The essence of Life and the oldest health and beauty secret in the world

What do all the following have in common?

Sports, filtration plants, hydro-electricity, bathing, salt, streams, glaciers, beer, ice, fishing, boating, rinks, steam rooms, pools, rain, puddles, lakes and oceans, irrigation, mud, etc. etc.

Water

Just as we need to be able to breathe to survive; we need water!  This elixir of good health is our body’s most important nutrient.  We could live for weeks without food but only four or five days without water.  Water is involved in every bodily process, carrying nutrients, flushing out waste, and keeping body temperature on an even keel.  Drinking the right amount of water is also essential for healthy-looking skin, as it prevents it from drying out.  And best of all, water doesn’t have a single calorie!

Whether it bubbles up from the earth, trickles down a mountainside, or gushes from a tap, water is preventative medicine, the major treatment for colds and sore throats, and an analgesic.  Internally and externally, hot and cold – even icy; water is healthy stuff.

Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon is renowned for his purported pursuit of the fountain of youth which many thought a magical water source supposedly capable of reversing the aging process and curing sickness.  Tales of sacred, restorative waters existed well before his birth however. Personally, I am not particularly looking for the fountain of youth but rather the secret of turning water into wine!

Relax in the calm blue Caribbean without ever leaving home.  The sea offers health and beauty benefits:  Saltwater causes the lymph glands to excrete toxins, cleansing the skin, and seaweed is a natural defoliant, smoothing away any roughness.

To simulate this in your bath, combine 1/4 cup each sea salt, dried seaweed (available in Asian markets), Epsom salts and baking soda, and pour into a clean dry container.  Makes enough for four baths.  Simply pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into the tub as the water is running.  20 minutes is the ideal soaking time – any longer will dry your skin.