In general, understanding of our most precious commodity is still in its infancy. Everyone and his wife throw around the words hydration and dehydration, yet only a miniscule percent know what is actually meant by these words.

In the same way that a molecule of sugar can be the best of things or the worst of things (compare a long chain polysaccharide found in kelp, with the sucrose found in castor sugar), a glass of water can impart profound vitality to the body, or take it away with equal fervour. One of the key, life-imparting properties of water lie in the Hydrogen’s capacity to loosely hold free electrons in its outer shell, forming a negatively charged Hydrogen ion (H-). Please note, that by definition, this is also a powerful antioxidant.

Now, if that already has gone over your head, it doesn’t matter. The key point is that a glass of water can only be deemed hydrating as long as it contains a useful quantity of (H-)’s, however, most water we drink today, whether it be tap, mineral or filtered waters, actually lack these precious ions. That is to say, not all waters are equally hydrating.

You see, it is precisely the passing of the electron-donating hydrogen across the cell membrane, which allows us to become hydrated. When we lack negatively charged Hydrogen ions we become dehydrated, and the cells struggle under this deficiency, causing them to malfunction and age. When we hydrate however, we satiate the cells of our body with the electrons they need to carry out their crucial activities; the mitochondria can produce energy effectively, even the DNA strands themselves are nourished, and protected from damage.

When we drink less optimal water like tap water, we are drinking highly devitalised water almost entirely devoid of our precious (H-). In such instances, because the body has now become compromised, it must actually make a compromise of its own. As such, using its inherent intelligence, the body is forced to take from its own precious pool of electrons, for in order to process the inferior water we have just drunk, we must upgrade it with our own reserve of (H-)’s. Owing to the electron depletion generated by this less optimal hydration pathway, free radical damage, organ failure and general aging gain a more pronounced foothold. All in line with the free electron bank becoming increasingly scarce.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, naturally hydrating waters: unprocessed mature springs that have organically harvested an abundance of hydrogen electrons during their journey through the cool boughs of the earth operate as powerful rejuvenators. Wild springs like the famed waters of the Hunza valley, Lourdes in France, or Pannanich in Scotland, have all been shown to yield a bounty of hydrogen electrons (H-), which not

only make them wonderfully hydrating; their treasure trove of free electrons – as natural antioxidants, also make them the ideal choice when it comes to beauty and longevity.

Kyle Vialli is an international vitality coach and author of the forthcoming What in the World am I Supposed to Eat.

Various spokespersons throughout the millennia have made delightfully profound correspondences between the habitual practices of man and the social health and vitality of his existence. Austrian Scientist, Viktor Schauberger drew a powerful relationship between the way in which we store, treat and transport our most precious commodity – water, and the very harmony of our culture.

Actress, Ali McGraw passionately proposed that the way in which we treat our fellow animal earthlings is expressly indicative of the social cohesion and wellness within that same human kingdom.

Similarly, I contend that the life we cultivate and grow within the contours of our own body’s biological terrain (its garden), expressly guides the vital functionality and wellness of the social systems of our planet. Clearly, in all these cases, it is not simply our personal and proximal bodily health that is affected by our actions. Nonetheless, gardening should start in your “own back yard”, so let us focus on this domain today.

As a nutritionist and educator, I am absolutely convinced that one of the key missing or weak links within the “wheel of wellness” lies in an under-appreciation of the harmonising, vitalising and potently tonifying properties of probiotics (species of beneficial micro-organism). To be specific, we can say that three things determine the quality of our internal garden. One, the purity and nutrient-maturity of the environment. Two, the conditions or climate that the garden is actually subject to. And three, the availability of probiotics that congregate within the garden. As you may have guessed, this last point is the one that is ignored the most within wellness circles.

So what are probiotics and why are they so crucial?

Probiotics (notably good bacteria and yeasts) are our most ancient allies. They formulated the framework of our primordial existence, and our developmental pathways are intricately interwoven with their multifarious roles throughout human physiology. Crucially, in the same way that the plant’s root is only able to effectively assimilate the critical soil minerals via bacterial interaction, so to is man dependent upon bacterial intervention for the assimilation of his sustenance.

Today, in all natural systems, under natural conditions, a wide and complex bandwidth of good bacteria and yeasts work symbiotically with man for the purpose of processing the food we eat, so it can be broken-down and metabolised. Additionally, they also act as a complex and crucial extension of our own immune and protection systems. Indeed, probiotics lubricate our very ability to thrive, so much so, that the reduction or removal of them from the framework of human biology would create one of the biggest health epidemics known to man. And thus here we are! Probiotic shortages have been documented to help cause Crohn’s disease, atopic and chronic skin conditions, thrush, constipation, diarrhea, bladder infections, gout, arthritis, and baldness to name just a random handful. Indeed some scholars estimate that 80% of all known degenerative diseases are linked to probiotic deficiency, many of these coming under the “I’m not really sure, but feel unwell” category called Syndrome X. It’s the same old story isn’t it? “With our new and recent human arrangements, we have inherited the new diseases concordant with our splice from nature”.

