By KABITA DAS
If you’re reading this, it probably means that you understand the basics of health. You’ve been diligently drinking your daily doses of water for years now, knowing how important it is to staying healthy. We’re lucky to have consistent access to something our health depends on so heavily, however, how heavily do we depend on water? As it turns out, it also supports many other aspects of our life, whether it’s out of luxury or necessity.
Coffee
Coffee shops are like the watering holes of college; students flock to get their daily fix of caffeine. When it comes to lining up to make the order, all sense of respect and control is lost and primal instincts are activated. People will cheat and nudge their way to the front of the line. Because the drinks are prepared behind a counter and then are served to impatient customers, it can be easy to forget what coffee really is — water. Our ability to function normally every day relies so heavily on a product that is almost entirely composed of water. So, if you need coffee, you definitely need water.
Food
Whether it be a juicy apple or a dry piece of toast, our food is somewhat composed of water. But how often do we consider the water that goes into the process of producing these foods? It takes 2,400 gallons of water to produce a pound of meat. So behind every delicious bite of cheeseburger that we take there is the water not only in the sandwich, but there is the water given to the cows and the plants that feed the cows. Who knew we needed so much water to feed ourselves?
Perfume
There are always mornings that feel truly disastrous. When I wake up for my class at 8 am, nothing feels right — my hair is messy, my room is dark, and the weather is cold. But after somehow tugging at tight jeans and fumbling for t-shirts, I get to put on perfume, and perfume is a beautiful thing. When I spray myself, I might not feel like flowers, vanilla, and all things sweet, but I definitely can smell like it! Perfume is another commodity that needs water. Our ability to pretend that waking up at unnaturally early hours of the day is normal rests upon finding something positive, and thanks to good smells, that’s not so hard to do.
Clothes
If you’ve worn cotton, you’ve basically worn water. That’s right, you wouldn’t have your comfiest, coziest sweater for the coldest days of winter if it had not been for water. It takes over 5,000 gallons of water to make 2 pounds of cotton. That’s a lot of water that goes into clothes, who knew that it controls your whole wardrobe!
Studying
Last but not least, we come to core of what it means to be a student: studying. How well you work during the day determines how well you perform the next. This concept undoubtedly causes a lot of stress and has made students cultivate all the necessary tactics to succeed. One of the most important tactics is the actually the simplest: drink your water! Drinking water not only keeps the doctor away, but it also improves your mental performance. Wherever you choose to study, you should know that you need a bottle of water to make the most of your study session.
In many countries around the world, children do not have access to clean drinking water. This significantly impacts their health, and also diminishes the resources available to them. You can help change that. You can purchase the #AcquaForLife bracelet which will help UNICEF provide 1 month of clean water to 1 child. You can also purchase Acqua di Gio or Acqua di Gioia this month and help UNICEF provide 4 months of clean water to a child in need. You can play your part. Learn more here!