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Heartburn,
Dyspeptic Pain, & Gastritis
When the mucus barrier around the stomach is well-hydrated,
it retains bicarbonates and is better able to neutralize
acids as they pass through the mucus. Also, water
plays a very important role in the digestive process.
Without water, complete digestion is virtually impossible.
High Blood
Pressure
When your blood is dehydrated, it loses volume and
becomes thicker. As a defense mechanism, the body
will constrict its blood vessels to retain sufficient
pressure for circulation. Keeping your body well-hydrated
keeps your blood volume high and keeps your blood
less viscous (thinner), keeping your blood vessels
more open. It is also important to note that when
your blood is dehydrated, your body will "steal"
water from inside of the cells to keep the water
content of the blood as high as possible. So, when
you have high blood pressure or hypertension, it
is also very likely that your cells are severely
dehydrated… which can lead to an entire host
of major health problems.
Alzheimer's
and Poor Brain Function
When brain cells become chronically dehydrated,
they begin to shrink, at which time many of the
functions of brain cells become compromised. Dehydration
of the brain also compromises the transport system
that delivers neurotransmitters to nerve endings.
Constipation
and Colitis Pain
One of the main functions of the large intestines
is to remove water from the waste. When a person
is dehydrated, however, the waste becomes too hardened
which makes its passage more difficult, leading
to constipation and colitis pain.
Arthritis and
Joint Pain
The cartilage in joints contain a lot of water which
allow for opposing surfaces to glide freely over
each other during joint movement. When cartilage
becomes dehydrated, however, friction causes more
damage and the cartilage in not able to regenerate
as quickly as it is being destroyed. This can lead
to pain and joint stiffness as the cartilage deteriorates.
Back and Neck
Pain
Spinal joints and discs are dependent upon the hydraulic
properties of the water stored in the disc core
and cartilage. Not only is water a lubricant, it
actually plays a vital role in supporting spinal
compression. When the disc or spinal joints are
dehydrated more weight is placed on the spine (because
less weight is carried by the water), which can
lead to pain.
Headaches
The basic cause if headaches (migraines) is the
excessive dilation of the peripheral vessels in
the brain. Sufficient hydration is the most efficient
way of preventing this dilation.
High Cholesterol
When the body is severely dehydrated, it "steals"
water from the cells. The cells then defend themselves
by producing cholesterol which serves as a "clay"
that makes the cell wall impervious so that no more
water can be removed. This is a natural way that
your cells protect themselves against dehydration.
Excessive Weight
Gain
We eat primarily to supply the brain with the energy
needed for its round-the-clock work. The brain gets
energy from two sources: either from sugar in blood
circulation, or "hydroelectricity" produced
as water passes through cell membranes. When the
brain needs energy, it puts out signals of either
thirst or hunger. Unfortunately, most people do
not recognize these signals as thirst signals, only
as hunger signals. However, only about 20% of the
food we eat reaches the brain. The rest goes to
other parts of the body and will eventually become
stored if muscle activity does not use it up. Since
water moving through the cell membrane can also
create energy for the brain, it is better to drink
water than to eat food. Excess water does not store
and create weight gain like excess food does. Therefore,
drinking sufficient amounts of water helps reduce
overeating.
Asthma and
Allergies
Asthma and Allergies are indicators that the body
has resorted to an increase in the production of
the neurotransmitter histamine. Histamine is the
sensor regulator of water metabolism and its distribution
in the body. It has been shown in animals that an
increase in water intake will reduce histamine production
in histamine producing cells.
In addition, many alternative health
practitioners believe that many Immune Disorders,
as well as problems like Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia
are primarily caused by a severe build up of toxins
in the system. This severe toxicity can be attributed
to dehydration in many cases because when a person
is dehydrated, their cells simply lack the ability
to effectively purge toxins.
Hydration and Physical Fitness
It's no secret that an athlete
will perform better when he, or she is well hydrated.
This is mainly because muscle contractions are initiated
by electrical impulses that are carried through
water. Therefore, well-hydrated muscles can achieve
more intense contractions over longer periods of
time.
In the long term, the importance of deep cellular
hydration cannot be emphasized enough. To optimize
your physical performance, you must keep your body
functioning efficiently at all times. To do this,
your body must maintain high levels of deep cellular
hydration so that the delivery of nutrients and
oxygen, the removal of toxins and wastes (lactic
acid), the functioning of metabolic enzymes, and
the electrical properties of the cells and cell
systems are optimized. This will improve your body's
ability to repair itself, reduce your recovery times,
and allow your body to CONSISTENTLY perform at higher
levels.
