The Seventh-day Adventist Church has long promoted a message of healthful living in the eight laws of health, including water. Water carries health power.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has long promoted a message of healthful living in the eight laws of health, including water. Water carries health power. Water is found everywhere in our body, from the large to the small blood vessels and the bones in the skull. Our bodies consist of more than 60% water by weight, the brain about 70% and the lungs even more at 90%. Water keeps our body functioning properly. When our body lacks water or is dehydrated, that carries health consequences such as a higher risk of heart disease, joint pain, dry skin, urinary tract infections, etc. Our body cannot function without water!
Water serves us not only internally but also externally. Internally, water bathes the digestive system, keeps our lungs moist, cleanses impurities, and eliminates waste products. Externally, water acts as a cleanser, refreshes our skin, and offers medical treatment such as hot- and cold-water treatment hydrotherapy. The physiology of hydrotherapy is that cold causes the surface blood vessels to constrict and hot causes the surface blood vessels to dilate. Alternating cold and hot hydrotherapy treatment improves toxin elimination, stimulates the circulation and immune systems, and decreases inflammation.
Are you drinking enough water in a day? The appropriate water intake is achieved by dividing your weight (in pounds) by half and drinking that many ounces of water. This formula is for healthy individuals. If you would like to learn more about hydrotherapy treatment, many health centers or churches offer courses in hydrotherapy, or you may choose self-guided learning. It is critical to understand the description of the temperature when hydrotherapy treatment is implemented so individuals do not get burned.
As important as water is for our physical health, something else is even more important. “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” Psalm 42:1,2 (NKJV) The Bible applies this on a spiritual level by introducing Jesus as the Living Water. We need spiritual water as much as physical water to prevent spiritual dehydration. We cannot function without the water of life on a spiritual level as we go through the heat of daily living’s ups and downs. Jesus promised, “Whoever drinks of this water will never thirst again.” John 4:13 (NKJV) I desire to be fully hydrated, not only physically but also spiritually. Will you come and join me daily at the fountain of the Water of Life?
Yin Schaff is health director for the Wisconsin Conference.
