| Twenty years of research has shown Dr. | | | | true that most back pain is related to strain, injury, or |
| Batmanghelidj what nature has always known: that | | | | overuse, pain can still be the result of a lack of fluids. |
| water is critical to life. So critical, in fact, that the lack | | | | The cells need copious amounts of water to flush |
| of water--or dehydration--actually produces most of | | | | out the acid particles created by the increased work |
| our chronic pains and ailments. He reveals the exciting | | | | or stress that caused the strain. When dehydrated, |
| news . . . it is possible to treat and prevent pain for | | | | the acid builds up and sends out pain signals--cries for |
| free!Finally . . . a natural element that can counteract | | | | water . . . not motrin."Incurable" diseases have fallen |
| those agonzing degenerative diseases! If you are | | | | prostrate before the power of water. The Mayo |
| concerned about the negative effects that | | | | Clinic told an elderly gentleman who had suffered for |
| prescription and over-the-counter drugs have on your | | | | over thirty years from arthritis in his spinal column |
| body, please read this report in its entirety and | | | | that there was no hope for him. He lived in such |
| consider obtaining more information on the subject. It | | | | excrutiating pain that it was impossible for him to |
| can change the way you look and feel.Seventy-five | | | | stand; as a matter of fact, he resembled a comma |
| percent of Americans are dehydrated. Instead of | | | | (in his words). One year after consistently hydrating |
| consuming life-giving water, we reach for a cold soda | | | | himself he was pain free--and not only that, but he |
| or high-sugar juice (and this is after our morning | | | | had lower blood pressure too!Here are some |
| coffee, which also depletes our bodies of necessary | | | | interesting facts about hydration:--even mild |
| fluids). Unfortunately this has taken a serious toll on | | | | dehydration slows down metabolism by as much as |
| our health-care structure, for our natural drought | | | | 3% |
| management system dictates that when we do have | | | | --lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue |
| a water shortage certain parts of our bodies are | | | | --drinking just 5 glasses a day reduces your risk of |
| forced to go without water. This is why a blood test | | | | colon cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 79%, and |
| is a poor diagnosis for whether or not someone is | | | | bladder cancer by 50% |
| dehydrated: for obvious reasons, the blood is the last | | | | --a glass of water before bed stops midnight hunger |
| remaining area from which water is taken.Dehydration | | | | pains (but you might have to get up to use the |
| is evident. It can be seen in frequent headaches, | | | | restroom!) |
| muscle pains, cramping, heartburn, dizziness which | | | | --cold water is absorbed faster than warm water |
| increases upon standing, dry skin, inability to produce | | | | --drinking 6-8 glasses/day improves memory and |
| tears, poor short-term memory, poor digestion, | | | | concentration |
| constipation, nosebleeds, and, lastly, dry mouth. A | | | | --in 37% of Americans the thirst mechanism is so |
| surprising fact is that thirst is actually a very poor | | | | weak that it's usually mistaken for hungerYour joints |
| indicator of your need to drink water. The less water | | | | are not the only area of your body that are |
| you drink, the less often you will feel thirsty; | | | | negatively affected by lack of water. There is one |
| dehydration "shuts off" our thirst perception, so to | | | | very important area, that should strike you even if |
| speak.Dr. B happened upon some information that is | | | | nothing else does--your brain. This all-important organ |
| so little known that it isn't even publicized in medical | | | | is made up of 85% water! And unfortunately for us, |
| textbooks: the role of histamine. Histamine is basically | | | | when we deprive ourselves of water it is one of the |
| a chemical messenger messenger that is in charge of | | | | first places that the body automatically squeezes fluid |
| drought management in the body. Not surprisingly, it | | | | from. When water, the "messenger" of the brain, is |
| is more active when we are dehydrated and makes | | | | reduced, we suffer from headaches, poor short-term |
| itself be known through aches and pains that we | | | | memory, dizziness, poor balance, and general |
| cover up with medicines. Also not surprising is the | | | | "fogginess." Indeed, migraines can often be treated |
| fact that most if not all of the medications that we | | | | successfully with improved hydration.How much |
| take are antihistamines. What are we doing? | | | | water do you need? A good rule of thumb is to |
| Dehydrating ourselves more and more . . .As far as | | | | divide your body weight by two: for example, a 160 |
| hydrating and back pain go, water is a major | | | | pound person should drink at least 80 ounces of |
| component of cartilage. It follows then that if we | | | | water a day. Obviously more should be consumed if |
| dehydrate ourselves, the cells in our cartilage will | | | | you exercise or live in a hot climate. And while water |
| shrivel up and eventually be worn away. Not only | | | | is the basis for many other drinks including coffee, |
| that, but without adequate fluids, the body can't | | | | soda, juice, and alcohol, there really is no subsitute |
| move toxins through the body which causes them to | | | | for it by itself. All of those drinks contain substances |
| accumulate in the joints--a condition known as | | | | that are detrimental to your overall health and |
| osteoarthritis. Even if you don't have arthritis, | | | | wellbeing.Dr. Howard Flaks of Beverly Hills has this to |
| chances are good that your back pain is from | | | | say about the subject:"As a result of not drinking |
| dehydration, for another common symptom is muscle | | | | enough water, many people encounter such problems |
| spasms.A brief explanation of why cartilage breaks | | | | as excess body fat, poor muscle tone and size, |
| down: water is the lubrication for the cells in the | | | | decreased digestive efficiency and organ function, |
| cartilage. When you don't provide enough fluid, the | | | | increased toxicity in the body, joint and muscle |
| cells are no longer able to glide over each other and | | | | soreness (particularly after exercise) and water |
| the friction becomes very abrasive (like rubbing a | | | | retention."So go ahead. Drink to your health!Brianna |
| piece of granite against some chalk). It is easy to see | | | | Stanley has turned her passion for health and |
| why water is so important to our joints.While it is | | | | wellness into her business. |