How to do the Water Cure

The most common substance in the human body is water. Our bodies are almost entirely made up of it. Water is a huge part of our cells, our tissues and just about everything else. It's a major component of many biological processes such as circulation and metabolic function. Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, in his book, "Your Body's Many Cries for Water", puts forth the theory that almost all illnesses are related to a chronic dehydration in the human body. Because we don't drink enough water to keep our body in functioning at its optimal level, we get sick.

It sounds simple, right? Dr. "Batman", as he is often called, says that it is simple. If you drink enough water, your body will return to a proper balance and you can heal a variety of illnesses from allergies to auto immune conditions like Lupus to Cancer and even conditions that often baffle the medical community like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. He says that water is the cheapest, simplest and most effective cure.

So, how does one attempt to cure themselves with water? The water cure itself has a few rules.

1) Drink ½ your body weight in ounces of water every day. Most doctors and dieticians recommend that people drink at least 8 to 10 8 oz. glasses of water daily. This amount can be considerably more than that. For example, if you weight 240 lbs., you will have to imbibe at least 120 oz. (almost double the minimal daily requirement) to get your "water cure."

Please note: that you should probably have your kidney function tested prior to doing the water cure as there are some individuals who may not be able to drink that much water every day. For the common person, however, it should NOT be a problem.

2) You must have ¼ tsp. of salt, preferably a pure sea-salt, per quart of water you drink. Remember: a quart of water is 32 oz.

You may put the salt in your water bottle, sprinkle it on your food or ingest it in any way that you can. The salt balance is reportedly an important part of the process.

Those are the two basic rules of the water cure. Although it's a controversial treatment, it is simple. There are, of course, extra tips that may help you further as you follow the water cure. These are:

* If you drink any "dehydrating drinks" like colas, coffee, tea or alcohol, then you must drink at least 10 extra ounces of water for every 6 ounces of the dehydrating agent.

* Dr. Batmanghelidj recommends that the water we drink for the cure is cool or at room temperature. Ice-cold water may shock the digestive system and lessen the effects of the cure.

* It's best not to drink a lot of water with your meals. Dr. "Batman" suggests that you only sip water while eating so as not to disturb your body's natural 'digestive juices'.

* You may add a little bit of flavoring like orange or lemon juice to the water but be careful not to add too much as the water needs to be as pure as possible to be effective.

* It's probably best to sip a few ounces every half hour or so; rather than trying to drink a lot of water all at once. That will reduce nausea and help the body process the water more efficiently.

Basically, the water cure is cheap, simple and many claim that it is very effective. Of course, before beginning the water cure or any other such protocol, it is highly recommended that you seek out the counsel of your doctor or a licensed medical practitioner. Perhaps, Dr. "Batman's" ideas will revolutionize medicine in the future and prove that we are not just what we eat, but also what we drink.

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