(retrieved from http://watermanfilters.com, October 1, 2012)

Every living creature on this planet is made up primarily of water. The human body is more than 72% water. If water makes up over two-thirds of our body then naturally the quality of that water is going to have a major impact on our health and well-being. Water is the foundation of our body. Like any structure, if the foundation is of poor quality the expectation of strength and longevity will not be fulfilled.

Ingestion of water borne contaminants is now known to be a major factor in the current epidemics of cancer and heart disease. Both the medical and scientific communities agree that clean water is one of the most essential and fundamental elements to sustained health. Either we can filter out the contaminants prior to consumption or we force our body to be the filter.

We live in a world where we have sacrificed the purity of our environment for modern conveniences, and disease and illness are the price we pay. There are currently well over 75,000 different toxic synthetic chemicals used in our society and over 1,000 new ones being introduced each year. We have learned the hard way that many if not all of those chemicals end up in the water we drink.

Our body has a very effective means of flushing out toxins and water is the key. Detoxification requires an abundant intake of clean, chemical-free water as do all other healing processes that happen inside the body. The more we drink, and the purer the water is, the more we increase our body’s natural ability to flush out harmful toxins.

Until recently most medical theory was based on the assumption that the 20% of our body that is solid tissue is what determined our health, since that is where most outward signs of disease and illness are found. The other 80% (72% water and 8% chemical compounds) that is liquid was thought to merely support the structure of bone and organ tissue. We now know the opposite to be true—the fluids that flow through our body are what create our well-being. The human body is a water machine, designed to run primarily on water and minerals.

Our blood is over 83% water. An inadequate intake of water, or consumption of water laced with contaminants, causes the properties of our blood to change and negatively affects virtually every aspect of our health.

Our brain is over 75% water. If the fluid inside our nerves, which is almost completely water and minerals, is laced with chemicals or heavy metals like lead, then the result is delayed or distorted signals to the brain.

Every level: It has been medically proven that just a 5% drop in bodily fluids will cause a 25% to 30% loss of energy in most people. A 15% drop causes death! Proper mineral content of our body fluids and the absence of contaminants create the proper environment for the production of ATP (Adenosine-Tri-Phosphate), a compound that accounts for a large part of our body’s energy. Any time a toxic chemical (chlorine included) gets inside our body we must then use up some of our strength and energy to reduce and repair the damage done by the contaminant. Water is also what our liver uses to metabolize fat into usable energy. Therefore drinking a lot of clean, chemical free water speeds up metabolism, which allows for the better assimilation of nutrients resulting in increased strength and energy.

Our body’s detoxification system is the single most important component to good health and the one bodily process that relies most heavily on the intake of clean water. We’ve all heard that we should drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water each day under normal circumstances of relatively passive activity to maintain basic bodily functions such a digestion, temperature control, joint lubrication and skin hydration. In order to go beyond that and be able to properly perform the essential task of filtering and flushing the toxins we must consume a level of water above the minimum. A healthy recommendation for water consumption would be at least 10-12 glasses each day. Caffeinated or sweetened beverages should not be counted as they actually cause the body to excrete water. A good health enhancement habit to develop is to drink a glass of water every one or two hours throughout the day. Consume at least 10 glasses per day for just one week and you will be amazed at how much better you feel!

Equally important to detoxification as quantity is quality. Water that is free from contaminates can take on and transport out of our body toxins that find their way into our systems through other means. Everything from the foods we eat that contain artificial preservatives, colors and pesticide residue to the clothes we wear which harbor traces of laundry and dry cleaning chemicals that are absorbed through our skin to the air we breath, all expose us to toxins. Water quality is the only part of our personal environment that we can easily obtain total control over.

With the proper intake of healthy water, the right minerals and nutrients, your body can overcome almost anything.

Water and Weight Loss: How 8 Glasses a Day Keep Fat Away

Incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, endocrine-gland functions improve, fluid retention is alleviated as stored water is lost, more fat is used as a fuel because the liver is free to metabolize stored fat, natural thirst returns, and hunger subsides. Just think of how easy it would be to make such an improvement in your health!

• Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. Here’s why: The kidneys cannot function properly without enough water. When they do not work to capacity, some of their load is dumped into the liver. One of the liver’s primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. If the liver has to do some of the kidney’s work it cannot operate at full capacity. As a result, it metabolizes less fat, more fat remains stored in the body, and weight loss stops.
• Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body gets less water it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold on to every drop. Water is stored in extra cellular spaces (outside the cells). This shows up as swollen feet, legs and hands. Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best, the body forces out stored water along with some essential nutrients. Again, the body perceives a threat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity. Thus, the condition quickly returns. The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give your body what it needs—plenty of water. Only then will stored water be released. If you have a constant problem with water retention excess salt may be to blame. Your body will tolerate sodium only in a certain concentration. The more salt you eat the more water your system retains to dilute it. But, getting rid of unneeded salt is easy—just drink more water. As it’s forced through the kidneys it takes away excess sodium.
• The overweight person needs more water than the thin one. Larger people have larger metabolic loads. Since we know that water is the key to fat metabolism it stands to reason that the overweight person needs more water. Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss—shrinking cells are buoyed by water that plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and resilient.
• Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss the body has a lot more waste to shed. All that metabolized fat must go. Again adequate water helps flush out the waste.
• Water can help relieve constipation. When the bodies get too little water it siphons what it needs from internal sources. The colon is one primary source. Result? Constipation. But, when a person drinks enough water, normal bowel function usually returns.
• Drinking water is essential for weight loss. How much water is enough? On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day. That’s about 2 quarts. However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry. A good way to start is by drinking a glass of water every hour during your working day.