#twill #tcot #health #water #sbalich
By Bob Livingston
Unintentional dehydration is a plague on the world and is likely a causal factor in many of the symptoms we think are signs of disease. In other words, when most of us think we are sick, what we are is thirsty.
About 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated. They drink acidic, sugary soft drinks, sugary flavored waters and imitation juice drinks, but those do not provide hydration. In fact, acidic drinks and acidic animal protein-heavy American diets, along with the drugs many Americans take (particularly antihistamines), compound their dehydration.
The older we get the less water we tend to drink. This leads to an increasingly off-kilter acid/alkaline balance which leads to vulnerability to pathogens.
The rule here in the hot, hot South is, drink water to excess of thirst if you don’t want to get kidney stones. Well, drinking more water than you think you need is always good advice.
The hypothalamus center of the brain controls how a person perceives thirst. For some reason, older people begin to fail to perceive they are thirsty and reject efforts to get them to drink more.
Lack of water — dehydration — creates thirst, fatigue, weakness, pain and loss of appetite and leads to a buildup of toxic acidity. As it gets worse, it develops into headaches, loss of concentration, loss of balance, increased irritability and delirium.
Low oxygen levels come with acidity. To contract an infection our internal environment has to be acidic. Wouldn’t you guess that this is why some people develop colds and flu when others don’t in the same environment?
The medical establishment is confusing symptoms with disease. Disease arises within and develops from an acid and dehydrated environment.
Robert Butts of the Water Cure said: “[Water] is a simple fix for 90 percent of all mental and health problems. Forget what disease label they put on your problem, just eliminate the simple cause. Quit caffeine, alcohol and soda. Drink water and add sea salt to food.”
Why sea salt and not the white stuff most people have on their kitchen table? Most commercial refined salt has zero minerals, and the natural mineral content of salt helps you maintain a healthy salt balance to hydrate and eliminate numerous health issues.
For starters, lack of water is the No. 1 trigger of daytime fatigue. And research indicates that 10 glasses of water a day can significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80 percent of sufferers.
So forget the “8 glasses of water a day” recommendation. No one knows where that came from originally, and you need more than that. BUT — you should avoid water with chlorine and fluoride when possible by installing a water filter in your home. Only a reverse osmosis filtration system or a distillation system will remove both chlorine and fluoride.
A protocol of water for hydration and replacing table salt with sea salt can cure many ills.
How much to drink? A good rule of thumb is to monitor your urine. It should be colored like light straw. And each day you should drink one glass of water with a little sea salt mixed in to maintain salt balance.
There are plenty of high-water-content foods such as soups, Jell-O, yogurt, cottage cheese, pudding, fruits and vegetables and watermelon or fruit and/or vegetable smoothies.
A general principle to follow when ailing with a cold or flu is drink up. Fluids help thin mucus and break up congestion. They also fight dehydration that causes headaches and fatigue. Sip a hot beverage like non-caffeinated tea, lemon water or warm broth. Not only is it comforting to your spirits, it soothes a sore throat, loosens congestion and fights fatigue.
However, not all fluids are good for you when you’re sick with a cold or flu. Here are some drinks to avoid:
- Alcohol — Causes dehydration and worsens symptoms like headache and nausea… also lowers resistance to infection.
- Coffee or other caffeinated drinks — Coffee, sodas, and caffeinated tea contribute to dehydration.
- Ginger ale — Natural ginger has some benefits, but the sugary carbonated version doesn’t help… put some ginger in a mug of hot tea instead.
- Sports/energy drinks — Stay away from the sugar-filled ones, and avoid caffeinated ones. If you can find one with natural sweeteners and taurine and vitamin B-12, then you’re in the clear.
While you may not have much appetite when sick, your body needs fuel for strength to fight off the ailment and recover. Foods that go easy on the stomach and are easy to swallow provide needed nourishment and can help relieve some of the discomfort.
Evidence shows that chicken soup actually does work wonders on the body while sick. It speeds loosening mucus, helps prevent dehydration, and provides protein to restore and strengthen your immune system. Store-bought chicken broth is not as effective as homemade chicken soup.
Also, add honey to your tea to suppress coughing and soothe a sore throat, and add ginger to your drinks to help fight inflammation, curb nausea and relieve stomach aches.
