Why H2O?

Most of us carry bottled water everywhere we go these days. In fact, it has become the second most popular drink (behind soft drinks). But water lovers got a jolt recently when we heard that a new report had found that the benefits of drinking water may have been oversold. Apparently, the old suggestion to drink eight glasses a day was nothing more than a guideline, not based on scientific evidence.

But don't put your water bottle or glass down just yet. While we may not need eight glasses, there are plenty of reasons to drink water. In fact, drinking water (either plain or in the form of other fluids or foods) is essential to your health.

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.

Fluid losses occur continuously, from skin evaporation, breathing, urine, and stool, and these losses must be replaced daily for good health.

When your water intake does not equal your output, you can become dehydrated. Fluid losses are accentuated in warmer climates, during strenuous exercise, in high altitudes, and in older adults, whose sense of thirst may not be as sharp.

Here are six reasons to make sure you're drinking enough water or other fluids every day:

1. Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.

2. Water Can Help Control Calories. For years, dieters have been drinking lots of water as a weight loss strategy. While water doesn't have any magical effect on weight loss, substituting it for higher calorie beverages can certainly help.

3. Water Helps Energize Muscles. Cells that don't maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue. When muscle cells don't have adequate fluids, they don't work as well and performance can suffer.

4. Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good. Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss. But don't expect over-hydration to erase wrinkles or fine lines.

5. Water Helps Your Kidneys. Body fluids transport waste products in and out of cells. The main toxin in the body is blood urea nitrogen, a water-soluble waste that is able to pass through the kidneys to be excreted in the urine. Your kidneys do an amazing job of cleansing and ridding your body of toxins as long as your intake of fluids is adequate.

6. Water Helps Maintain Normal Bowel Function. Adequate hydration keeps things flowing along your gastrointestinal tract and prevents constipation. When you don't get enough fluid, the colon pulls water from stools to maintain hydration -- and the result is constipation.

Be water wise in every way!

The heat is on!  It’s the dog days of summer!  (Dog days generally refer to July and August when it’s too hot to do much but take a nap in the shade.) When it’s hot, it’s important to be conscious of water usage and hydration for both your landscaping and your body.
Slow the Flow, Save H2O is a great website for water tips.  You can learn how to be water wise including the best plants to use for our high desert climate, how to measure your water usage, and great water saving ideas for inside your home.
Hydration for the body is important because the body is mostly comprised of water.  Drinking enough water is important at all times but especially during warm weather to keep your body from overheating.  Signs of dehydration include:
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Flushed skin
• Heat intolerance
• Light headedness
• Dark colored urine
• Dry cough
The best way to beat dehydration is to drink before you get thirsty.  If you wait until after you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated!  There are many websites that give detailed information on how to beat the heat for both adults and children including www.webmd.com and www.familydoctor.org.
Now that your yard and garden are watered properly and you are well hydrated to tend to them, don’t forget to water your spiritual thirst.  As water is essential to sustain physical life, the Savior and His teachings are essential for eternal life.  “Whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst.” John 4:6-15  Living water heals, sustains us and brings us peace and joy.
Be water wise in every way!

Going camping?

Camping and being outdoors offers many opportunities to learn and practice emergency preparedness skills.  Have you ever cooked with a Dutch Oven or a Solar Oven or used other outdoor cooking options?  Would you like to learn how to use them?  What about how to filter drinking water?  Emergency Essentials will be holding demos and trainings at their stores every Saturday through July.  There are also fabulous tips on their blog.