When we are born, our bodies
are approximately 90-95% water. As we age, however,
our bodies may dehydrate to levels lower than 50%,
where most bodily functions are severely compromised.
For our cells to be healthy, we should
maintain intracellular water levels (inside your
cells) of 60-65%. However, when a person is severely
dehydrated, intracellular water levels may drop
lower than 40%. If this happens, our cells degenerate
at a very fast rate. It is also important to note
that fat cells cannot contain as much water as muscle
cells, therefore people with more muscle mass tend
to maintain higher intracellular water levels.
A 2% loss of cellular water may result
in an energy loss of up to 20%
Hydration on a Cellular Level
When you consider that our bodies
are made up of billions of cells all working together
for a common good, it really makes sense that in
order to evaluate the health state of the human
organism, we first need to examine its smallest
living component… the cell. In reality, it
is the breakdowns and degenerations which occur
at the cellular level in our bodies that lead to
all of our major health problems.
To your cells, WATER IS EVERYTHING!
Over 99% of the biological reactions in the body
involve water. Water is needed for the delivery
and utilization of nutrients. Water is needed for
the elimination of toxins and wastes. Water is needed
to maintain optimal communication within and between
cells. Water is needed to preserve the electrical
properties of the cells. Water is needed for supporting
protein structure and enzyme activity. And, water
even serves as the adhesive which holds together
the structures in cell architecture.
When any of these functions are compromised,
disease and aging processes begin to manifest and
accelerate. However, if these functions are improved,
the body moves back to a state of balance where
it can begin to effectively heal itself and possibly
begin reversing the effects of aging.
It is also important
to note that the material inside of your cells is
gelatinous and must remain at a very specific consistency
in order for your cells to be healthy. When your
cells become dehydrated, this gelatinous material
hardens, making it less porous and more difficult
for nutrients and oxygen to pass into the cells
and toxins and wastes to be removed out of the cells.
In order for water to work optimally
with the cells in your body, it must be able to
pass freely through the cell wall and penetrate
this gelatinous material that fills your cells.
In the early 1900's, Dr. Alexis Carrel
won the Nobel Prize by managing to keep alive tissue
from the heart of a chicken embryo for 29 years.
He did this by providing the heart tissue with the
nutrients it required to sustain life and by constantly
changing the fluid the tissue was immersed in. The
tissue finally died when someone forgot to replace
the fluid full of cellular waste with clean, unpolluted
fluid. Upon completing this experiment, Dr. Carrell
stated: "The cell is immortal. It is merely
the fluid in which it floats that degenerates. Renew
this fluid at intervals, give the cell something
on which to feed, and so far as we know, the pulsation
of life may go on forever".
One of the first signs of dehydration
is feeling tired. Most often with a quick drink
we will get back to feeling quite energetic. If
you go too far past the point of being tired and
develop a thirst, you are already dehydrated. At
that point it could take you 12-24 hours to get
back to a hydrated state, which leaves you tired,
feeling badly and wondering why. Staying hydrated
is of great importance to how the body functions.
Think of your circulatory system and your blood,
as your body's transit system. Numerous substances
must be delivered and picked up via the blood. If
you are dehydrated, your blood volume is low, therefore
your transit system suffers. Needed functions are
not carried out as well. One of the best ways to
assess your hydration level is the color of your
urine.
Clear to light yellow is considered hydrated. The
darker yellow urine becomes, the more serious your
dehydration.
Let us put together a scenario. You'r a musician
and play a gig one night, maybe you have an alcoholic
or caffeinated drink or two, no water consumption.
You wake up the next day, dehydrated, sore and with
no energy. You may or may not drink some water.
You have another gig the next night. If you are
dehydrated you may not be able to "catch up"
on your hydration level in time for the show. So
you play. You are not able to get into the groove
like usual. Your quickness is not there. You may
have a headache. By doing this, you have further
dehydrated yourself. If conditions are hot and humid,
you could suffer from heat exhaustion.
