Water: The Only Way to Fight Obesity, Edema, Feeling Cold, and Pain
In order for the body to fight disease and stay healthy, its cells, tissues, and organs need to be adequately hydrated. Drinking water is a habit, and unfortunately, without first teaching our children that they need to drink water, we introduce them to carbonated and sugary drinks. Unhealthy fluid consumption starting from childhood, or the failure to develop the habit of drinking water, begins to lay the groundwork for disease in later years.
WATER AGAINST OBESITY
From my clinical observations, I can easily say that a very large proportion of people complaining of adipositas (obesity) do not have the habit of drinking water. Yet at least 4 glasses of water are needed for every 100 calories burned. As the amount of water decreases, the amount of fat stored in the body also begins to increase. This is because if the kidneys do not receive enough water, they cannot function well, and the burden on the liver increases. In this situation, where the liver takes over the kidneys' function, it converts less fat into energy and stores the fat it cannot use. Therefore, dehydration is one of the important reasons people cannot lose weight.
EDEMA AND WATER
"When I drink water, I feel very bloated" is another frequent complaint. There are two reasons for this. Either you are drinking a large amount of water at once and your stomach is temporarily distending, or you have edema in your body, and the water you drink makes you feel as though it is causing even more bloating. The solution to both is to drink plenty of water! That is to say, if you spread your water intake throughout the day, the amount of water you drink at any one time decreases, and the stomach bloating that bothers you will disappear.
FEELING COLD AND WATER
There are many people whose hands and feet are always cold even though they have no health problems. This is a thermoregulation disorder that can be seen in chronic dehydration. I would like to give an example. Think of the radiators in your homes; when there is not enough water inside, even the best-quality heating system will not heat the radiators efficiently. Just like our body; in a body that does not contain enough water, neither the lymphatic system nor thermoregulation will be sufficient. You also need to drink water in order to warm up.
PAIN AND WATER
The body rids itself of toxin load through its detox organs. For this, a healthy intestinal flora and a healthy liver and pancreas are necessary, but water is also necessary. In a dehydrated body, toxin load causes an increase in fibromyalgia, headaches, and all kinds of pain.
CLINICAL SIGNS OF A DEHYDRATED BODY
I would like to list some very specific characteristics that can appear after a certain age (over middle age) in a body that has no habit of drinking water and instead survives on tea, coffee, and cola. However, remember that what I am about to list may not be caused by dehydration alone. The body is a whole, and we cannot completely separate one function from another. Still, I can easily say that dehydration plays a very important role underlying these, even if not on its own.
· Dry skin
· Skin wrinkling
· Cracked lips
· Wrinkling of the hands (not appropriate for one's age)
· Dry mouth
· Dry hair
· Brittle nails
· Redness of the skin, redness that increases with touch
· Frequent headaches
· Coldness of the hands and feet, feeling cold easily
· Itching on the upper arms
· Edema and painful cellulite in the legs
· Getting tired quickly
· Frequent hunger
· Constipation
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DEVELOPING THE HABIT OF DRINKING WATER
· Find out how much water you need to drink using a glass or a measuring tool
· Drink water in small amounts without forcing yourself
· Keep water in your home, office, and car
· Have a glass you love
· Add a flavor you enjoy to your water to sweeten it (a slice of lemon, strawberry, mint, or apple…)
· Meet part of your fluid needs with herbal teas
· Reduce the amount of other beverages you use to quench your thirst.
If you would like more extensive information about water, you can benefit from my books Discover Life, Discover Detox, Why We Live Wrong, and My Forgotten Body.