One of my favorite health books
is The Seven Pillars of Health – The
Natural Way to Better Health for Life by Don Colbert, M.D. The book is
formatted into a 50-day journey with
small manageable steps each day. His first
foundational pillar of health is water.
We tend to think more about
preventing dehydration in warm
weather, but it’s just as important all
year long. Dehydration is more than
thirst. Thirst is the last symptom of dehydration, so other
parts of our bodies are affected beforehand. The body
goes into rationing mode when dehydrated, supplying
vital organs – the brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys
– while withholding from non-vital ones like joints, the
gastrointestinal tract and the skin.
A rusty door hinge is void of lubrication and so
are dehydrated joints. Our cartilage is 80 percent water
so when there is inadequate fluid, joints degenerate faster,
encouraging arthritis. The fluid in the disks between our
spinal vertebrae helps to hold up three-fourths of our
weight, so without enough hydration, disks can degenerate
and back pain sets in.
Dehydration can lead to many problems with the
digestive tract, including constipation, ulcers and more.
Ulcer medications treat symptoms, but over time they
reduce stomach acid, creating an environment for ulcercausing
bacteria to proliferate. The mucous layer in our
stomach is 98 percent water. With adequate water intake,
the mucous layer is thick and protects the stomach acid
from burning the stomach lining. Without that thick layer,
we may experience frequent heartburn. Dehydration also
causes the body to retain water and store fat. Drinking
good water reverses those results and also helps weight loss
by giving a fuller feeling when consumed before meals.
Properly hydrating our bodies can be the best
skin and beauty treatment on the planet, Colbert thinks.
It can also lower blood pressure and histamine reaction
in asthma and allergies. One woman’s lifelong disabling
migraines disappeared within weeks of beginning to drink
two to three quarts of water a day after reading Colbert’s
book, The Bible Cure for Headaches. She had been mildly
dehydrated most of her life. Water also revives our cells,
and especially our brain cells, which are 85 percent water,
thus improving memory and moods.
I used to be one of those persons who just forgot
to drink water: I drank juice, milk, iced tea and soft
drinks for thirst. When I decided to cut down on sugar,
I switched from sweetened pop to diet pop. Several years
ago, I learned how awful aspartame is for the body and
dropped soft drinks altogether. I rented a water cooler for
my home on a trial period. I was amazed at how much
better it tasted than tap water; I began to crave it. It tasted
like the uncontaminated, fresh spring tap water of my
childhood. I still use it.
Now, decades later, the water that comes out of
our faucets has residues of pesticides, industrial waste,
household and personal care products, medications and
even air pollution that makes its way back to our water
supply. Colbert says that our world is making chemicals
faster than our ability to filter toxins out of our water.
We need to treat our water at home to safeguard our
health. For the purest water, Colbert favors distillers
and reverse-osmosis systems over filters, however they
pull minerals out and create acidic water. Because our
bodies need minerals and thrive and detoxify better
with alkaline water (above 7.0 pH level), he recommends
supplementing the diet with adequate minerals and
adding some alkaline booster drops to the water, which
most health stores stock. Colbert finds that his new
cancer patients are “almost always acidic and toxic.” His
first line of treatment: alkaline water and alkaline fruits
and veggies. He personally uses an alkalizing filter in his
kitchen and an outside filter on the water supply entering
the home and a chlorine-filtering showerhead.
Other priorities of Colbert’s ideal drinking water are
that it is bottled in glass, vs. plastic, and that it comes from
a good source. Out with Aquafina (Detroit River water);
in with Penta water which goes through one of the purest
processes. After a massage or chiropractic treatment, I
stop at an area health store and treat myself to a bottle of
Penta water to aid the elimination of the toxins released.
Digestion doesn’t do as well with cold water,
especially ice water. Visualize cold water making fat
harden; warm water making it dissolve. The Chinese,
sipping small cups of hot tea with their meals have the
right idea. Colbert recommends drinking no more than
four to eight ounces of at least room temperature liquid
at a meal, but the best timing is 15 to 30 minutes before
meals or two hours afterward. Drinking during meals
washes away digestive juices. Drinking water after 7 p.m.
may interfere with sleep. When to drink is as important as
what to drink.
When you begin increasing water intake, go
gradually. At first you may have to go to the bathroom
more, but your body is flushing things out. How much
water is recommended? Half your weight in ounces is the
rule of thumb (ie.-140 pounds = 70 oz.). Remember that
fruits and veggies contain high amounts of water. Eating
a lot of them per day equates to about one quart (32 oz.)
of water. If you drink caffeinated beverages or alcohol, you
need more water.
There is an explosion of performance drinks and
waters on the market, but that’s another topic. The best
drink is the best water you can find.
Jean Vaux is the Wellness Editor of Cedar Valley Athlete, a
wellness advocate in the community, and a health coach.
E-mail: jean@cedarvalleyathlete
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