The crow was laughing at me, jumping branch to branch, screeching his haughty caw as I climbed the rocky trail.
It was spring and still brisk, but the sun blazed above heating the mountain out of its cold wintery sleep. As the crow flew away for other fun, I listened to the quiet, non-quiet of the whispering pines and heard the sound of water, the lovely lapping gurgling talk only a little stream could inspire.
I looked down and underneath my feet little lines of water were trickling through the rocks coming out of nowhere, lured by gravity, aroused by spring. I looked up the trail and found myself watching the very first melts of snow make their way down the river bed.
The water was alive, new, fresh and vivid as it grew from a slow trickle to an insistent flow to a bountiful rush. I stood awed, in witness to the fundamental process in Mother Nature’s renewal of life.
Water.
It’s molecules, H20, shape shift all around us every day, cycling from vapors to clouds to rain to snow to ice, circulating the world through rivers and oceans and sharing each of its droplets for life on Earth.
Just imagine, the water raining down from the sky has been around since the dawn of life, watering Earth for millions of years, circulating through plants, animals, dinosaurs, insects and now you. We truly are all one, made of the same water that percolated through the natural aquifers within our planet, to be drawn up a trunk of a tree to tour the veins of a green leaf or spilled between your lips to tour the mechanics of your body.
Water so deliciously sensuous in its liquid form is so vital to life and its processes.
We are but water defined in body. Water makes our bodies move. Through cell metabolism water works diligently, moving nutrients to cells then shifting wastes away.
Water nurtures and purifies the body. It is important to recognize the health aspects of water in each of us. Clean, fresh. pure water – unadulterated by added minerals or sugar – provides the power to hydrate us, so we can walk and laugh and play in good health.
Drink water throughout the day. It’s best to drink water on an empty stomach, so as not to dilute digestive juices important in food breakdown. For best hydration, drink water first thing in the morning. Start off right when you get out of bed and fill up on 16 ounces of that life-giving substance. Better yet, squeeze a lemon or lime in it to stimulate cleansing, dissolve mucous buildup, flush out waste and send the body back into a more alkaline, balanced state.
Though vegetable and fruit juices contain water and provide vitamins and minerals, plain water has its own vital flushing abilities the body requires. And caffeine imbibing souls take note: The worst thing to do is to chug down a can of coke or cup of coffee while heading off to work or really, any time of day. This only increases the dehydration in your body, along with all the other shocks to the system.
Many types of pains, obesity, and premature physical degeneration are related to being chronically dehydrated, so again drink water.
Remember, the more processed or cooked foods –rather than juicy raw foods – you eat, the more water you need to metabolize the food. Breathing contains exhaled moisture that needs to be replaced and exercise increases metabolic demand for water. An hour of intense exercise can deplete your body of a quart of water, but so can a four-hour plane ride, just sitting.
So drink away. Use pure filtered water. Forget who’s right or wrong about tap water and for health’s sake reverse-osmosis your water. Filter up the shower head to eliminate chlorination from being absorbed into your body. Take an interest in learning about the ill affects fluoridated city water can have inside your body. The way I look at it is every little advantage I give my body, no matter how minuscule, to keep my heart pumping happily or my skin clear and bright, is an advantage worth implementing.
