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Water is very, very, very important to a normal healthy individual.  It is even more important to a nursing mother or to people who are ill.

Water and Health

My husband, a chiropractor, always asks his patients if they are drinking enough water.  They always say, "yes...I think so..maybe..well...I guess I don't know what is enough." 

A simple rule-of-thumb water for a normal individual, not nursing, pregnant or sick, is take your weight and divide it in half.  That will give you the number of ounces of water you need per day for peak body function. 

When water is drunk with meals or as a beverage with other substances such as tea or juice, then it is mostly processed by the digestive system as a food.  When it goes through the body as pure water then it hurries through the digestion process and is more quickly used by the body.  This is helpful for the mother who needs to build up a milk supply for her baby.

Water is vital in allowing the kidneys to function properly.  The kidneys purify the blood by filtering out toxins and flushing them out through the bladder. 

By turning off our desire for water the brain allows us to be satisfied with the lease amount of water we need to survive.  This is not for optimum health but simple survival. 

Once a person starts drinking water adequately, then the brain relaxes and allows the thirst mechanism to kick in and function properly.  When a person is water deprived, they will walk into the kitchen knowing that they want something, look around, not knowing what...but certainly something.  When that happens you can almost always bet the brain is sending out strong but thirstless hints that water is seriously needed. 

When you do start drinking enough water you seem even more thirsty than ever.  That is because the thirst is now working normally as the brain now assumes that you are in an abundance of water and don't have to be on the survival mode.

There are some illnesses which have sypmtoms of abundant thirst.  But most Americans don't drink enough to begin with because we really have little idea of what the right amount really is.  In our home, because of my husband's experience with his many, many patients, water is our standard beverage.  Any other liquid is drunk only as a treat. 

One of the big signs that you are not getting enough water is that your body seems to hur everywhere.  Poke the arm and it hurts.  Push on the muscle of the leg and it also hurts.  Press anywhere and there will be some pain.  That is because toxins have built up in the tissue because of the water starvation. 

Water - The Same or Different?

We have reverse osmosis in our kitchen and that is our drinking water.  It only costs only $17.50 to rent and probably about $300 to purchase.  It is worth it.

Drinking very cold water is harder on the body because the body has to bring it up to body temperature.  Now...in the winter you might want this..more work for the body.  But drinking cold water in the summer as wonderful as it feels in the mouth, makes the body work harder and thus get hotter, not cooler.  I know...seems strange....but works. 

Now...I do drink ice water whenever I have it in a restraunt because I can't stand the taste of tap water.  Whenever possible I put two lemon wedges into the water. 

Reverse Osmosis is a method of taking stuff out of the water.  Some people use a distiller, which we did for years, but we prefer the RO.  There are many companies who will rent R.O. machines.  You can even hook one up to your refrigerator water dispencer. 

I have used the Britta Water filter system when canning because it works so quickly. 

Water and Family Life

Speaking of water...here is a suggestion I got off one of my email lists.  Install a water fountain in your kitchen!  What a wonderful idea!  You can put another one outside and cut down on the dirty glasses working their way through the dishwasher. 

Every family should have an emergency supply of water.  Here are some things to keep in mind.

Store 1 gallon per day per person, store 2 gallons per day per person if you need it for more than just drinking/cooking.

Do not store on a concrete floor.;  Buy or make wooden slats or shelves to store the water.  Water will pick up the flavor of the concrete and be totally undrinkable.

Do not store water in a container too heavy to life and use. 

Sparkletts water in plastic bottles is made to last 5 years unopened.  You can store the water you purchase in the stores, unopened.  If you add your own water to containers than be sure and treat the water with minute amounts of chlorine.

If you are planning on cooking things that take a lot of water like food that needs reconstitution, beans, noodles, etc...then store extra water.

If you have a water bed and do not treat it with certain chemicals then it is usable.  Some water is usable for things other than drinking and cleaning.  Look around your home and decide what other needs you might have. 

If you need to use the toilet than you need water to flush, having water in a bucket and emptiying it into the toilet works.

More on Water Storage

From a hand-out:

    City water is treated to remove colloids and to kill pathogens.  Colloids cause cloudiness and act as absorption sites for pathogens.  In some cases, additional treatment may occur to remove trace organics and to remove hardness.
    City water is treated through a series of unit processes.  From the river, the water is pumped to a mixing tank where chemical addition and mixing will occur.  The water then flows to a stirred tank where floc is formed.  The floc is settled out of suspension in a sedimentation basin and is then passed through a sand filter.
    In this process sequence, chemicals are added to:  a) cause floc formation (alum - aluminum sulfate) and to control pH (soda ash - sodium bicarbonate) and b) to kill pathogens (chlorine).
    The process is very simple and can easily be reproduced for personal water treatment.

    Collect water from a flowing source.  Let it settle for a while if very cloudy, then decant the clarified water into another container, leaving settled sediment behind.  Add about 1/4 teaspoon of alum per
gallon of water and stir gently for 5  to 15 minutes until floc forms.  Let the floc settle for about 15 to 30 minutes until water is clear.  Decant the clarified water, leaving the settled floc behind.  The water
can be passed through a coffee filter for additional clarification.  Add chlorine a little at a time until chlorine smell is obvious - about 1/4 teaspoon per gallon - stirring for about 5 minutes.  Let the water stand with chlorine for at least 30 minutes.  The chlorine smell should still be slightly noticeable, if not , then add a little more chlorine until, after 30 minutes contact time, the smell is slightly noticeable.  Polish the water by filtering it through activated carbon or use a commercial filter like Brita.

    Liquid bleach does not retain disinfecting properties over time.  It is best to use a powder or granular chlorine product such as that available for swimming pools.  Effective disaffection does not occur unless the chlorine smell is evident and contact times are at least 30 minutes.

    Activated carbon absorbs many impurities from the water and improves palatability.  An activated carbon filter can be fabricated using a tall and narrow plastic container with a few small holes punched in the bottom.  Fill the container with several inches of granular carbon and gently pour the water through the carbon.  Some carbon fines may wash out of the carbon during the first few uses.  One pound of carbon should easily treat about 500 gallons of water.  Store the carbon in an airtight container.