How many ounces, cups or bottles of water have you drunk today? This can sound to be a curious question, though its importance may be monumental in the progression of your health. Did you know that both caffeinated & alcoholic drinks have more of a dehydrating effect that the addition of water in the human body? Imagine how much of our human population across this planet can be in the “dehydrated” category with this knowledge.
F. Batmanghelidj, MD has written a multitude of books associated with water (including “Water Cure”) and claims that dehydration impacts four major functions of the body ultimately rendering it weaker and more susceptible to diseases and cancers. Dr. Batmanghelidj shares the following ideas:
- Renders the immune system ineffective and unresponsive
- Causes the destruction of some primary amino acids into antioxidants when toxic waste builds up in the body. Some of these sacrificed amino acids are involved in the enzyme systems that recognize and repair the genetic damage and incorrect DNA transcriptions.
- Loss of essential amino acids and elements force the cells to lose specialization of cell-specific abilities: the drought environment forces cell to become primitive with self-replicating properties to focus on survival mechanisms.
- Dehydration will also cause low-oxygen and high acidity environments that are more suited for cancer cell development than the original normal tissues.
Consuming Your Water Daily
Water is truly hydrating – fresh squeezed juices (green, vegetable or fruit) are the best alternative to water. Bottled juices, generally with higher levels of sugar, may be another option in cases of manual juicing deficiency. Non-caffeinated teas (ie. chamomile, peppermint, licorice, anise, mullein, damiana) are excellent and may provide other therapeutic responses for the consumer. Fresh fruits and vegetables will too provide life-supporting H2O into your physiology, along with other nutritive enzymes, vitamins, bioflavonoids, fiber and flavor to name a list of goodies.
| Essentials of Rehydration |
| 1) Drink enough to equal ½ your body weight (lbs) in ounces, daily. Ie. 200 pounds = 100 ounces of water/day |
| 2) Use ¼ tsp. of Himayalan Rock Salt for every quart of water you drink. Use natural salt generously with food, as long as you drink enough water. (Note: 1 quart = 4 cups = 32 oz.) |
| 3) Avoid diuretics, such as caffeinated or alcoholic drinks. Every six oz. of caffeine or alcohol requires an additional 10 to 12 oz. of water to rehydrate you. (Another reference states 8 oz. water for each oz of alcohol) |
Original table adopted from Reference #1 (page 18)
Consider one sip of water, one ounce of fluid! This suggests that a 150 pound individual should drink 75 ounces or slightly over 9 cups (72 ounces) each day to maintain hydration.
How To Drink Your Water
Most people are not yet aware about the relationship between importance of time and duration of drinking water. An individual must spread out their daily consumption of recommended water throughout the day as the kidneys, intestines and body can absorb a ceiling of about 1 to 1.5L of water per hour. Consuming too much water at too quick a pace risks throwing off the body’s electrolytes (and can be dangerous!) and will eliminate water which cannot be absorbed quickly enough through the body. Imagine this danger being actualized through “water chugging” contests or simply trying to drink the day’s recommended levels in 15 minutes.
When discussing the timing of our water consumption, it’s highly recommended to drink your daily allotment of water outside of the meal window. This time window should approximate at least 15-20 minutes before or 1-3 hours after food. Why? Water can dilute both a person’s digestive enzymes, and the acid in their stomach. This can lead in incomplete absorption of food, indigestion or a longer digestion response. In practicality, for patients whom only drink water with a meal, these patients should choose to drink water with food over as opposed to not drinking enough water over the course of a day. Also, suggest a new practice of drinking room temperature water (or lukewarm) as this will prevent the slow-down of the digestion processes. Cold water is an acceptable practice… however ice water will shock the stomach preventing the release of digestive enzyme while heat is produced to neutralize the icy temperatures.
| Early Signs of Dehydration | Mature Signals of Dehydration | Signs of Emergency Dehydration |
| FatigueAnxietyIrritabilityDepressionCravingsCrampsHeadache | HeartburnJoint and Back PainMigraine HeadachesFibromyalgiaConstipation/colitisAnginal Pain | Asthma and AllergiesOld Age DiabetesHypertensionAutoimmuneDiseases, Lupus, Psoriasis, etc. |
Original table adopted from Reference #1 (page 20)
Here’s an interesting theory Dr. Batmanghelidj shares which may correlate with a lot of truth for some individuals. Two major types of fluid which water contributes to in the body: intracellular (inside the cells – ICF) & extracellular (surrounding the cells – ECF). Water is used to hydrate the cells and wash away toxins and waste products developed from normal cell metabolism. Water is held inside of cells through its potassium – the electrolyte concentration of the ECF is said to be similar to that of the salinity of the ocean. Balance and health is achieved through appropriate intake of water, potassium and salt. When there is insufficient water to reach the cells, water is drawn from ECF. This is the first stage of dehydration which causes edema as the brain will command an increase of salt to retain more water in the ECF. When the shortage of water becomes for intensive, the body increases osmotic pressure in order to deliver more water to the cells, leading to hypertension. Reading this previous statement is recognition of one manifestation of the disease – hypertension is a silent killer and an ailment which in most cases takes considerable time to develop!
This article has been uploaded & provided into your hands with the intention of providing REAL information which is applicable and helpful to you TODAY. Start thinking about what you are putting into your body today: because it really does contribute to your health! Would you put standard gas in a Lamborghini Diablo… my guess is you would invest into premium gasoline to make your engine purr. Our bodies are our temples, and so much more worthy of the finest of divine nutrition. Expect to learn more about the quality of our water & different filtration methods shortly at www.DrNickBerry.com.
** Blessings to your happiness and vitality **
References
1) Meyerowitz, Steve, and F. Batmanghelidj. Water: The Ultimate Cure. Summertown, TN: Distributed Book Pub., 2000. Print.
2) Ferreira, Peter. Water & Salt: The Essence of Life. Switzerland, 2007. Print.
3) Barber, Jack A. Drinking Water Scams EXPOSED! Leesburg: Waterwise, 2007. Print.