One of the best things I've ever done is to start measuring the amount of water I drink each day. Believe it or not, drinking water actually gives you energy! You know how sometimes you feel a bit flat and you think to yourself, "I need a sugar fix"? It's not true. What you need is water. It's amazing how much more bouncy and energetic I feel each day since I started drinking 2-3 litres of water every day. I also credit this as playing a huge part in eliminating the migraine headaches I was experiencing - but no longer!
Here is some more information that I have learned about water:
The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine says:
"Low fluid consumption in general and low water consumption in particular make it difficult for the body to eliminate toxins. As a result, low water consumption increases the risk for cancer and many other diseases."
Ross Bridgeford, Director of energiseforlife.com in his article "This Single Mistake is the Most Damaging Thing for your Health" says:
"When you're dehydrated and the body doesn't have enough water to do everything it needs to, it rations. It prioritises. Only the most important things are done and everything else suffers."
Ross also quotes from Dr Batmanghelidj's book "Your Body's Many Cries for Water":
"Chronic pains of the body which cannot easily be explained as injury or infection, should first and foremost be interpreted as signals of chronic water shortage in the area where the pain is registered. These pain signals should first be considered and excluded as primary indicators for dehydration of the body before any other complicated procedures are forced on the patient."
In his book Dr Batmanghelidj explains that if the body is not receiving enough regular water every day this can manifest as the following:
Dyspeptic pain (heartburn)
Colitis pain and constipation
False appendicitis pain
Hiatus Hernia
Rheumatoid arthritis pains
Low back pain
Anginal pain
Headaches
Dr Batmanghelidj also describes in detail how water consumption has an effect on the following conditions:
Stress and depression
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
High Blood Pressure
High Blood Cholesterol
Losing weight
Asthma and allergies
Diabetes
AIDS
Sleeping difficulties
Fainting
Heart attack
Dr Batmanghelidj explains that we mistakenly think that a dry mouth is a sign of dehydration:
"Twentieth-century medicine started thinking that a dry mouth was the only sign of dehydration, which is wrong. In order to be able to chew and swallow food, even if you haven't drunk anything your body produces ample saliva to be able to perform that function, so dry mouth is not a sign of dehydration."
And he explains why we need a regular intake of water:
"The human body contains a lot of water, but the water that is contained in the body is mainly already osmotically engaged, in other words it is busy with an activity - a chemical reaction, a chemical undertaking. That water is called "bound water". Then the body needs, in order to perform new functions, osmotically free water, that's called "free water".
"It is a free water shortage in the body that constitutes dehydration. It's like a major business that has a lot of assets but no cash-flow to pay the salary of its staff. That's how a business gets in trouble, and that's why the human body gets into trouble when it doesn't have free water, which is the "cash-flow" of the body."
Dr Batmanghelidj explains the consequences of dehydration:
"Once you are dehydrated you become amino acid deficient, you also become mineral deficient which is the foundation for all diseases in the human body."
"Chronic dehydration is the root cause of most degenerative diseases of the human body."
He recommends:
"Your body needs an absolute minimum of six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day [1.5-2 litres]. Alcohol, coffee, tea and caffeine-containing beverages don't count as water."
and he warns:
"Caffeine in beverages is a dehydrating substance, it affects the brain and kidneys and flushes more water out of the body than there is water in the cup."
Did you know that along with "free water" your body also needs salt to regulate water in your body? Dr Batmanghelidj also discusses this in his writings. You can download a free pdf of his book, "Your Body's Many Cries for Water" and his paper "Your Body is not Sick, It's Thirsty" via the links below. I might look at doing a post on salt in the future.
But WAIT . . . before you go guzzling lots of water there are some things to be aware of.
Dr Batmanghelidj warns that for those who might already be suffering chronic disease not to just start drinking lots of water. In such cases one needs to increase water intake gradually to test that the kidneys are not damaged and are able to process the increased water intake. Dr Batmanghelidj also warns not to disregard any current prescribed treatment, and to discuss water treatment with your doctor.
And like anything, you can have too much . . .
"Drinking too much water can lead to a condition known as water intoxication and to a related problem resulting from the dilution of sodium in the body, hyponatremia."
"Water intoxication and hyponatremia result when a dehydrated person drinks too much water without the accompanying electrolytes."
- Anne Marie Helmenstine, PH.D.
"At its most basic, water intoxication occurs when a person drinks so much water that the other nutrients in the body become diluted to the point that they can no longer do their jobs."
"Electrolytes are simply salt ions that cells use to move fluids and nerve messages in and out of cells throughout the body. Without electrolytes the body can't function."
- Julia Layton
"What Are Electrolytes?" - Discovery Health
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/information/question565.htm
~ take every opportunity to drink water throughout the day, but not too much, & to put the good stuff in ~
This blog is about me, what I'm doing, what's working for me, and what's not. It includes my experiences and opinions. It is for general information only and is in no way intended to replace the advice of a health care professional.
