More Than Just H2O

All water is not equal. In fact, water is vastly differential from one source to another. I’m not just talking about comparing salt water to fresh water, or tap water to purified water. But perhaps the most fascinating thing about water is its structure. All water is the same in its molecular form, composed of two hydrogen atoms, and one oxygen atom. It is here where conventional water perspectives end, yet these are far from the complete picture.

All water has a structure that is unique to the circumstances and environment from whence it came or which it is exposed to. Here’s another amazing attribute: water has a memory. Everything that water comes into contact with and every place where it has been is recorded and preserved within this memory. I could expand on this and go into much greater detail, as there is so much to say, but for the sake of space and relevancy, I shall keep these points brief. (To get an amazing in-depth look and explanation about water, check out the documentary titled, “Water – The Great Mystery” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5wN0qGu1gI).

I believe that water has been greatly undermined and misunderstood, especially with regards to its role in our health and vitality. Even in the nutrition industry do I see this disregard for the importance of consuming pure, natural, unadulterated, structured water. Focus tends to be on which foods to consume, what exercises to do, or which supplements to take, but it is WATER that comprises our life force. For we can live weeks without food, but mere days without water. Our earth is made up of 70% water, while our bodies range anywhere from 55-80% water. When we drink a glass of water, within minutes, that water is assimilated into our bloodstream. Now, I don’t know about you, but if this water is literally composing my life blood, I’m going to find and drink the best water available. So what is the best water available you ask? Well, I’d like to build up to that by first discussing some of the less-than-ideal waters that are commonly consumed in this day and age.

Municipal Tap Water: Can’t get much further to the bottom of the barrel than this. Tap water is essentially dead water. It is contaminated with faeces, urine, pharmaceuticals, pollutants, chemicals, and heavy metals. It is heat-treated, filtered, chlorinated, fluoridated, and sent through corroding pipes with un-natural 90 degree angles (for natural water never flows like this). Filtering can remove many of the harmful particles and bacteria, yet the memory of water retains all of those disgusting substances it has been exposed to. Chlorine is a toxic disinfectant that not only kills bacteria, but kills us too. It has been associated with contributing to a number of different cancers, including colon and bladder. Fluoride is equally as harmful, having a detrimental effect on both the brain and the skeletal system. In fact, the idea of adding fluorine to our water supply was perpetuated during World War II in Germany, when chemists utilized sodium fluoride with the means of “medicating” the water to make prisoners “stupid and docile” (http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=14949). So, with all that being said, do yourself a favour and stop consuming tap water.

Filtered Water: There are a number of different types of water filtration systems, ranging from fairly useless to quite beneficial. However, most of these filtered waters are at least a step up from tap water. Common water filters such as Brita or built-in refrigerator filters remove much of the chlorine and various metals such as copper, lead, and mercury. However, they cannot remove everything, most notably, the memory of this water, and they do not restructure this water back to its natural crystalline formation. Reverse osmosis water filtration systems are fairly common as well, and do a better job of removing impurities in the water than cheaper filters. Again, the water is still unstructured and lifeless, which is not the water we want to flow through us.

Bottled water: As harmful as plastic bottled water is to the environment, it is equally harmful to your health. Water is a solvent, the universal solvent, meaning it is capable of dissolving whatever it comes into contact with. In the case of plastic water bottles, a VERY soluble material, water will, over time, leech this plastic into the water. Essentially, the water turns into a “plastic tea”. Is plastic really that harmful to us? Most definitely! We were not designed to consume plastic. Besides the various chemical components of plastic, one particularly dangerous chemical common in most plastics, bisphenol A or BPA, mimics the female estrogen hormone when it enters our bodies. This estrogen contributes to low sperm count in males, early onset of puberty, breast cancer, and diabetes. Even in the trace amounts we absorb from a bottle of water, the cumulative effects of consuming this type of water day after day is downright toxic. Once these plastics are in your system, it is extremely hard to eliminate them. My advice, steer clear of plastic bottled water. And don’t be fooled by the marketing gimmickry of exotic-sounding waters like Fiji Artesian Well Water or Glacial Spring Water from Whistler. Though they may come from a quality source, after sitting in plastic for months, the water is lifeless and toxic.

Spring water: The cream of the crop: natural spring water. And no, this is not the “spring water” sold in stores in plastic bottles or jugs. I’m referring to water coming directly from a natural spring, deep from within the Earth’s aquifers, fresh, energized, structured, ancient, untainted, unpolluted, uncorrupted water. This is the water we were meant to consume. This is the water you want to flow through your veins. I’ve learned some fascinating things recently about spring water, especially from water/nutrition extraordinaire Daniel Vitalis. I highly recommend you check some of his lectures and articles out on YouTube or from his website (http://www.danielvitalis.com/). Spring water is ancient water, coming from deep within the earth’s aquifers. Pollution has not tainted it, which is reason enough to value this water so highly. So how do we get our hands on this stuff? Well, it’s a lot easier than you might think. Living in Ontario, there are an abundance of natural springs bursting forth all over the province. Take a hike in a forest and you just might come across one! If, however, you’re not feeling so optimistic, there is a great online resource listing the locations of hundreds of natural springs all throughout North America at http://www.findaspring.com/. Big ups to the people responsible for creating that site. Ideally, you’re going to want to store your water in glass vessels, kept as cold as possible and away from light sources. The best things in life are free, and spring water is definitely one of those things. Hands down, it’s one of the most beneficial and effective things you can do for your health and vitality. So my recommendation for all is to go and find a spring! Take advantage of this amazing, sacred, healing substance.