Pure Bottled Water and Your Body

By Jon. M. Stout

The benefits of good health cannot be overemphasized for those who wish to lead a happy lifestyle. While good health does not guarantee happiness it is certainly a key building block for a future of well being, contentment and serenity.
Pure Bottled Water is a good starting point at building a healthy lifestyle.
What are the basics of good health?
Like most events in nature, development and maintenance of good health and a healthy lifestyle are simple in concept but take some work and dedication to achieve.
* Healthy diet
* Exercise
* Minimize stress on a daily basis
Almost all of the common diseases that threaten us today can be avoided to a great degree by eating right, adopting a program of regular exercise, and stress reduction through techniques like meditation.

The Role Of Pure Water as part of a Healthy Diet.
Daily consumption of pure water is essential to a proper diet. Basically, the human body can survive for extended periods without food but can only last for a few days without water. Water is the essential element of your body: water cools the body and is essential for the proper functioning of all the major body processes.

Is Our Drinking Water Pure?
In the whole world only 3% of all the water is drinkable and of that 3%, pollution is taking its toll. Much of the potentially drinkable water is now so polluted that it is undrinkable. Municipalities in the western word attempt to supply drinking water but only do so with contaminants and bacteria that is covered up by significant amounts of chlorine.

Scholars Have Noticed
There have many studies of contaminated water and its effects on the human body. Many scholars recommend the use of purified distilled water as a healthy substitute for contaminated water. Many experts have published opinions on the subject (see: Water Purification: http://mizar5.com/distill/BestPurification.html)
Other experts such as Dr. Andrew Weil (http://www.aquaprix.com/archive/drw_cda.html) explore the benefits of distilled water and explode many of the myths surrounding this form of purified water.

The basic question many scholars as is “Why do people harm their health with adulterated drinking water when pure water is available?”

How Much Pure Water Do You Need?
To stay hydrated, you need to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of pure water (spread out over the day). Therefore, if you weigh 150 pounds, you need at least 75 ounces of pure water a day. Remember, you cannot drink too much pure water-the more the better.

How Do You Know If You Are Hydrated?
Your urine should be almost clear once every 24 hours. Remember: Thirst is not a good guide-by the time you experience thirst, you are already 2-3% dehydrated, which means your energy is depleted by 20-30%.

What Counts Towards Your Pure Water Intake?
The following sources of pure water can count towards your daily quota
Distilled/Oxygenated water is the best choice. Distilled water is purified and It is rated purest and cleanest by National Science Foundation, containing the least parts-per-million contaminants. Some water suppliers add oxygen in a process that enhances the pure water taste.
Spring water is water bottled from a natural spring source. The majority of bottled water is spring water. Be careful of your sources because spring water is subject to the same natural and man made contamination as other unpurified water such as well and tap water.

Tap or Well Water
It is best to avoid tap and well water, because most North American water supplies contain a myriad of toxins including: anti-biotics, hormones, chlorine, heavy metals, and pesticides. Test all well water for contaminants because the water table that supports well water is often polluted. A high quality filtration or distillation system is recommended for all tap/well water.

There are Many Forms and Qualities of Bottled Water
Although bottled water is perceived as a healthier, safer choice over tap water in consumer surveys, that is not necessarily always true. Most tap water is bad for your body but many bottled waters are not purified and therefore not much better than tap water.
Twenty-five percent of all bottled water is actually repackaged tap water The more a consumer knows about the realities of bottled and tap water, the better they can be about selecting water based on purity and taste.

Is Bottled Best?
In a recent Gallop survey, most consumers indicated they drink bottled water based on their perception it is safer and purer than tap water. Taste was the second leading reason, while bottled water's convenience was also a factor.
Bottled water is considered a food, and thus regulated by Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Tap water is regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Both varieties are subject to testing for contaminants, and some bottled and most tap water contains contaminates such as bacteria, arsenic, lead or pesticides. Independent tests by groups such as the National Resources Defense Council have found: Distilled/oxygenated water however, does not contain contaminants.

