Water and Depression, Stress and Anxiety

Stress, depression and anxiety are three very different conditions. However, many people experience a combination of these three. Sometimes the stress can lead to the other two, for example. There are many things that can be done to heal these emotionally tolling conditions, including removing stressors from our lives, taking medications, resting, exercising, meditation, yoga and more. However, did you know that water can also help? The three of these disorders are mood disorders, perhaps stemming from the brain. Studies link depression to dehydration because 85% of brain tissue is water. Dehydration causes energy generation in the brain to decrease. So, lack of water can be the culprit in any of these disorders really. However, like in many other medical areas, contaminated water can also cause health problems. It is a known that lead in water can cause damage to nervous systems, with depression being one of the most common results of lead-filled water. A reverse osmosis filter is one the best ways to ensure that you are drinking safe water. Now, let's move on to more ways water can help us. There are several types of anxiety disorders, the most common being general anxiety disorder (GAD). Beverages with caffeine can increase anxiety. Replacing soda, tea and coffee with water is a good place to start. It is important to limit the consumption of caffeine, sugary drinks and alcohol. All of these liquids cause dehydration because it takes the body even more water to remove it from your body. Depending on the drink it can take your body up to 3 times the amount of water to process that drink. For example if you drink 12oz of beer it will take your body 36 ounces of water to flush out that beer. If you don’t give your body the amount of water it needs it will take it from your bones, muscles, and most importantly your brain. Some studies show that water is a great “anxiety quencher”. When the body is dehydrated, in can actually induce anxiety and nervousness. When we are dehydrated our cells feel it at the molecular level and communicate this to the subconscious as an underline subtle anxiety or threat to survival. The key to rebalance this deficit of fluids is to drink eight glasses of fresh water a day. Water alone may not cure GAD and other related disorders, but it can sure calm those nerves! As a side note, there are many herbal supplements, such as PureCalm, that can be added to water to calm nerves as well. Depression is another mood disorder that can cause someone to feel sad, helpless and hopeless for an extended period of time. The body’s ability to detoxify is impaired when dehydrated which will also cause a shortage in tryptophan. Studies have shown that lower levels of these amino acids can contribute to the feelings of dejection and inadequacy, as well as feelings of anxiety. There are many different levels and types of depression, and the length of time it lasts also varies greatly on the person. Treatment for depression is usually through medication aptly called antidepressants. Sometimes these pills can cause dehydration, which means they need to be taken with plenty of water. Eating healthy and exercising, like with most medical conditions, is a great way to feel and be healthy. Exercise is a natural stimulant to many hormones, serotonin being one of them. As little as 15-20 minutes every day will naturally release these feel-good hormones that are vital to feeling happy and calm. Along with this would mean cutting out alcohol and caffeine, which can not only dehydrate, but also have adverse effects on the medication. And speaking of the drugs, one major side effect of some of the popular antidepressants is constipation. Being hydrated is crucial to comfort with this. Some Home Remedies Aside from drinking water there are several home remedies that you can try to help with anxiety, depression or stress. Start by eating wisely, this means eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and watching your caffeine intake. Several foods such as almonds, avocados, bananas, lima beans, vitamin B rich foods, and omega-3 fats can help trigger the production of serotonin. Quality sleep is much more important than quantity sleep. Lastly, hydrotherapy is a calming remedy for stress and anxiety. Taking a warm bath with an herbal supplement can do wonders for the body and soul. Sounds like a cliché, but the hot water will literally ease muscle tension. The soothing herbs and the quiet spell can just allow the mind to escape. If you need a lift, don’t forget about the simple power of just spending time with your family members and friends. Wise Water International believes water can help with depression, stress and anxiety. Please visit www.wisewaterint.com to learn more.

How Much Water Should a Dog Drink a Day?

Many dog owners leave out water for their dogs all the time with the thought that they’ll drink as much, or as little, as they need. But how much water does a dog need? Monitoring your dog’s water intake can improve their health, prevent illness and insure proper hydration. While some dogs naturally do this on their own, some either under-drink or over-drink. Too little water can lead to dehydration in dogs, kidney stones, organ failure and even death. Drinking too much water can lead to stomach bloat, electrolyte imbalances, and Hyponatremia (water toxicity).
Also, keep in mind that if your dog is under-drinking or over-drinking, it could be a sign of an underlying illness. Under-drinking can indicate Parvo, Leptospirosis, or Pancreatitis. Over-drinking can signify a bladder infection, another type of infection, or diabetes. Have your vet check your dog if he’s doing either.