How can all of this be avoided? A few simple measures
can be taken that will keep you in the clear. Be
sure to drink water before, during and after every
performance or athletic sport event; using your
energy level as a guideline as to when to drink
(water). If you drink alcoholic or caffeinated beverages,
do so in moderation, if at all. More importantly,
find a few key times during the day that you make
it a habit to consume some water. Trigger point
times work well. Connect your water drinking with
something else that you know you do on a normal
basis.
Staying hydrated can keep you on top of your game.
Brain function, muscle reaction time, alertness,
and aerobic endurance will be at their peak if you
keep properly hydrated. Remember, if you are thirsty,
chances are good that you are already dehydrated.
That is when most people go for a beer or a soda?
Think about that.
Recent scientific research carried
out at the Mayo Clinic, Harvard School of Public
Health, U.S. Veterans Administration and other medical
centers show that coffee is not only safe but beneficial—drinking
from 2 to 4 cups of coffee a day may lower the risk
of colon cancer (25%), gallstones (45%), cirrhosis
of the liver (80%), and Parkinson’s Disease
(50% - 80%), among other diseases. It can even reduce
the incidence of asthma (25%) because of the presence
of the chemical theophylline in coffee.
The darker the roast,
the lower the caffeine content, the lower the acidity.
Coffee is one of the oldest and most frequently
imbibed beverages in world history. Many records
seem to indicate the discovery of coffee dates to
around the 8th or 9th century A.D. in either Ethiopia
or Yemen. Archaeologists know Ethiopians have been
eating coffee berries for thousands of years, but
popular legend insists a goatherd, after noticing
how lively his goats became after eating the berries,
discovered coffee.
Africans ate the coffee beans raw for centuries,
often rolling them into small balls mixed with animal
fat. These treats would serve as a kind of energy
bar, used for traveling or in battles. Coffee first
began to be widely cultivated on the Arabian peninsula
around the 9th-century, developing early processes
which somehow derived roasted coffee beans from
picking the fruit.
Coffee took off as a commercial product some time
later in Turkey. The Turks were the first to use
coffee as a beverage, adding substantial amounts
of sugars and spices. The first actual coffee-shop
opened in Constantinople in 1475, any many others
grew over the years. By the mid 16th century, the
coffee business had exploded to the point where
many wealthy households employed their own personal
coffee stewards. The business became so rampant
that, perhaps for religious reasons, the Ottoman
Sultan attempted to outlaw it in 1543.
Seeds to coffee shrubs spread to India, probably
by Muslims returning from a pilgrimage. There they
were spread by Dutch traders to Sri Lanka and their
colonies in Indonesia, where large-scale cultivation
began to take place. Records say that a solitary
coffee plant from Indonesia raised by French King
Louis XIV was the founder of all coffee plants raised
in the Americas.
By the mid 18th century, coffee had truly become
a global commercial product. Coffee at this point
had reached most of the places in the Americas where
it is cultivated present-day and experimentation
had proven that highlands were the best place to
grow on. Coffee was even declared the national beverage
of the nascent United States in 1773 in correspondence
to the Boston Tea Party.
The 20th century saw much of the modern technological
development which has characterized coffee in the
present day. Vacuum-packing tin cans became widespread
around 1900, and instant coffee was invented the
following year. The average home coffee maker came
into being after World War II, and it became increasingly
affordable by the 1970s. However, since mass-processing
and canning tends to reduce the overall quality
of coffee, the 90s have seen a proliferation of
coffee shops and materials available for roasting
and grinding beans at home in order to produce high-quality
coffee.
Caffeine is both the most sought-after issue and
the most famous ingredient in coffee. Besides caffeine,
coffee contains a number of other stimulants found
in tea and chocolate. One attempt to circumvent
the harmful affects of the caffeine stimulant has
been the universally popular decaffeination process.
Removing caffeine inevitably removes some of the
coffee flavor, but since the most caffeine-filled
coffees are cheaper supermarket or instant blends,
flavor probably won’t be much of an issue.
Generally, the decaffeination process involves soaking
the coffee beans in a chemical solvent, Methylene
Chloride, which removes caffeine. Much of the chemical
is supposedly evaporated in the process, but in
rare circumstances, the chemical can remain in trace
amounts – which can contribute to causing
bone disease. To be on the safe side, buying decaf
coffee which has been treated through the Swiss
Water Process is a better bet.