Other Facts:
-- Sixty to 70 percent of all bottled water in the United States is packaged and sold within the same state, which exempts it from FDA regulation. One in five states does not regulate that bottled water.
-- While most cities meet the standards for tap water, some tap water in 19 U.S. cities tested was found to contain arsenic, lead, and pesticides.
-- In 1,000 bottles of 103 different brands of bottled water, 22 percent contained synthetic chemicals, bacteria and arsenic.

Most healthy adults can tolerate trace amounts of contaminates if exposed, but some people are more vulnerable and should be more aware of their water source. These people include cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, patients who are HIV+ positive or recovering from a transplant or major surgery, and pregnant women, children, and elderly adults.
Bottled water that is purified by a distillation/oxygenation process eliminates even the most minute traces of contaminants. It is best however to buy purified water from a supplier that is approved under FDA regulations.

Why take a chance on your health because of the water you drink?

Article source : http://www.articlecity.com

Basic Reiki

By Robert Morgen

This is a very simplified primer on basic Reiki. It’s intended as a basic lesson to help someone get started channeling the energy and in no way should be considered a Reiki Course in itself.

What is Reiki?
Reiki is a Japanese phrase which means “Universal Energy”. Its history is enshrouded in myth, legend and parable, but the simple fact is, it works. Reiki is simply the process of channeling Universal Energy through oneself and into some one (or something) else. The vast range of uses for Reiki range from healing oneself to opening and balancing the Chakras and even charging objects and food with the energy.

Getting Started
Reiki is safe and simple to use. To get started simply sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Put on the music of your choice and relax. Place your hands over your face with your palms over your eyes. Touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth with the tip of your tongue just behind your front teeth.
As you inhale just open up and feel the energy flow down through the top of your head and down to your heart chakra, then feel it flow out along your arms and out through your hands and into your face. At the simplest level that ALL you have to do. The energy will go wherever it’s needed and do whatever is required of it. You don’t have to send it anywhere in particular or try to control it.

Getting Deeper
Reiki flows through you simply by your ‘intent’. You just have to intend to open up to it and you’ll find it readily available. You may feel many different things while giving yourself a Reiki treatment. Your hands or the part of your body covered by your hands may get hot, cold or tingly. Some people feel it very easily and others take awhile to open up to it. The simplest explanation that I’ve found is to think of what the emotion ‘Love’ feels like, and then just relax and let it flow.
I always advise everyone to study Reiki. Any energy worker, massage therapist, healer, martial artist or metaphysician can greatly benefit from Reiki, and there are many FREE Reiki classes and sources of training available, as many of us try to make it as easily accessible as possible to anyone who wants it. I’ll soon be publishing a comprehensive Reiki course, including the symbols and hand positions, to the web as a PDF file that anyone can download and study, as well as a list of Reiki Master willing to do free attunements.

I hope this simple exercise helps some of you who’ve been interested in Reiki, but just haven’t made the leap into studying it yet.

Article Source: http://www.indoarticles.com

Hot Stone Massages For Your Health

By John Morris

Stone massage is one of those arts of relaxation that has been around for quite some time now. From the word itself, the technique uses special stones (basalt stones) in massaging specific body parts for the purpose of relieving stress. The stones are either cooled or steamed depending on their planned use. For water-heated baSsalt stones, they are applied to specific key points in order to relieve stress and loosen up muscles that were put under extreme stress. The cooled version of this igneous rock is used especially for muscular injury. It has a stimulating effect on the body’s consciousness as it constricts blood vessels. The warm stones relax the nervous system and encourage self-healing. In most circumstances, hot stone massage is performed more frequently than the cooled marble stones for most clients. Reason being warm stones arerelaxing and soothe physical key points that are targets for relaxation.

1. How Is It Performed?
There are several ways by which stone massage masseur’s work on using these lava stones depending on the type of treatment appropriate for the clients and their preference. The following bulleted information provides you a general outline of how the therapy is performed.

• The stones are either heated by steam or cooled in a freezer. Black basalt stones are used for hot treatments while white lava stones are usually used for cold treatments, although they can be used for hot treatments as well.
• The stones are put on a towel and covered to maintain the desired temperature needed for a specific treatment.
• The stones are placed along the body lines, charkas, which are believed as key points in the elimination of stress that tends to build up through various work activities.
• The stones are used along with the therapist’s hands in order to get through the muscle areas that hands cannot normally reach.
• As treatment is carried out in other parts of the body, small heated stones are placed in between the toes and on the eyes and along the length of the spine. Some are placed on the forehead and the stomach as well.
• While employing stones as an adjunct tool in the performance of massage, normal massage therapy is also administered on other parts of the body.