Nearly everyone is aware of the arsenal of chemicals that alarmingly flow into our personal environs. The vast majority of these chemicals have antibiotic effects, especially regarding the highly sensitive probiotic flora or bio-films of the body. As such, insidious cascades of toxins cause injury and death to the already debilitated stronghold. The central probiotic populace resides sprawlingly through the 5-12 feet of the intestinal tract, and relatedly, this epicenter is most responsible and reflexive of the overall vitality of our internal garden terrains.

As I said these guys are sensitive. Excess external heat, incorrect eating habits, pollutants carried by air, land or water, impoverished thinking, over acidity or alkalinity, nutrient deficiencies, clogged lymph, sticky blood, lack of negative ions, lack of movement, manmade electromagnetic radiation and emotional stressors can work cumulatively to reduce the healthy organism numbers within the body. Couple this with the understanding that the very bedrock of our acquired probiotic inheritance has been undermined to the point of absurdity within the last two generations. Whilst it was originally the nature of things for the healthy, probiotic-wealthy mother to pass on an important cross section of her own body-specific strains, (see especially the Bifido bacteria), the rise of the antibiotic, formula milk and the concomitant demise of our own probiotic galaxy have conspired together to produce entire generations without the natural protective and lubricating systems that secure excellence and vitality.

It is estimated that over 90% of our planet is now deficient and morbidly deficient in probiotic organisms. The situation reaches its intended climax though, when we realize what results as probiotic volumes crash. You see, as a healthy strain of bacteria (say Mycobacterium vaccae noted for its ability to increase serotonin levels in the brain, and thus enhance mood) decreases, opportunistic and often less beneficial species find a new niche or sanctuary. As this happens continuously, which is very common, we end up with a spiraling decline of biological harmony within the body. Sooner or later serious and chronic problems arise when particularly hardened, resilient opportunists, like certain strains of Streptococcus and Candida, widen their foothold and start to migrate throughout the body. Thus, not only has the tonifying, adaptogenic, digestive and protective “workforce” of the body been obviated; the invaders that have developed in their place (see pleomorphism) facilitate the development of an increased state of dysbiosis within the body. This includes the break down of tissue, bone, hair and the muscle that constructs major organs, the propagation of toxic by-products from ammonia, carbon monoxide to inorganic calcium salts, the weakening of the bodies actual immune system, and impairment of the bodies healthy endocrine and hormonal states. Crucially, these antibiotic organisms do not provide us with a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship; rather they are taking, feeding and reproducing just like parasites.

As well as helping turn hard, crude, relatively indigestible foods, into substrata of pre-digested, soft and accessible sugars, amino acids, fatty acid units and bio-available minerals (especially the alkaline components typically bound up within the fibre of plants), our probiotic friends generate a wealth of crucial vitamins as well. In this regard they are also an extended homeostasis mechanism of the body, for during times of deficiency and shortage they are able to create vitamin complexes that the body has fallen short in. Indeed, every one of the vitamins is known to be readily synthesised by various microorganisms in the body. Most famously perhaps are vitamin K, C and B12.

In wild, pristine natural conditions every edible plant in nature will contain a constellation of probiotic species that have for eons shared a mutually beneficial heritage within its environment. This is an important point for us to understand because these specific probiotic strains have learnt to utilize, and increase the nutritive availability of the plant itself. Thus to take an example, when we pick a wild plum, we observe there a white bio-film layer which in actual fact is billions of these plant-specific organisms, equipped more than any other combination perhaps, to fruitfully digest and metabolise that food as the whole complex is ingested within the human system. Yet decisively, in a world where most people are eating cooked, microwaved, and sterile foods, and where, despite the resurgence, so few even dare to pick their own food, we are not eating the true whole food; we are simply not acquiring the probiotic kingdoms as nature intended.

As I stated at the beginning, I believe that probiotics are the biggest under-recognised component of nutritional-related wellness. They are the missing link, and their minimisation is implicated in nearly all diseases and devitalised human conditions. And yet, for every “tragedy” there is the appropriate remedy.

In my book I will offer a plan perfectly pitched to rejuvenate this modern health epidemic and restore balance, teamwork, symbiosis, purity and bouquets of roses back into the grounds of your garden state.

