Yo! It’s about hydration ya’ll

 

water-life-crop

 

We all know that our bodies need water to live. It is such a basic principle that it’s hardly ever brought up in everyday thoughts. Never is it a topic of debate. So, why is it a topic that my patients bring up and why in the last 6 years, is it a topic that has emerged as an “interesting and important” topic in health? I have found that concise instructions work well for some patients. For others, the whole picture instruction works best. However, if we all know why it helps, to a level of detail in the present context, many miraid of questions become clear and habits can be established.

 

I reluctantly started to research this article instead of writing a set of instructions in the order of – drink water it is good for you. Do not ask why, just drink water. Though it is very sound advice. We humans really need to know why and how water is good for us to initiate change. My focus on this blog is to re-acquaint you with water and to find the ways for yourself to see how water, or lack of, can be affecting your health.

 

The word dehydration has been used more liberally lately. Dehydration means to lose water. It is a term used in health to encompass a state where the body is losing fluids faster than it can take it in. This term is not used to define the degree of water loss, meaning it does not denote the level of dehydration (from death or dying to drinking water to keep up with loss). So for the sake of this blog I will define dehydration as you need to keep up for the daily loss.

 

The best researcher in water’s role in life and  health is Dr. Walter F. Batmanghelidj . Dr. Batmanghelidj is a medical doctor who became a political prisoner in Iran in the early 1980’s.  When he was incarcerated, he had a fellow inmate come to him to get relief from a stomach ulcer (peptic ulcer). There was no medicines nor any healthcare in the prison. Dr. Batmanghelidj was without any medicines and could only offer the fellow inmate water. He had the inmate drink 2 glasses of water and after 10 minutes the ulcer pain subsided. This led Dr. Batmanghelidj to study water and health for decades.

 

He has written 4 books but the most well known is “The Body’s Many Cries for Water”. He is also on Youtube filmed doing lectures. He has found with this research that when a person’s body is not fully hydrated it can be the cause of health issues that are diagnosed as ulcers, acid reflux, arthritis, asthma, allergies, can contribute to developing cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a few others. This does not mean that the true cause to these diagnoses is the persons lack of water. In Dr. Batmanghelidj opinion he stresses that it is more common than the medical community believes. I do know that in my formal chiropractic education there was no mention of this. So your doctor will, more than likely, have no idea about this and may not agree with Dr. Batmanghelidj.  

 

As you read and listen to Dr. Batmanghelidj you will see that he looks at water as a medicine and not a lowly solvent or medium in which the cells inhabit. It is a very novel idea. In formal healthcare training, water is not widely regarded as a medicine or an agent to healing. It is considered more as a necessity like a nut and bolt. Nuts and bolts are in themselves not considered important as a carburetor or an engine, but they could not exist or function without nuts and bolts. Dr. Batmanghelidj is arguing that water is much more than the present understanding of it.  

 

He uses a great example with histamine. Histamine is a neurotransmitter and a powerful biochemical in allergies and stomach function. Dr. Batmanghelidj research has found that histamine is a powerful agent to help the body adapt to dehydration. With higher levels of histamine we get allergies and asthma. Dr. Batmanghelidj has discovered that the body will release more histamine when it is dehydrated. Current medical treatment for high histamines is antihistamines. These drugs do not stop the bodies production of histamine but block it from the cell receptors, thereby stopping it from activating the cells. Because the drugs block (more specifically attach) to a cell receptor it still causes an effect-which are what we call side effects. So with this said, Dr. Batmanghelidj’s reasoning draws him to the conclusion that drinking water will stop the excess histamine release and it is the direct cure to elevated histamines. In sum, water is a medicine. It is a medicine that does not require a prescription, a doctor’s visit, nor leaving the house.

 

So, what does any of this mean to you? How will you know if you need to drink more water in your day? Can drinking more water help your symptoms? I cannot tell you if it can, but I will ask you this. What is the harm of drinking more water? If you know of a treatment that is inexpensive, non-toxic and non-invasive is it worth a try?  

 

Below is the nuts and bolts to find out if more water is for you. The thirst response is not a good indicator of dehydration. In fact, if your body has been living with less than optimal water it will not let you know with thirst. Saliva production is more important to the body to take in food. It will find a way to live with the dehydration and still keep the saliva flowing.

 

If you ever wondered how a fish can live outside of water the answer is in the mirror.

 

You may be surprised to find your own indicators of thirst when you explore hydration. The indicators can be lack of sleep, digestive issues, joint pain, headaches, cravings for snacks, salt, caffeine, asthma, allergies, acid reflux, constipation, hot flashes, night sweats and heck, anything chronic. Drinking water is worth a try. Please note that everyone will have their own and unique expression of dehydration and hydration.

 

Nuts and Bolts:

 

Drink a mouthful to a glass of water when you wake up. You have lost a quart overnight when you breath moisture out when you sleep.  

 

Start by drinking a liter or quart a day of only water. Start this way until you are consistent everyday. Then add in a second liter or quart a day. One in the morning, and finish one after lunch but before bed. Then when the second quart is easy, drink up to 1 quart-liter for every 50 lbs. you weigh. See how you feel here and adjust by how you feel. It is easier to buy a liter or quart bottle and drink out of that, than to drink glasses of water and constantly keep track of progress.  

 

Coffee, tea, soft drinks, gatorade or any fluids that are not pure water do not count as your water intake. It is ideal to never drink these fluids ever, as it pertains to helping your body regulate its fluids. Even though these drinks have water in them, your body must use more water in its reserves to process the chemicals out. However, if you can just start drinking a quart/liter a day, that is better than not trying. You can try to be perfect or you can progress and observe how you feel just as well.

 

When you start doing this you will urinate more and urgently. Your body has to take time to adjust. Usually it is 5 days, more or less, and you will have a shift. You may even start to get thirsty! This is your body telling you to keep it up. Stick with it for 2 weeks and see how you feel.  Let that be your guide.

 

I hope you explore this and see if it helps you feel better and perform well.  

 

In health,

 

Dr. Michael McCall