VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Mike Harrison]

For the benefit of newcomers and as a refresher to others, The Importance of Proper Hydration.

I spent 15 years and what must've been many hundreds of dollars or more on drugs and other paraphernalia trying to combat what ultimately was diagnosed by a specialist as an allergy.

That diagnosis was wrong. I later learned on my own that I had become chronically dehydrated over the years. I had no allergies.

I never cared much for sodas; they were too sweet for my tastes and I didn't want the extra sugar, and I rarely drank coffee because of the effects of caffeine. And water was… well, just water. I would drink it only when I felt thirsty.

Live and learn. Turns out, when our mouths tell us we're thirsty, we're already technically dehydrated.

Here's what we need to remember:
Pure water (not that which is part of other beverages) is a necessity of life. Our bodies need plain water to carry out its many functions properly. Typically, we need at least 8 glasses per day. Some may need more, some less. We are properly hydrated when our urine is the color of pale lemonade. Of course, the color will vary, especially depending on what we’ve consumed.

It's normal for mucus to drain from the sinuses into the throat, where it's usually carried to the stomach without our being aware. But, dehydration - a body's shortage of water and salt - causes mucus to thicken so, instead of effortlessly getting from the sinuses to the stomach, it tends to "stick" around and clog things up. So, for those who have a need to clear their throats often, consider that you might be dehydrated.

Of the substances we put into our bodies on a fairly regular basis, caffeine, alcohol, decongestants and antihistamines all, in one way or another, remove water from our bodies.

Fighting my alleged allergies with decongestants and antihistamines for 15 years was actually making my condition worse, not better.

I learned this and much more from a book just over three years ago. Within only days of beginning to rehydrate according to the book's recommendations, I started noticing improvements: first, my cuticles began to heal. The dry skin on my knees and elbows became soft and smooth. So did the skin on my face. Within a few weeks, the alleged allergy symptoms; the on-again/off-again nasal congestion (which was not caused by mucus but by the nasal passages simply swelling shut), began disappearing.

Do you sometimes wake up, face feeling "full?" Almost like a hangover? You're dehydrated. Within 20 minutes or so of drinking one or two glasses of water, you'll feel better. Unless they are migraines or caused by stress/tension, most headaches can be cured in less than a half-hour simply by drinking a glass or two of water.

Today, I no longer take any medication. I haven't breathed this freely in over 15 years and it's wonderful.

While reading this book, I found myself constantly saying, "That just makes sense!"

The book is "Your Body's Many Cries For Water: You're Not Sick, You're Thirsty - Don't Treat Thirst with Medication." I will state, as the author does, that it is not regarded very highly by the medical community. And the reason is simple: they can't make any money by recommending we drink water instead of buying their drugs. (It's the same reason the medical community downplays Chiropractic.) Don’t get me wrong: there are many conditions for which drugs are absolutely necessary. But I no longer immediately run to the drug store; I try water first.

What have you got to lose?

Questions? I'm happy to answer. PM me.
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.

[Jack Daniel]

Thank you, Mike, for this awesome post.
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Jack Daniel
Narrator / Man About Town

[DenaliDave]

As an Eagle Scout who had to deal with many, many sun stroke and dehydrated scouts in my teens -- water is LIFE.

Good, clean water that is. So many 'little things' can be attributed to being dehydrated.

Here, Alaska's winters have virtually zero humidity. People don't realize it, but that insanely low humidity zaps the moisture from their bodies. Combine that with a lack of sunlight/short days -- and people feel miserable.

Headaches, fatigue, grumpiness, mental cloudiness.

So raise a toast for water, you're like 75% made of the stuff!
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"The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought, sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve." - Buddha
www.alaskamic.com