Water is the best drink. It's best taken when it's naturally cold or warm. Naturally cold water promotes secretion of toxins through the skin and increases excretion of poison through the urine. Warm water, meanwhile, stimulates the inner lining of the stomach, contracts blood vessels, and lessens the secretion of acids from the glands. The best way to drink water is to take it sip by sip, making sure that saliva is mixed with it before swallowing.

Dehydration

Dehydration is the excessive loss of water. Dehydration causes imbalance of sodium, potassium and chloride, which are the minerals that help distribute water to  the vital organs. Thirst, loss of skin elasticity, dry skin, decreased urine, irritability, confusion caused by excessive sweating, fever, diarrhea, and vomiting are just some of the signs of dehydration. It is important to note also that some conditions do not manifest dehydration just by thirst. For some, the body expresses thirst through stomach pains after eating, chest pain, joint pain, headache and even backaches.

Dehydration can also cause stress. Stress, in turn, causes further dehydration. Depression, the exaggerated feeling of sadness, worthlessness and rejection can also cause dehydration. It is important to note that staying hydrated is very important for the brain because water generates electrical energy. The body tends to secrete higher amounts of the following hormones during dehydration:

Drinks like alcohol, coffee, tea and carbonate drinks suppress secretion of these hormones. Thus, these fluids can cause dehydration in some organs of the body.

Some illnesses may be controlled if water is drank properly. Adequate water can delay the onset or severity of hypertension just by drinking enough water. For asthmatics, more histamine in the lungs can cause constriction of the air passages and coughing due to thick mucus secretions. This constriction can cause dehydration. Simply drinking 10 glasses of water or more reduces histamine production just in a few weeks because of adequate supply of water in all body cells.

Imagine, just by simply drinking slowly, there can be so much relief from many of our ailments!  But when I read that water should be sipped little by little, I had to unlearn my drinking habits.  It is still a continuous challenge.

When Not to Drink Water

Dr. Ramaiah recommends not to drink water while eating. This can affect food digestion and secretion of saliva. Water leaves the stomach in 5 to 10 minutes of drinking it and brings some of the food with it. Too much water can cause indigestion. It is recommended to drink water with empty stomach 1 ½ hours before meals and 3 hours after meals. He also recommends not to drink water or any liquid with straw. 

China Daily (www.chinadaily.com.cn) discussed the 'Water Drinking Table'. It suggests drinking water 30 minutes before breakfast 8 oz. or 250 cc. of water to clean the liver and kidneys. Then, practically every two hours to moisturize the body, keep focus and decrease work-related stress. Drinking water 30 minutes to one hour before sleeping is also recommended to prevent blood clots.

   

There is no substitute for water. We should drink more water often to hydrate our bodies so it can function more effectively. Happy water drinking!  Cheers for health and beauty!

EM-EM

Herbal Gardener, MBA                                                                                                         

Source:

Healing Powers of Water, Dr. Savitri Ramaiah © 2009, Sterling Publishers Pvt.Ltd., New Delhi

How to Drink Water. Lifestyle.com, China Daily.com.cn, City Life

About twenty years ago, in one of our visits to my mother-in-law, Serafina, at Tigbauan, Iloilo (Island of Visayas), I overheard her cough overnight.  The next day, I asked her for a herbal that can relieve her cough.  She gave me leaves she called Babana.  Every night, I boiled some leaves into tea which she drunk before sleeping.  She slept soundly while we were there.

Babana in Ilonggo comes from the Spanish word Guabana.  It is also commonly called Guyabano in the Philippines.  Its scientific name is Anona Muricata and internationally known as Graviola Tree.

The fruit of the Guyabano is very rich in Vitamin C.  Aside from lots of fiber, it is also rich in Vitamins B1, B2 and K.  The fruit and juice are good for the liver and even works against worms.  While the crushed fresh leaves can be boiled and used as compress for swollen feet and inflammations or can be made into poultice for rheumatism.

In the internet article, Natural Cancer Cell Killer, it is said to increase immune system to protect the body from heart and liver disease, asthma, arthritis and cancer of the colon, breast, prostate and pancreas.  For healing, they also recommend the 30- DAY PROTOCOL or drinking the tea three times a day for 30 days.

  

Many have shared with me the good effects manifested by the healing power of Guyabano but it should be taken the right way to prevent adverse reactions.  For it is common for Filipinos to drink herbal tea as agua tiempo or as a substitute for water.

But Dr. Ramiah of Healing Powers of Water says that “Tea, coffee, aerated drinks and alcohol contain substances that dehydrate”.  As the saying goes “Too much of everything is bad.”  Thus, Guyabano Tea should be taken as follows:

5 leaves per glass of 8 oz.

3 x a day for 30 days                                                                                  

30 minutes before meals or 1 ½ hours after meals

REST for 10 days -   reduce little by little before stopping

Remember:

Em-Em

Herbal Gardener, MBA

Sources:

http://www.questia.com/library/1G1-292627553/guyabano-miracle-cure-for-cancer

http://www.foodrecap.net/health/guyabano-against-cancer-and-other-diseases/

http://guyabano.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soursop