Introduction
Do you understand how important water is to your well-being? It is the cornerstone of any program for radiant health and peak performance. Our bodies are about 70% water and our brains are about 89%. Water, the chief solvent of the body, regulates all functions, including the activity of the solutes it dissolves and circulates.
Some of the many tasks that water carries out in our body are:
- Helps red blood cells to deliver oxygen to muscles efficiently,
- Facilitates delivery of nutrients throughout the body
- Bring oxygen and hydrogen into the cell
- Functions as universal solvent to carry toxins out of our body
- Keeps our blood thin and flowing well
- Suppresses appetite, and metabolizes stored fat, helping with weight loss.
Water consists of the elements of hydrogen and oxygen. One of the functions of water is to bring hydrogen into the cell. This flow of hydrogen into the cell generates ATP. ATP is our body’s source of energy. So if you are low in water, you are low in energy.
What causes dehydration?
Dehydration is a lack of hydrogen ions. All the symptoms of aging are associated with slow dehydration of our tissues and the associated free radical oxidative damage. As we age we start to starve for water, and even though we drink plenty of tap water, it doesn’t seem to slow down the dehydration. In Chinese medicine this is known as yin deficiency, a symptom of aging and fluid dehydration, producing signs of stagnation and heat such as sore throat, night sweating, stiff neck muscles and insomnia.
Other consequences of dehydration are DNA malfunction and loss of brain performance and memory.
How can I tell if I am dehydrated?
- dizziness,, fatigue, anxiety, and erectile dysfunction, as well as wrinkles and other signs of premature aging
- chronic pain in the body such as arthritis, headaches or low back pain may be a sign of longstanding dehydration
- usually the sign of a dry mouth, is the last stage in chronic dehydration
Why is drinking tea, diet soda or a juice not the same as drinking water?
Although these beverages contain water, but they are also dehydrating agents. They get rid of the water they are dissolved in as well as draining the reserves of water in the body, thus exacerbating the chronic dehydration condition. For example, coffee and carbonated beverages bind the hydrogen, leading to dehydration in the body.
How do we reverse dehydration?
Most people don’t know that water contains within its structure the secret to reversing the aging process. Scientists such as Dr Patrick Flanagan and Dr. Henri Coanda researched the properties of water from the Hunza region, where people regularly lived to be over 100 years old and in great physical health. The local people claim that water is the secret of their long, healthy lives They discovered that water from this area has special physical properties that were different from regular water.
In short, not all waters are created equal and if we want to rehydrate our cells as we age, we need to know the best kind of water to drink. Even if we are drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day if we are not drinking the right kind of water we still may be chronically dehydrated.
Tune in next week to a report on the best type of water to hydrate your cells and recover the fountain of youth.
Dr Josse Ford
Josse Ford is the Founder and Director of the Alchemy Radiant Health clinic in Encinitas, California. She specializes in the integration of Chinese medicine and functional medicine to treat the whole human holistically and to focus on the root cause of illness
