Water washes away our worries and purifies the soul. To many ancient cultures, springs and water wells were sacred and represented fertility. The symbolic use of water in Christian baptism (from the Greek baptizein, meaning to dip in water) shows us just one great importance water holds on a spiritual level. Even our modern language "reflects" this importance. We have streams of consciousness and wells of knowledge. Water is a magical creature, ever flowing, ever changing...the essence of life itself.

Now, with water sources becoming scarcer and less pure than ever, it is becoming vitally important to understand and debunk all the myths about what the Greek philosopher Thales called "the first principle of all things."

Simply put, most Americans don't drink enough water, but they do drink more than enough liquids that are actually dehydrating, such as coffee, tea, and alcohol.

Water is involved in every bodily function. It transports nutrients in and out of cells, removes toxins, and is necessary for all digestive absorption, as well as circulatory and excretory functions. It is constantly moving throughout the body and thus must be changed frequently to keep it pure. This water supply must be pure, so as not to add to our body's toxic load, which is already aggravated by environmental pollutants, artificial foods, alcohol, and other poisonous agents.

There is a laundry list of reasons why physical health and water are directly connected. Here are just a few:
• Water is the main source of energy for the body because it transports energy-giving nutrients, provides a cellular environment where they can work, helps oxygenate the blood, and maintains proper muscle tone.
• Water is the main solvent for all foods, vitamins, and minerals.
• Water is the major lubricant in the joint spaces, and helps prevent arthritis and back pain.
• Water helps reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
• Water prevents clogging of the arteries in the heart and brain.
• Water helps us to receive proper sleep.
• The human body has no stored water to draw on during dehydration, so the supply must be kept up. 
• Water increases the body's rate of absorption of essential substances in food.
• Water clears the waste from different parts of the body and takes it to the liver and kidneys for disposal.
• Water hydrates the skin, giving it a vibrant glow.
• Drinking water separates the sensations between thirst and hunger.
• Dehydration causes deposits of toxic sediments in the tissue spaces, joints, kidneys, liver, brain, and skin.  Water clears these deposits.
• Water gives luster and shine to eyes.

Dehydration is a common problem that often goes unnoticed until it is too late. Acute dehydration is a common cause of minor health complaints such as headaches, irritability, muscle cramps, constipation, heartburn, and fatigue, to name a few. Chronic dehydration can result in constipation, weight gain, elevated cholesterol, decreased ability to clear toxins from the body, autoimmune diseases, high blood pressure, neck and back pain, asthma, and allergies, as well as arthritis. The following conditions can also be avoided when the body is well hydrated:

• Wrinkles: Besides exposure to the sun, the main reason the skin wrinkles is that it loses moisture, and the components in our skin that have the ability to keep moisture locked in decrease with age. Misting your skin with water helps moisturize the face and reduce fine lines.
• Repetitive Stress Injuries: Staying well hydrated boosts the circulation of the body, pushing pain-relieving oxygen and nutrients into the areas under strain.
• Jet Lag: Most symptoms of jet lag are really due to water loss. Recycled cabin air is dry and dehydrating. Drink extra water to help prevent jet lag.
• Dry Skin: Water is an internal moisturizer, and helps to heal dry skin from the inside out. 
• Chapped Lips: If your lips are often dry, you probably need more water. Try sipping hot water, which gently dilates your circulatory system so that the moisture can reach the tissues. Fill an insulated drink container with hot water and sip throughout the day. Sipping hot water is also an ayurvedic (ancient Indian form of natural medicine) method of ridding the body of toxins.
• Body Odor: Caused by a diet overloaded with processed foods, from medications, or from environmental toxins that enter the bloodstream and exit via sweat, this unwelcome condition may be eliminated by drinking more water, because water helps push the toxins out of the body. Adding a squeeze of lemon juice is even better, due to its detoxifying properties.

