealing photos.