You Are Not Sick! You're Thirsty!!

​“Drinking water is like washing out your insides. The water will cleanse the system, fill you up, decrease your caloric load and improve the function of all your tissues.“  Kevin R. Stone 

​This may sound like ‘fake news’ but the truth is, the title is correct! It comes from the book,
“Your Body’s Many Cries for Water”, by Dr. Feydoon Batmangelidj.
 
Healing is more than getting rid of symptoms. Symptoms are telling us about an imbalance in our lives, whether it be our spirit, consciousness energy, or the environment we live in. We may choose to take a drug to reduce the effects of whatever is making us sick. But, if we’re not addressing the root cause, the cycle will repeat itself.
 
One of the root causes of chronic illness today is surprisingly, not drinking enough water!
 
More than two thirds of the human body is water. Water serves many functions to keep the body healthy. Every bodily process, every living cell, depends on water to function properly. Water transports nutrients, regulates body temperature, lubricates joints and internal organs, supports the structure of cells and tissues and preserves cardiovascular function. We cannot survive long without water.

How does water affect the quality of life? Inadequate hydration can cause fatigue, poor appetite, heat intolerance, dizziness, constipation, kidney stones and a dangerous drop in blood pressure. Brain effects include mood shifts, muddled thinking, inattentiveness, poor memory and, even depression. A loss of only 1 to 2 percent of body water can impair cognitive performance, according to studies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
​
Your body’s water balance is determined by how much you consume, your age, activity level and environmental conditions. The body eliminates water through the skin, lungs, kidneys and digestive tract.  

REALLY SICK OR JUST THIRSTY?

The following will help us to distinguish between dehydration and disease. . . . .

Digestive disorders:

​Water is essential to the digestive system. Mucus which plays an important role in digestion is 98% water. Other substances such as enzymes and neurotransmitters are dependent on water to function. Gastritis, heartburn, colitis, hiatal hernia, ulcers may be relieved by drinking more water.

Muscle and Joint Pain:

​Areas that suffer when there is a shortage of water are those without direct circulation. Therefore, cartilage may suffer the most when there is a drought in the body. Cartilage, which is on the surface of bones in a joint, is mostly water. Water allows the surfaces to glide over each other. The drying out of cartilage is a major cause of arthritis, neck pain and back pain.

Headaches:

​Chronic dehydration can be the cause of headaches. Up to 80% of the brain is water. Headaches, even migraine headaches, can sometimes be relieved by drinking much more water. 

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension):

​In chronic dehydration, capillary blood vessels close down. Exercise keeps the capillaries open, but we need to drink enough water. Other stress factors besides lack of water may allow these symptoms to continue. 

Asthma and Allergies:

​​Histamine is one of the body’s main neurotransmitters. It has a major role in the immune response and it regulates water in the body. So, when water is scarce it can cause bronchial constriction that over-activates the immune system causing asthmatic and allergic reactions.

Body Weight:

​One way to help with your weight loss goals is to simply drink lots of water. It will give you the energy you need for physical exercise to burn calories. And, it can help make you feel full, alleviating the feeling that you are hungry. In fact, try drinking a full glass of water before a meal — you may find you will eat less.

Stress and depression:

​Stress may be experienced either as anxiety or depression. When we don’t drink enough water, the body feels the stress of dehydration.  Water helps your body recover from mental and physical fatigue. Water carries nutrients and oxygen to cells in the brain and other parts of the body.

Water and nothing but water:

​Sugary or artificially sweetened sodas, coffee, tea and alcohol seem to relieve thirst and discomfort, but instead of hydrating the body, they dehydrate it, because they are diuretics.
Our cells, all of which are alive, require hydration to maintain life. As long as they are alive, they keep reproducing new cells, as old ones die off. The essential nutrients that are delivered with water help keep cells alive.

HOW MUCH WATER?

A simple rule of thumb is to drink at least eight, 8 oz. glasses of water a day. Also, one needs to drink an extra glass of water for every soda, coffee, tea or alcohol consumed, because of the diuretic effects of these drinks.
 
It is best not to drink water with meals because of the dilution effect on digestion. It is best to drink water a half hour before or two hours after a meal.  
 
Medical science agrees the body can become dehydrated as we age. However, as we have learned, don’t wait until you notice symptoms of dehydration to take action. Actively prevent dehydration by drinking plenty of water.
 
Dr. Batmanghedj believes that 60% of medicine is simply medicating dehydration.
 
 
Disclaimer:
This article is not meant to provide any medical advice to any particular person.  Each person's condition is different, and the proper treatment depends on your own particular body and its needs.  Consult a doctor or alternative medical practitioner if you feel you have a medical problem that needs addressing.
 
References:
Batmanghedj, Feydoon, Dr., Your Bodies Many Cries for Water
https://www.everydayhealth.com/water-health/water-body-health.aspx
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/09/well/hydration-thirst-water.html
https://www.watercures.org/definition-of-immune-system.html
https://www.naturalscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/wfns_special-report_water_03-03_english.pdf
https://www.brainyquote.com/topics