The Shadowy Waters - William Butler Yeats

If you will give me all your mind awhile


All, all, the very bottom of the bowl


I'll show you that I am made differently

That nothing can amend it but these waters

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There are many things in life that are considered to be vital to our everyday existence and one of those is water.

“What does water really mean to us and why is it so important for our health?” I hear you ask.

Two very good questions - let’s start with the first question:

What does water really mean to us? Well if you think about it at a basic social level, water is essential to our survival. This we all know from lessons at school. We drink water, it’s contained in our fresh foods, we bathe in it, wash clothes, cars, water plants and crops with it, animals that we breed for consumption drink it too. We also play in it and take part in sports in and on the water such as swimming, kayaking, sailing, deep sea diving, fishing, etc. Our entire planet is covered with squillions of litres of water. Water is around us all the time, so what does it mean to us?

Water, and the access to water, means different things to different people. For farmers, it is essential that they have access to fresh water for either their livestock or their crops and this in turn is important to all of us as the end customer. For various industries it can be essential to their manufacturing processes. For restaurants and other eateries, it is used for cooking, cleaning and serving. For the medical profession it is used for cleaning and sterilising. I could go on - there is a multitude of areas of life that rely on water to be available for our own benefit. 

As for the second question - Why is it so important for our health? This is very simply because without water our bodies would dehydrate and not work efficiently. I know you’ve heard it all before - “you must drink at least 8 glasses of water a day”. It sounds repetitive, but right. Other times I have heard that you should drink 30ml for each kilogram that you weigh. As another side to that, if you drink too much water you can then flush out too many salts and minerals that your body requires and that can make you feel lethargic and sluggish. 

Drinking a good amount of water, daily, helps keep your brain functioning more efficiently because your blood is less thick, therefore flows more easily. This in turn stops your blood pressure from rising. Drinking water daily, helps to flush out the toxins that build up in your lymphatic system, blood vessels, liver, kidneys and just about everywhere through your systems. Drinking water daily, also helps people with Diabetes Mellitis, especially Type 2 from feeling hypoglyaecemic. 

According to Kaiser Permanente nephrologist Steven Guest, MD, agrees: "Fluid losses occur continuously, from skin evaporation, breathing, urine, and stool, and these losses must be replaced daily for good health.” (Kathleen M Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, “6 Reasons to Drink Water”, WebMD Feature)

1. Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids.
2. Water Helps Control Calories
3. Water Helps Energise Muscles
4. Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good
5. Water Helps Your Kidneys
6. Water Helps Maintain Normal Bowel Function

Some people believe that drinking soft drink and juice (either fresh or reconstituted) and even sparkling mineral water is the same as drinking just plain water, and to a certain degree it is, but you also have to be aware of the additional sugar, sugar-substitute and sodium (salt) that is involved in both juice (natural sugar) and soft drinks and mineral water.

What would you rather drink sugar and chemicals or fresh-filtered water?

"Think of water as a nutrient your body needs that is present in liquids, plain water, and foods. All of these are essential daily to replace the large amounts of water lost each day," says Joan Koelemay, RD, dietitian for the Beverage Institute, an industry group. (Kathleen M Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, “6 Reasons to Drink Water”, WebMD Feature)

So all-in-all make sure you drink at least 2 - 3 litres of fresh water daily.