There are many reasons why milk, as found in the grocery store, should be avoided by anyone intent on following a healthy lifestyle. Briefly they relate to the chemically altered composition of the milk in virtue of the deranged breeding and feeding practices to promote productivity and increased profits. More dramatically however, they highlight the overwhelming destruction of nutritional content; including the loss of almost all the enzymes, and a significant denaturing of the milk proteins. Because it is not my intention to ‘SHOCK’ anyone into altering their commercialized dairy practices, I will leave it up to the individual to further investigate why these reasons are so conclusively ‘health robbing’.

Today the all powerful dairy establishment is a little less proactive; not quite as noisy as it once was in promoting its hallowed ‘white elixir’ to the masses. Primarily this has to do with the vast array of scientific evidence and damning reports which directly link the consumption of commercially produced dairy to a fascinating variety of diseases and disorders. Before the highly questionable practices of factory farming; before pasteurization and homogenization took their stranglehold on the conviviality of dairy farmer co-operatives, milk was a very different beverage.

Partly in relation to the disgrace of the dairy industry, and partly due to the rise in consumer awareness regarding what constitutes nutritionally appropriate dietary choices, traditional dairy farming has made a small but notable resurgence. As such, for many people, perhaps with a little perseverance, it is possible to find a good source of organically produced, unpasteurised milk from an ethically minded local farm. Traditional dairy (milk as your great grandmother knew it) was never flash pasteurised or irradiated, homogenised or antibiotically enriched. Raw milk was largely the norm, and unpasteurised butter, cheese and yoghurt were widely available.

Raw milk and dairy sourced from an ethically reared traditional variety, is replete with a full range of enzymes, vitamins and minerals in the correct proportions as nature intended, and many people do very well on this ancient and highly revered form of nourishment. However, many people simply do not thrive at all on milk and its derivatives, no matter how perfectly intact it reaches their person. General allergies and lactose and casein intolerances are extremely common and contribute to a staggering number of unrecognised allergic reactions in susceptible individuals. The majority of people come somewhere in between, and though they may derive a good deal of nutritional benefit from traditional dairy products, they are likely to be missing out on the amazing enhancements that cultured dairy provides. Cultured dairy is ‘head and shoulders’ above its ‘uncultured’ counterpart, both in regards to its nourishment value and its digestibility. Cultured milk products, including butter, cheese and yoghurt and a wealth of other variations distinctive to particular global locales, are produced when normal milk comes into contact with a microbacterial (typically lactic acid producing) culture. Cultured or ‘soured’ dairy, as a living art form in constant evolution, offers a unique flavour and nutritional composition that is dependant on a myriad of variables including the time, temperature and style of the fermentation procedure. Cultured dairy is usually much better tolerated by the individual predisposed toward allergy or intolerance of the plain product. Furthermore the correctly cultured form of dairy is teeming with life-enhancing probiotic qualities that often greatly assist in repopulating and balancing a compromised biological terrain. In my mind though, the cultured milk product par excellence is kefir. Kefir is the medicine from the mountains. Its origins are full of intrigue and excitement, but it is widely accepted as coming from the Moslem tribes of the Northern Caucasus Mountains. Kefir is made from a living culture resembling small gelatinous pieces of cauliflower. An amount of this culture or ‘grain’ (as it is generally called) is put into a portion of milk to start fermentation which depending on temperature may range from 12-48 hours . The grains are then carefully separated from the fresh kefir and used to ferment a fresh batch. Kefir is much more accessible and much less temperamental than the majority of other cultures and it can continue to propagate in an extraordinarily wide temperature range of 4ºC and 35ºC. Kefir grain, in virtue of its beneficial yeast and bacteria, provide many therapeutic properties which are either totally lacking or only minimally present in the uncultured traditional counterpart. It has amazing antibiotic and antifungal properties (including anti-candida), it is very effective in addressing a compromised gastrointestinal tract and biological terrain, and it is widely reported to improve digestion. Additionally it is very good for a wide range of skin conditions, of which significant further benefit may be derived through direct application on the affected area once or twice a day. It is an excellent probiotic; totally natural and ‘uncapsulized’ and complete with a wide spectrum of beneficial bacteria and yeasts.

Now for the lactose intolerant or similarly allergic individual, kefir may be very well accepted. Kefir not only reduces the milk lactose, it also provides a host of important enzymes including lactase which is used to breakdown lactose. What is more, the fermentation process, like any other, actually helps to predigest the nutritional components of the milk. As a result, kefir is (for most people anyway) very easy on the digestive system, and not only does it significantly increase many vitamins, minerals and proteins such as B12, calcium and tryptophan, it also significantly enhances the assimilation of them.