Physical reliance on lots of good, clean water is paramount, and if our physical health is lacking, then emotional and mental health will fall to the wayside as well. More specifically, emotional ailments such as stress and depression are often linked to dehydration. According to F. Batmanghelidj, MD, in his book Your Body's Many Cries for Water , "Pathology that is seen to be associated with social stresses-fear, anxiety, insecurity, persistent emotional and matrimonial problems, and the establishment of depression-are the results of water deficiency to the point that the water requirement of the brain tissue is affected." He also emphasizes that "irritability is a copout process so as not to engage in a brain-energy-consuming involvement beyond that particular moment." Anxiety may also be linked to dehydration. Batmanghelidj defines this condition as "a perceptive way in which the frontal part of the brain reflects its concern over water shortage."

Over 85 percent of our brain is water, and next to oxygen, water is the most important material for the brain to function properly. It is a primary nutrient for all brain functions, including transporting information. Effective hydration helps us to concentrate and to feel brighter, and our brain to perform all of its functions to the best of its ability. A short attention span may also be linked to dehydration, because the brain needs energy and water to focus on a particular subject at hand.

Most tap water comes from surface reservoirs formed from rivers, lakes, streams, or groundwater. Groundwater refers to the subterranean reservoirs that hold much of the earth's water supply, nearly all the rural drinking water, and approximately half of city water supplies. The water from these sources goes through local treatment plants, many of which use an outdated process of settling tanks, filtration through sand and gravel, and then chemicals to clean up the water so that it is fit for human consumption.

Many minerals and chemicals are added to purify the water, including fluoride to prevent tooth decay and chlorine to kill germs; some cities also add calcium hydroxide or other alkaline substances to change the pH (acidity) of the water so it does not corrode pipes. Not only are these additives harmful to our bodies, but they are not always sufficient in clearing many environmental pollutants that contaminate the water supply, such as animal wastes, fertilizers, insecticides, chemicals, industrial waste, and air pollutants such as lead, radon, and nitrates.

So, just what should we drink?

For people living in the country, well water, pumped from surface or underground springs, is the best choice, as long as it is tested and clean. Fortunately for those who rely on municipal water within the Hudson Valley, local spring water is readily available from providers like Leisure Time, which offers home delivery in reusable five-gallon jugs.

There are four common types of water filters: absorbent filters, microfilters, ion-exchange filters, and reverse-osmosis filtration systems. Typically made of charcoal, absorbent filters pick up and hold on to contaminants as water passes over them. Microfilters have tiny holes designed to catch and eliminate contaminants as water passes through them. Ion-exchange filters are fashioned to remove heavy metals such as lead. Reverse-osmosis systems use semi permeable membranes to remove impurities. The pores of these membranes are so minuscule that most water contaminants are trapped. Reverse-osmosis systems are one of the most efficient methods of filtration available.

Here are some guidelines to follow when calculating how much water is right for your body:
• Drink half the number of pounds of your body weight in ounces of pure water throughout the day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces, or roughly 10 eight-ounce glasses.
• Coffee, tea, alcohol, and sugar are drying agents, and push water out of the body. Think about having an extra glass of water for each dehydrating beverage you drink.
• In summer months, during periods of humid weather, or when involved in major physical activity, you need more water than normal. Fifteen or more glasses per day may be necessary.
• Excess environmental heat without water intake results in dehydration. Excess bed covers don't allow the body to regulate its temperature during sleep dehydrate the body.  The easiest way to decipher the water needs of the body, however, is the color of urine. Exclusive of the color of vitamins or color additives in food, urine should be clear to pale yellow. Keep this in mind, and check your urine regularly.

Keep in mind, however, that there is such a thing as too much hydration. Hyponatremia is a condition known as "water intoxication." It is the opposite of dehydration, and is often associated with long-distance events like running and cycling. As you consume large amounts of water over the course of a day, blood plasma (the liquid part of blood) increases, thereby diluting the salt content of the blood. At the same time, your body also loses salt by sweating. Consequently, the amount of electrolytes available to your body tissues decreases over time to a point where that loss interferes with brain, heart, and muscle function. Replacing these electrolytes is essential to the normal electro chemical operation of your nervous system hydration.

• Drink a couple of glasses of water upon waking to correct dehydration caused by sleep.
• Drink water 30 minutes before meals, ideally, in order to prepare the digestive tract.
• Sip water intermittently throughout the day.
• Drink a few glasses of water 2 1/2 hours after a meal to complete the process of digestion and correct dehydration caused by food breakdown.
• Water is crucial before and during exercise, in order to replace sweat.