Optimal Drinking

How much water a day should a dog drink? How much and how carefully you have to monitor him depends on several factors:

• Size: On the average, a healthy dog drinks about 1/2 to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day.
• Food: A healthy diet is as important as water and the type of food your dog eats affects his water intake. Dogs that eat only dry food will need a little more water than those that eat canned. Also, avoid ingredients that can artificially increase your dog’s thirst such as sodium.
• Age: Puppies need about a 1/2 cup every two hours and need to be closely monitored. Senior dogs tend to naturally monitor themselves.
• Exercise: Bring water along on any exercise excursion with your dog. The bottles that have the drop down cup work well. After exercise, give your dog ice cubes to start and then just a little water at a time to prevent bloat.
• Weather: Summer means more panting which means an increase in water intake.
• Medications: Check with your vet to see if you need to decrease or increase your dog’s water intake while taking a medication.

Checking for Dehydration in Dogs and Overhydration in Dogs

To look for dehydration in dogs, grab a piece of skin at the back of your dog’s neck. Stretch it out, then let it go. A properly hydrated dog’s skin will snap quickly back into place, while the skin of a dehydrated dog will return slowly and form a “tent” in the process. You can also check your dog’s gums for dehydration – wet, slippery gums are healthy. Dull, sticky gums suggest dehydration.
Dogs who overhydrate will often vomit, act confused or become lethargic.

Insuring Proper Hydration

Knowing the amount of water your pet should drink helps you determine if your dog is an under-drinker or an over-drinker. There are a few ways to manage these pooches:

Under-Drinkers

• Behavior Modification: Whenever your dog goes to get a drink, praise him and give him a treat.
• Strategic Placement: Keep water near his bed, near his food and anywhere he normally plants himself.
• Up the Flavor: There are flavor packets such as chicken, bacon and beef that you can add to your dog’s water to make it more tempting.
• Break Out the Broth: If your dog is refusing to drink water, offer him some chicken or beef broth. Gradually add plain water into the mixture.

Over-Drinkers

• Let Them Lick: “Lick” bottles, like the ones used for horses, can limit how much water your dog takes in. Also, you can monitor the amount they are drinking easily.
• Free Refills: You can still leave water out in a bowl for your dog but you need to ration it during the day. This means several refills so someone needs to be home to oblige.
• Automate It: The problem with most automatic water dispensers is they fill up whenever the water gets low so you can’t control the amount. One option is to use an automatic feeder instead, the kind that opens separate compartments at specified times.
• What’s Up Doc: For nighttime control, try using a rabbit water feeder in your dog’s crate.

Clean Water For All

To help insure that the water supply for both humans and canines is protected, you can do one simple action – clean up after your dog. And by providing a healthy diet and the right amount of clean water to your pooch, you can prevent illness and promote health. For as Mark Twain says, “Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody.”


Wise Water International (distributors of Eagle Water Treatment Systems) believe in keeping our pets hydrated as well as ourselves. Please visit www.wisewaterint.com for ways to hydrate your pets with clean healthy drinking water.

What percent Earth is water??

The Earth is often compared to a majestic blue marble, especially by those privileged few who have gazed upon it from orbit. This is due to the prevalence of water on the planet’s surface. While water itself is not blue, water gives off blue light upon reflection.


For those of us confined to living on the surface, the fact that our world is mostly covered in water is a well known fact. But how much of our planet is made up of water, exactly? Like most facts pertaining to our world, the answer is a little more complicated than you might think, and takes into account a number of different qualifications.



In simplest terms, water makes up about 71% of the Earth’s surface, while the other 29% consists of continents and islands.


To break the numbers down, 96.5% of all the Earth’s water is contained within the oceans as salt water, while the remaining 3.5% is freshwater lakes and frozen water locked up in glaciers and the polar ice caps. Of that fresh water, almost all of it takes the form of ice: 69% of it, to be exact. If you could melt all that ice, and the Earth’s surface was perfectly smooth, the sea levels would rise to an altitude of 2.7 km.


Aside from the water that exists in ice form, there is also the staggering amount of water that exists beneath the Earth’s surface. If you were to gather all the Earth’s fresh water together as a single mass (as shown in the image above) it is estimated that it would measure some 1,386 million cubic kilometers (km³) in volume.

Meanwhile, the amount of water that exists as groundwater, rivers, lakes, and streams would constitute just over 10.6 million km³, which works out to a little over 0.7%. Seen in this context, the limited and precious nature of freshwater becomes truly clear.


