Second Core Element of Health

"And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." This firmament and these waters are the atmosphere. The atmosphere, in balance with the earth's minerals, is the second element of our health.

There are two main components with the atmosphere - air and water. The effect of air on our health includes what we breathe and how we breathe. The effect of water on our health includes the quality of water we drink, the amount that we drink, and the proper water-electrolyte balance in our bodies, as well as, our hygiene, including the quality of water we bathe or shower in and the temperature of that water.

We all know about air pollution. We know many things that should not be in the air that we breathe including smoke, from cigarettes and drugs, exhaust, from factories and cars, as well as, airborne pathogens, like bacteria and viruses. In fact, indoor air pollution, like chemicals and mold tend to be more harmful to us because we don't think about it as much; it is more subtle. It may be as subtle as not getting enough ventilation with the air that is outside and the oxygen levels are depleted. If we are in this environment too often for long periods of time we may have chronically low levels of oxygen coming into our bodies.

But there are many things that are in the air that are good for our health. We know, of course, the composition of the air, including oxygen and carbon dioxide and their normal percentages. But there are also natural chemicals in the air that are good for us. Many of them are from plants and smell good. Some of these chemicals, which may be good for us when in good health, cause allergic reactions when our health is not at its optimum.

Then there is how to breathe. A baby is born with a natural tendency to breathe deep, into the abdomen. When a baby is panicked or scared they breathe high into the ribs. Many of us think that it is normal to breathe high but this is not enough. This is called shallow breathing and can cause decreased levels of oxygen in the body. It may be caused by chronic stress or other long lasting effects.

There are a lot of studies about the quality of the water that we drink. There are also many opinions about what should and should not be in the water. Chlorine and fluoride are two rather controversial topics. Some companies sell spring water because of the mineral content but then the source may be in question or the fact that they are in plastic bottles, leaching chemicals into the water. There are purification and filtration systems, some of which alkalize the water where others deionize it, and try to filter out certain chemicals or add minerals and oxygen. What should and should not be in the water that we drink is very important to our health.

How much we drink is also very important. The amount that we need to drink will be affected by its balance with the electrolytes in our body. Most of these come from our diet but some may come from the water itself. But generally people are chronically dehydrated. The generally accepted minimum standard for adults is 8 cups of water a day. This is assuming a more sedentary lifestyle and a somewhat healthy diet with minerals and salts. If that balance is not there 8 cups may be too little or too much.

Our skin absorbs water when we bathe or shower so the quality of water that we wash in is also important. Bathing too frequently also removes needed oils from our skin and can cause issues such as reduced vitamins D intake. Bathing too infrequently can cause our body to reabsorb waste that has been eliminated through the skin. It also causes bad odors, among the negative effects.

The temperature of the water we wash in is important. Hot water is considered bad if not countered with cold. Hot water alone is good and bad for the same reasons - it opens up the skin and increases blood flow to the surface. We may think that these are good things because then waste can go out, but they can also go in again, causing us to reabsorb waste, and even toxins in the water, more readily. Hormones may be released in an unbalanced manner and cause increased anxiety or depression, as well as other effects of imbalances hormones.

Cold is considered extremely good, even without the hot. Cold is good because it increases the blood flow to the core of the body allowing those organs to cleanse better. There are also many other positive effects of cold water baths or showers (or swimming in cold water) including positive effects on hair, skin, mitochondria, the reproduction system organs, emotions, hormone balance and the endocrine system, etc. One possible negative is if the body detoxes too fast or in an uncomfortable manner.