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WATER |
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| On a hot day, do you remember playing by a stream? Sitting on the rocks dangling your feet in the water, or building a dam with the stones? Maybe there were little boats? The rippling sounds of the water and the cool overhanging branches made it a good place to be on a mid-summer day. The child in our hearts never seems to grow up! Skimming stones, moats round sandcastles, waves, rock-pools, sailing boats, paddling, swimming, or fountains, waterfalls, lakes. What do children like? Paddling pools, splashing in a bowl of water, filling containers and pouring it out again, fights with water pistols, bathtime. Water plays a big part in our fun. What memories can you recall in your lifetime? |
There is actually a reason for this. Where there is moving water there are also negative ions in the air and these increase our sense of well being. We know this because in our lungs we have small hair-like cilia and when these are happy they are constantly moving and waving, but if we are in a stuffy atmosphere of positive ions they become lethargic. Near moving water there is an abundance of negative ions and this revives the body and lifts our mood. So, going to the sea or a lake is a good plan for a refreshing break.
WATER is an excellent remedy. It quenches thirst, it revives, it relaxes, it stimulates.
A CRYING BABY? Try running a shallow bath and lie in it with baby lying on your stomach. It will not be long before small hands feel the water and begin to explore. Gradually, with gentle stroking, the fretfulness will subside and as soon as you see sleepiness coming, get out, give baby a drink of water to replace all the water lost through crying and sweat and then little one put down to sleep. You will feel more relaxed too!
JADED? Try sipping a large glass of water with just the chill off. 'When you are wilting be like the flowers and drink.' Why water with just the chill off? It is harder to persuade the body to continue drinking cold water and on an average you will only be able to have a few mouthfuls and then throw the rest away. Water at body temperature allows you to drink more.
NOT COMFORTABLE IN BED? Do you find problems in getting off to sleep at night? Or maybe your feet always feel cold when you go to bed? Try washing your feet with soap in a bowl of hot water and then dry quickly just before getting into bed. Comfortable feet feel good. |
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How old is our water, and what is it? Our water is about six thousand years old. It comes down in the rain and forms streams and rivers. These go out to the sea and then the water is evaporated back into the clouds. This 'water cycle' goes on day by day. All the fresh water we use comes from rain. We need rain. The large oceans are all salt water, which is little use to us. Any other fresh water is frozen in glaciers and icecaps.
Water is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen - H2O. Its different forms, liquid, steam and ice, are each useful to us in different ways. The liquid form is well known to us for cooking, washing, watering the garden and drinking. Steam is good to breathe when you have a tight chest or croup, and ice can relieve inflamed swellings and bumps after a fall. |
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Much of our body is made up of water. Muscle tissue is 50% -70% water and half the water in the body is found in the muscles. But we lose water when we urinate or empty our bowels and about 2 cups are lost through our sweat glands each day, even though we do not feel it. You are actually 'sweating' as you read this. Another significant amount is lost when we breathe. On a frosty morning or on a mirror, we can see the vapour of our breath. All this water needs replacing every day, which is why we need to drink regularly through the day.
Thirst is not a good guide to how much we need; a drinking pattern is more beneficial. Our body recycles much of what it has but we need 10 glasses of new water each day. Much of the food we have is made up of water, and replaces about three cups, and our bodies actually produce a little, but we need a further six to eight glasses, or more. Sipping up to three pints a day between meals will keep everything functioning and topped up.
What happens if you do not drink enough? The blood becomes thick and dirty. The kidneys try to clean it, but it is like doing a load of dirty dishes in a little bowl of water. It does not work! |
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