But how much of Earth is water — how much water contributes to the actual mass of the planet? This includes not just the surface of the Earth, but inside as well. Scientists calculate that the total mass of the oceans on Earth is 1.35 x 10¹⁸ metric tonnes, which is 1/4400 the total mass of the Earth. In other words, while the oceans cover 71% of the Earth’s surface, they only account for 0.02% of our planet’s total mass.


The origin of water on the Earth’s surface, as well as the fact that it has more water than any other rocky planet in the Solar System, are two of long-standing mysteries concerning our planet.
Not that long ago, it was believed that our planet formed dry some 4.6 billion years ago, with high-energy impacts creating a molten surface on the infant Earth. According to this theory, water was brought to the world’s oceans thanks to icy comets, trans-Neptunian objects or water-rich meteoroids (protoplanets) from the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt colliding with the Earth.


However, more recent research conducted by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, has pushed the date of these origins back further. According to this new study, the world’s oceans also date back 4.6 billion years, when all the worlds of the inner Solar System were still forming.


This conclusion was reached by examining meteorites thought to have formed at different times in the history of the Solar System. Carbonaceous chondrite, the oldest meteorites that have been dated to the very earliest days of the Solar System, were found to have the same chemistry as those originating from protoplanets like Vesta. This includes a significance presence of water.


These meteorites are dated to the same epoch in which water was believed to have formed on Earth – some 11 million years after the formation of the Solar System. In short, it now appears that meteorites were depositing water on Earth in its earliest days.


While not ruling out the possibility that some of the water that covers 71 percent of Earth today may have arrived later, these findings suggest that there was enough already here for life to have begun earlier than thought.


On ways to treat the Earth's water please visit www.wisewaterint.com.

New Water Bottle Ban in City Parks and Facilities

In December of 2008, City Council approved a water bottle ban to take effect in January of 2012. The ban, which affects most of Toronto's parks and park facilities, prohibits the sale and distribution of water bottles in all Civic Centres, City facilities and parks.
The ban provides exceptions for public health and safety related situations, previous lease agreements and ALL authorized special events in City facilities and parks. Water bottles may still be sold or distributed at these locations:
List of exempted parks and facilities (PDF)
The water bottle ban will support the City's broader waste diversion goals, reduce litter in our parks and lower waste disposal costs for the City.
We recommend that permit holders for our sports fields and facilities do the following when using park locations included in the ban:

• Inform participants of their sports programs to bring their own refillable water bottles to the park
• Encourage coaches to support players by providing water jugs to refill their bottles
• Notify coaches and program participants that water bottles can also be filled at water fountains, where available.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Q: If water bottles are recyclable, why are they being banned?
 A: While water bottles are recyclable, they still require a significant amount of energy to manufacture, transport and eventually recycle. The reuse of durable water bottles is preferable in energy usage to recycling. This is critical for the City of Toronto, which is currently taking aggressive action to reduce its carbon footprint as outlined in the Climate Change, Clean Air and Sustainable Energy Action Plan.
Q: How does the use of water bottles specifically impact Parks?
A: The 2008 Parks Waste Audit indicated that recyclables compose approximately 14% of the litter stream, making the disposal of waste difficult and potentially costly. Plastic materials comprised the largest amount of recyclables at roughly 7%. The reduction of plastic bottles in our parks would reduce contamination of the litter stream and reduce the cost of dealing with contaminated loads that are not accepted at transfer stations.
Q: Why are some parks and park facilities exempt from the ban?
A: Parks, Forestry & Recreation was asked by City Council to identify specific sites that require an exemption from the ban. The final list of exempted parks and park facilities was based on the following criteria for exemption:

1. Location does not have potable water

2. Location does not have functioning water fountains

3. Location does not have sufficient water fountains or taps for the number of users

4. Location has existing leases or agreements with vendors who sell bottled water.

Q: Are other municipalities also implementing water bottle bans?
 A: Numerous municipalities across Canada already have water bottle bans or restrictions in place in facilities and/or parks, including: Ajax, Burlington, Cornwall, London, Newmarket, Niagara Falls, Oakville, Oshawa, Peterborough, St. Catherines, Windsor, Waterloo, Nelson, Victoria, Vancouver, etc.

Wise Water International supports the ban of bottled water. Lets do our part to help the environment. For ways to help please visit www.wisewaterint.com.

Bad Mood, Low Energy? There Might Be a Simple Explanation....