2. What Are The Benefits of Hot Stone Massage?

• Ease up muscular pain (fibromyalgia - rheumatic condition characterized by pain on skeletal muscles
• Relieves back pain
• Helps in the management of Insomnia and other sleep-related illnesses
• Loosen up sprains and strains
• Improves circulation
• Relieves symptoms related to rheumatism and arthritis
• Promote overall well-being through its relaxing effect on the entire human musculature
• Alleviate stress, anxiety and depression
• Hot stone massages together with the use of essential oils restores body and mind balance due to its sedative effect
• Clients who have undergone several stone massage sessions have observed physical rejuvenation and stamina free of pain and localized muscle sores

3. Masseur Considerations:
Experience and Functional Literacy
Massage therapist most of the time are connected in an association that undergoes regular training. These associations provide consultancy, workshops and education to stone massage therapists interested in the latest developments about this treatment.
Appropriate Therapy
Stone massage is of two categories: one employs hot stones and the other frozen, cold stones. Your stone massage practitioner will most likely be asking you questions to determine the type of treatment appropriate for you.
Massage Techniques
You will be your best judge in finding which masseur is able to work best in the kind of therapy employed in your body. Different masseur use different techniques and their mastery on one technique may not prove beneficial to you.
Know what you want
If you are into relaxation after a tiring weekend, a light hot stone massage will be perfect. If you would like to melt away the pain caused by muscle Injuries such as sprains, massage with white, cold basalt stones are great for you.
Survey Medical Condition
Thermotherapy like stone massage (hot and cold) is used for specific relaxation needs which takes into consideration your preexisting physical condition. Individuals suffering from thrombosis, blood clot and other cardiovascular diseases should seek the advice of a health care practitioner in your area to ensure safety before undergoing hot stone massage therapy.

Article Source: http://www.indoarticles.com

The Many Health Benefits Of Coconut Oil

By Dianne Ronnow

Have you heard about coconut oil yet? People are adding coconut oil to their diets and are getting incredible results. They are losing weight, getting more energy, and getting healthier.

Coconut oil is safe to use, and does not turn to fat in your body. It raises the metabolism, so you burn more fat and have more energy. It does not increase your cholesterol, but actually helps lower it. Coconut oil is wonderful diet addition for just about everyone.

Coconut oil is full of healthy benefits. Next to mother’s milk, it is nature’s highest source of medium chain fatty acids (MTC’s), which raise the body’s metabolism, leading to weight loss. It has fatty acids such as lauric acid and monoglycerides, similar to mother’s breast milk.

When lauric acid is consumed in the body, whether through mother’s milk or coconut oil, it enhances the immune system to help the body fight infections, diseases, bad bacteria and yeast invasions. Lauric aid is known to be anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial.

Coconut oil raises the metabolism, which helps people who are trying to lose weight and people suffering from thyroid problems. Coconut stabilizes the blood sugar levels, helping with diabetes. It also protects the heart cells from damage.

Coconut oil helps relieve the symptoms of menopause, and pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). Many women who suffer the effects of PMS have found the symptoms lessened when coconut oil was consumed often in their diet.

Coconut oil does not raise cholesterol. Studies have shown that people who use coconut oil have lower cholesterol than those who do not, even when the people consuming coconut also eat other high cholesterol foods like eggs and meat.

Coconut oil smells good, tastes pleasant and is so good for our bodies that some people consume it straight, by the tablespoon, and use it in place of other oils on their salads. Many people also use it as an ingredient when juicing or making smoothies.

If all this good news isn’t enough, coconut oil one of the best things you can apply directly on your skin and hair. It not only gives temporary relief to skin problems like rashes, but it aids in healing and restoring skin to a younger appearance. It has also been known to help with people who suffer from yeast infections in the skin, and there is solid research that shows the MCTs in coconut oil do overcome yeast infections. Coconut oil also makes an excellent massage oil.

Article Source: http://www.indoarticles.com