Some belief systems have the allegorical, theoretical metaphorical water of life - we have the actual physical water of life, you drink it and you don't die
maybe 99% of the planet is dehydrated, or at least not
euhydrated = optimally hydrated, clean water + electrolytes, no fog,
you can't be optimallty hydrated with insufficient electrolytes,
98% of the population is deficient in potassium, then the other electrolytes not to mention acess to clean water or even sufficient water at all.
what percentage of people have access to clean (define) water with sufficient minerals / electrolytes, collect data, municipality, county, state, country.
Test test test, measure against what the town says
even slight dehydration causes noticible deleterious effects on cognition - citations
electrolytes -
potassium 98% deficient 4,700mg day = adequate intake, optimal = 6000?, avearge = 2000, upper limit 10k,12 bananas, supplement 3g elemental potassium absorbed = 7g potassium citrate
calcium 44% deficient, 1000mg
magnesium 52% deficient 400mg
chloride fine
sodium fine? recommended 2-3 optimal 4-6, average 3-5
phosphate?
bicarbonate, body makes its own, supplement? 0.2gr/kg 60 minutes before high intensity
urine osmolality - milliosmoles per kg - osmometer - below 300 is well hydrated, 300-500 normal, 500 to 800 not great, over 800 = clinical dehydration.
Test from home.
Urine color chart – Cheapest, easiest. Grab a clear cup, pee in it, hold it up to light. Pale straw-yellow? You're golden. Darker than apple juice? You're lagging. Apps like "Hydration Tracker" even have color guides—snap a pic, it tells you.
Urine specific gravity – A step up. Get a refractometer (like twenty bucks online—looks like a little telescope). Drop a bit of pee on it, read the number:
1.005–1.010 = well-hydrated
1.015–1.020 = meh, drink up
Over 1.025 = you're behind
It's basically osmolality without the lab.
Saliva test strips – Not perfect, but decent for electrolytes. Brands like HydrateNow sell 'em—stick one under your tongue for ten seconds, it changes color for sodium/potassium. Not lab-accurate, but if you're always low, it'll flag it.
Body weight trick – Weigh yourself naked first thing every morning. Lose two percent overnight (say, three pounds if you're 150)? That's dehydration creeping in—water weight, mostly sodium. Gain it back fast with fluids? You're fine.
Thirst + performance – Old-school but brutal: if you're thirsty, you're already late. And if your workout feels "heavy" or your brain's fuzzy mid-afternoon perhaps one electrolyte's off. Track it like a mood diary.
Pat Ford www.LibertarianMutualAid.org -- We deliver bulk water and other supplies to encampments meal kitchens food pantries. Been doing it for 3 years. No Taxpayer money.. all volunteer. Would love to do similar work in NH
water charities - list
does everyone in my town / immediate circle have access to clean water, are they drinking it along with electrolytes. It's what humans crave.