Feeling cranky, fatigued and unable to focus? You might just need a drink of water, according to new research.
The small study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, tested mood, concentration and mental skills in 25 women who either were given enough fluids to remain optimally hydrated or were induced into a mildly dehydrated state. Dehydration was achieved through either exercise alone or by using both exercise and a diuretic drug that increased urination.
The women’s mood and cognitive abilities were tested during exercise and at rest under the different hydration conditions. On most mental tests, the women’s state of hydration didn’t affect performance, but being dehydrated did cause headache symptoms, loss of focus, a sense of fatigue and low mood both at rest and during exercise. The dehydration induced in the study was not severe: it was around 1% lower than optimal.
Although men weren’t included in the research, the results likely apply to them as well. So if you’re feeling a bit snarky or blah, it might make sense to hit the watercooler or have another type of refreshing drink — especially after a workout. Keep in mind that plain water or other nonalcoholic and caffeine-free drinks are best for fighting dehydration.
To check your own hydration state, peek at the color of your urine: if it’s darker rather than nearly clear, you need more water.
While the old maxim about drinking eight glasses of water a day has been widely debunked as myth, this and other research suggests that maintaining good hydration (if not quite that much!) is healthy.


Wise Water International believes drinking more water will boost your mood and your energy.
To learn more please call 1-866-427-7757 or visit www.wisewaterint.com.

What do we use water for?

We use large amounts of water each day, as water serves many different purposes. We use water to drink, to do the dishes, to take a shower, to flush the toilet, to cook diner and for many other purposes.
But water is not only used for domestic purposes, humans also use water in the industries and in agriculture. In agriculture water is mainly used to water crops, but in the industries it serves many different purposes. It can serve as an ingredient of a product we produce, but it can also be a part of the whole production process. Water can be used to cool substances in the production process, for transportation and conditioning of raw materials, for boiling or cooking, for flushing, as a cleaning agent and for product transport by shipping.

How much water does a person use each day?

Americans use an average of 168 litres a person each day. For Dutch people this is about 135 litres. This water is used for different purposes.


In this pie chart you can see, which purposes domestic water serves:

 

If we take into account the water that is used by industries, businesses and institutions an American uses an average of 650 gallons each day.

How long can water be stored?

If stored properly, water in 3-litre and 5-litre containers can be stored for approximately two years. Smaller containers of 1 litre up to 2.5 litres of water are made with a thinner grade of plastic and can be stored for approximately six months. They cannot be stored as long, because they are very susceptive to penetrating odours.

How should water be stored?

One should pay special attention to how water is stored. Water should be stored in a cool, dark and dry place and it should be stored away from cleaning supplies and other chemicals. Water can pick up odours from other substances that we cannot detect in the air, so one should always pay attention to the properties of other substances that are stored with the water.

Why does tap water often smell like chlorine?

Drinking water has to be protected from microrganisms and contaminants that can enter the water through the pipelines that transport it to households. This happens by means of disinfection with various disinfection agents, chlorine being the most widely used one. Chlorine is a very effective disinfectant, which is used to kill any harmful bacteria that might be present in the water source. The amount of chlorine that is used is based on the amount of water that is treated, the amount of contaminants that must be controlled and the time it takes for the water to reach the first house. Chlorine levels are usually low, but in some rural areas there are more dangers to drinking water and the levels of chlorine that are used are a bit higher. People can than smell it when they tap water.
When one's tap water smells like chlorine it does not mean a danger to the people that drink it. Chlorine levels used in drinking water are not high enough to form a serious threat to anyone's health.
If the water has a chlorine smell, it may actually indicate that not enough chlorine is being added to the system. By increasing the amount of chlorine used at the treatment plant, different forms of chlorine are created in the water, which diminish chlorine odours.

Have purified water on hand at all times with an Eagle Water Reverse Osmosis System. No need to store bottled water. To learn more about the Eagle Water Reverse Osmosis System please call 1-866-427-7757 or visit www.wisewaterint.com.

Dehydration Can Cause Chronic Pain

Thirst is a late indicator for the onset of dehydration. Being chronically dehydrated changes your physiology and creates unhealthy complications that are often mistakenly labeled as diseases.
Prevention is simple and many of the signs and symptoms can be reversed simply by regularly drinking enough pure water to remain adequately hydrated.
Do you experience chronic pain?... In your joints, muscles, stomach, gut, or back; or perhaps you have frequent headaches or chronic constipation? Your body may use chronic pain to warn you that you have become chronically dehydrated.


There are about a hundred trillion cells in the human body and, when the body lacks sufficient water, cells begin to dry up and wrinkle, causing their inner processes to malfunction.
The human body is approximately 75% water and 25% solid matter. The brain is about 85% water and is extremely sensitive to any depletion of its water content. It's estimated that about 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
This is an especially serious concern among the elderly because, as we age, our thirst perception diminishes. More than one-third of people have a weak enough thirst urge that they misread it as hunger! Thirst is a poor way of monitoring your water needs because a dry mouth sensation means your body has already become dehydrated.

