Human bodies need water to survive and we use water to process several functions in our bodies which are designed primarily to run on water and minerals. All the cleansing and healing systems in our body can only work properly with water. It has only been recently that the medical community has weighed in on how important water is to normal body function.

We are comprised of mostly water; over 70% of our bodies are water. To break it down even further our brains are over 75% water, blood 80%, and the human liver which is our main filter is 96% water.

Our nervous system which is responsible for sending the signals to every cell in our body is really a system of miniscule water ways. A lack of water can lead to body dehydration of the fluid inside our nerves or even lead to the nervous system being damaged from excessive chemicals and heavy metals due to their not being flushed out of the system. Many medical doctors and scientists now are in agreement that this condition can be the cause of some degenerative diseases and neurological disorders such as Chronic Fatigue, ADHD, and even Alzeimers which means they may be preventable just by drinking more (up to 1.5-2 liters) pure water.

Knowing how important pure water is to the proper function of our body we should also realize that the purity of the water is essential as well. Our digestive system requires adequate water intake in order to properly digest our food as well as get the optimal nutrient absorption we need to be able to utilize the nutritional value of the foods we eat.

Water intake can also either positively or negatively affect our energy levels depending on whether or not we are properly hydrated, in fact it has been proven in clinical studies that even a 5% reduction in body fluids can cause as much as a 30% loss of energy and a 15% drop in body fluids leads to death.

If you are trying to lose weight the lack of proper hydration will actually derail your weight loss efforts. Our liver uses water to metabolize fat and turn it into useable energy so it is obvious that a lack of water will hamper its ability to do this. It isn’t going to hurt you. Increase your water intake to roughly 64 ounces a day and you will see the results for yourself plus you will have much higher energy levels.

Another huge issue for our bodies is detoxification. It may well be the most important factor in our long-term health. Water is the only way for our body to flush toxins from our system which is also a major key to preventing disease. We can’t avoid exposure to toxins in our world today but by taking in enough water we can help our bodies get rid of them.

The quality and purity of the water we drink is just as important as the amount. If water already contains chlorine and other chemicals‚ it has less of an ability to carry toxins out of our body. If we consume water that contains traces of synthetic chemicals‚ then we force our liver and kidneys to be the filter... ultimately damaging or destroying two of our most vital organs.

Cancer-stricken folks on the Central Coast have been saved from the perils of the evil weed marijuana, thanks to the single-minded battle against the pernicious plant by our ever-vigilant federal government.

Of course, those who were using the herb said they needed it to reduce pain and other symptoms from cancer, glaucoma and other ailments.

But Uncle Sam’s minions apparently know the suffering these maladies cause better than those who are actually suffering.

Come to think of it, Washington thinks it understands this issue better than us dumb Californians, not to mention those in 11 other states, all of whom have voted to allow the sale of strictly regulated medical marijuana to relieve pain.

Apparently, the Feds believe in local control, all right. Until, that is, they don’t. But back to the ganja.

Last week, Drug Enforcement Administration officials indicted the former owner of a now-closed Morro Bay dispensary. They and the Sheriff’s Department had already raided the place and shut it down in April.

The Feds hit other places in the Los Angeles metropolitan area as well.

Now far be it from me to oppose the incarceration of bad people. And I’m not going to challenge the particulars of the indictment other than to say, as one always must, that the accused are innocent until proven otherwise.

But even if they’re guilty and the Feds nail a miscreant or two, I have to ask: Is this the best use of law enforcement’s time and my tax money?

That was a rhetorical question. These authorities have chosen to pursue a questionable law, using time they could have spent enforcing other laws and fighting other crime.

There is little doubt that their bosses have impelled them to make this choice for reasons having to do more with ideology than law.

If you don’t believe that, then explain why they sent letters to landlords who were thinking about renting to medical marijuana dispensaries, pointing out the federal laws they would be violating were they to do so.

These pot busts were about one thing: intimidation.

And it seems to be working. There is now no medical marijuana outlet here, and a proposal for a dispensary in Templeton also may go away, even though the county allows such places of business.

This is a dismal state of affairs, for two reasons in particular.

First, as I’ve written before, it subordinates the suffering of human beings to an argument over state versus federal authority. While the Feds strut about, flaunting their authority like juiced-up peacocks, people writhe in pain needlessly.

Second, at best, the federal quest to wipe out marijuana embodies an epic folly. Those pursuing it—the dogmatic true believers running the Justice Department—are tragic figures who are trying to repeal an era, the 1960s.

But they are distracting themselves—and us—with what amounts to a trifle in the larger picture, while ignoring the effluvia of the truly sinister toxins that had their start in those days.

Website: SanLuisObispo.com | 07/29/2007 | Bob Cuddy: Feds value ideology over compassion

There are 4 standardized reasons why companies drug test their employees.

There are a variety of reasons why it is so important to maintain a drug-free work zone.

The use of drugs in the workplace costs employers almost $81 billion a year due to a loss in productivity. Alcoholism alone is reported to cause 500 million lost workdays per calendar year. Statistics show that there is almost a 4.0 increase in incidence of employees injuring themselves or others in the workplace if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. As a result, employees are 5 times more probable to utilize workmen’s compensation, which is a direct financial loss to the company. Furthermore, employees who suffer from drug or alcohol addiction or abuse are 2.5 times more likely to be absent from the workplace compared to their non-using co-workers. Similarly, when employees who are using drugs and alcohol do not show-up for work, it is often the case that they have a long-standing record of excessive tardiness in both getting to work, as well as at work during their lunch-breaks. Employees who abuse drugs and alcohol are also 2 times as likely to skip work as their non-using colleagues and to change jobs up to 3 times a year. All of these things cost companies’ unnecessary finances either through increased insurance premiums, loss of needed employees, poor work performance, and thus, an overall reduction in production. It is estimated, that, in only one year alcohol and drug abuse cost businesses in the United States 81 billion dollars due to a loss in productivity. Consider how a substance abuser might affect your workplace. For some employers, just one accident or financial problem caused by an employee who is using drugs or alcohol while on the job could put the entire organization at risk.