“You’re not sick; you’re thirsty. Don’t treat thirst with medication.” – the recommendation by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D and the endorsement of many. We have seen the benefits of water for athletes during training, the body during relaxation and the skin during beauty treatments. But how can water cure illness?

The water cure

It’s no secret that our body is 80% water, but the notion that this body is split into two may be news to some. These two oceans of bodily water are split between the area flowing around each cell and one of the components that make up each cell. The principle of ‘the water cure’ is to get water into each and every cell!

Therefore it’s simple – we drink water and then we drink more water and we eat salt (yes you read correctly). The addition of salt into the body causes the water to be dragged into the cells via osmosis.

The how

The dangers of water intoxication are real, so how do you ensure you get right balance every day? It’s not enough to just drink gallons of water, the correct level of nutrients is also important to achieve optimum health. The basis of the water cure is this:

• Drink a daily amount of water that equals half your bodyweight in ounces
• For every 16 ounces of water, take 1/8th teaspoon of unprocessed sea salt dissolved in the mouth (not to be added into the water)
• Avoid contact with toxins and poisons

The schedule

It’s not enough to haphazardly consume the water and salt, it’s only effective when following a rather strict schedule:

• Drink within 20mins of waking
• Eat within 35-45 mins
• Drink 2 hours after eating
• Drink 45 mins before lunch
• Drink 2 hours after lunch
• Drink 45mins before dinner
• Drink 2 hours after dinner
• Drink before bedtime

It’s hardly surprising that the notion of eating salt washed down with water can cure everything from the common cold to cancer brings out the sceptics, but is there credence here?

Dehydration causes many illnesses and many body conditions (circles under the eyes, for example) are a result of chronic dehydration. It has been advocated for years that we should drink 8 glasses of water a day, but the water cure’s calculation of how much we should drink based on our body weight seems much more appropriate. I mean should a 5ft, 8 stone woman really drink the same as a 6ft, 14 stone man?

Balancing our fluids

For many of us our days are filled with liquid intake: tea in the morning, coffee mid morning, juice mid afternoon, drinks at dinner and then more tea and coffee. Can we count this towards our water intake? Basically, no. To balance the body, it’s recommended that we drink an extra cup of water for every cup of coffee.

Modern living

The increased prevalence of most modern diseases (diabetes in particular) parallels the rise of modern drinks. A century ago our standard diet included simple, organic, unprocessed foods with water being the staple beverage. Although we are still consuming beverages in accordance with our thirst, the choices we make are unsupportive of our internal balance and therefore affecting our health.

The solution

There is little doubt that water replenishment can cure some illnesses, and flushing out the toxins can only be a good thing. But sensibility must come into play, and if your working day consists of excessive caffeine or sugary drink consumption then drinking filtered water to offset the imbalance is a definite yes!

[Photos by bogitw and TBIT]