Signs and symptoms can include:

• increasing thirst
• dry mouth
• weakness or fatigue
• lightheadedness (especially if worse on standing)
• darkening of the urine
• a decrease in urination frequency or amount

Tea, coffee, juice, alcohol, and sodas cannot be substituted for water. Fluids that contain caffeine and alcohol have a diuretic effect and cause the kidneys to flush some of the body's water reserves.

Some Health Issues That Often Get Labeled As Disease
May Actually Be a Crisis Complication of Dehydration.

1. Allergies occur when antibody production is suppressed during dehydration, and the decreased antibody supply is inadequate to deal with foreign agents such as pollen.
   Histamine activity is increased as an emergency measure for the secretion of fluids onto the membranes covering the eyes and nasal passages. This 'water rinse' is the only way to get rid of the pollen that is not neutralized because of the suppressed antibody production.


2. Asthma is often a crisis response to the condition of being chronicly dehydrated. Histamine is an important neurotransmitter that regulates the thirst mechanism and establishes a system of water rationing in a dehydrated body.
   When the body isn't sufficiently hydrated, histamine production increases and is released into the lungs, causing the bronchioles attached to the air sacs to constrict in an effort to conserve water that normally evaporates during breathing. Histamine also stimulates the production of thick mucus that partially plugs the bronchioles as a protective mechanism to keep them from drying up from exposure to the outside air.
   Replenishing the body's water supply causes the histamine to disappear from these areas, thereby relieving the 'asthmatic' symptoms. Dr. Batmanghelidj also recommends using salt as a vital part of treatment. He states that salt breaks up mucus, rendering it watery and stringy and able to be expulsed as sputum when water is plentiful.


3. Arthritis means 'joint inflammation'. All joint surfaces are padded with cartilage, a tissue containing a large amount of water. Cartilage separates the bony surfaces of the joint, allowing the opposing surfaces to glide smoothly.
   When cartilage starts to dry out, gliding produces greater friction and shearing stress. The cartilage becomes damaged and sets up a process of inflammation that leads to pain and stiffness.


4. High Blood Pressure - 'Essential hypertension' is often the result of gradually established dehydration. The less water there is in the body, the more (blood) pressure is needed to hydrate vital cells.


5. Cholesterol - Elevated cholesterol is often a direct result of chronic dehydration. When the inner environment of cells start to dry out, the cell membranes have to be sealed off to prevent further seepage of water. This defense mechanism causes the liver to produce more cholesterol, a waxy substance that helps to 'waterproof' the cell membrane.


6. Chronic Pain may be an indication of localized thirst - a warning of dehydration in a specific area. This may manifest as a migraine headache, joint pain, back pain, or several other pain indicators.


7. Constipation - The small intestines liquefy solid foods so that nutrients can be taken up into the bloodstream and delivered to the liver for processing. Once the nutrients are extracted, the colon (large intestine) and the end of the small intestine reabsorb most of the water for use in other parts of the body.
   When the body is low on water, the motility of the lower intestines slows down to allow more time for reabsorption of water from the fecal contents. This water-preservation method results in chronic constipation, which can predispose a person to cancer of the colon and rectum.


8. Depression often results from insufficient levels of the neurotransmitter, serotonin. Tryptophan, an essential amino acid, must be able to reach the brain in order to be converted to serotonin.
   Dehydration can interfere with the transport of tryptophan across the blood-brain barrier. Also, when there is not enough water to adequately detoxify the body, the liver uses more tryptophan as an antioxidant, causing a shortage for the production of serotonin.


9. Insomnia - Melatonin is a tryptophan by-product that aids in regulating the sleep cycle. Therefore, when tryptophan is deficient because of the complications of being dehydrated, it can result in insomnia.


10. Gout is a condition where uric acid crystals collect in some joints, causing pain. Uric acid is a product of incomplete protein metabolism and appears to be associated with the advanced complications of dehydration.


Some of the many other health issues that can be a complication of chronic dehydration are:
• Diabetes
• Autoimmune dysfunctions
• Headaches
• Heartburn and Dyspepsia
• Hiatal hernia
• Osteoporosis
• Kidney stones
• Lower back pain
• Hot flashes

Wise Water International beats the pain by staying hydrated. If you would like to know how to hydrate yourself better please call 1-866-427-7757 or visit www.wisewaterint.com.