Pesticides, and chemicals used to protect, treat,
or enhance the coffee plants during growth and production
have also been found to have adverse affects on
the human body. For the safest possible coffee,
many have turned towards certified organic coffee
in order to minimize health risks found in coffee
products.
Arabica and Robusta beans are the two species of
coffee beans grown, processed, and shipped for commercial
consumption across the globe. They differ with regards
to growth, pricing, and taste. Generally speaking,
the specialty and gourmet coffees are strictly Arabica,
while most store-bought brands are cheaper Robusta
blends. Tastes in both vary greatly, but Arabicas
are known for their sweeter and fruitier flavors,
while Robustas are bitter and grain-like depending
on their quality.
Arabicas are the more delicate bean, requiring cool
subtropical temperature zones with moisture and
shade. They are extremely vulnerable to cold weather
or insects and damage easily when improperly handled.
Arabicas typically grow in higher elevations than
Robustas.
The Robusta bean comes from a much hardier plan
and capable at growing at lower altitudes. Because
they are subject to fewer problems from damage due
to insects or mishandling, they yield a much higher
rate at a lower cost of production and are cheaper
on the world market. They also contain nearly twice
as much caffeine as an Arabica.
So, Arabicas tend to make the higher-quality expensive
coffee blends while Robustas are cheaper and easier
to come by, and have become identified with the
typical American “wake-up” coffee brew.
Not all Robustas are inferior in quality, however,
and many gourmet espresso blends use them for their
strong taste. Distinguishing between the two is
often a matter of personal preference, but if caffeine
is a factor in what coffee you chose – stick
to the Arabica.
The issue of “fair trade” coffee has
arisen during the last several years in conjunction
with the rise in interest in specialty coffees and
increasing consciousness towards economic issues
related to globalization. Many wish to know what
specifically paying a small amount more for so-called
fair trade coffee has to do with the coffee market
both worldwide and local, as well as why it concerns
the average consumer.
Much of this has to do with the fact that current
“free” trade policies affecting both
American and foreign workers. Increasing economic
globalization and the corporate preference of free
trade policies have greatly expanded American preference
for exports from foreign countries, particularly
the Third World. The popularity of free trade often
stems from the benefits of this method: lower prices
for average consumers buying import goods. But critics
have pointed out that many American manufacturing
jobs have been lost due to domestic factories moving
offshore, exploiting the Third World for cheaper
labor.
The economic consequences of free trade have purportedly
damaged Third World coffee growers a great deal
because coffee prices have fallen to a new low.
Since coffee is the United States’ largest
import, aside from oil, the fall in prices should
have benefited many consumers. But the overproduction
intended to compensate for this price drop has meant
that, though prices have fallen for coffee growers,
larger coffee companies have generally not lowered
consumer prices – but instead registered the
difference as profit.
Many feel that a shift toward fair trade policies
would rectify this iniquity by insuring that coffee
is bought under balanced conditions. If farmers
ship coffee crops through certified Fair Trade importers
who have a minimum purchasing price that matches
that of consumption, they are able to receive fair
prices for their labor. Many feel this initiative
is important not only because it benefits the providers
of much of the world’s coffee, but fair trade
policies frequently include technical assistance
to growing organic coffee free of chemicals and
pesticides. Organic coffee doesn’t contain
many of the chemicals which have shown to cause
health problems, and is reported to taste better
than treated coffee.
Start with your water. Coffee is, after all, 98%
water, so the quality of your water is surprisingly
integral to the quality of your coffee. Try using
different kinds of water: Filtered, bottled, flavored,
or even distilled. It makes a difference. At the
very least, taste your tap water at room temperature
to make sure there aren’t any unsavory flavors
in it. Your taste buds are more acute at higher
temperatures, so your personal preferences for water
become more important in hot drinks.
The quality of the coffee itself depends on several
factors. Freshness, naturally, is extremely important
in having the best possible cup of coffee, but this
almost always means going to extra lengths to prepare
it. Coffee is at its absolute best 12 to 24 hours
after being roasted, with a few exceptions. It should
be ground soon thereafter and served. Ground coffee
only stays fresh for one day at most. These conditions
are the most idyllic for exceptional-tasting coffee,
but it’s likely only very devoted connoisseurs
will go to these lengths. Some coffee shops, however,
do roast and grind their own coffee beans, so a
fresh product can simply be bought there.
The majority of people get their coffee through
generic brands found in most supermarkets. Because
of time constraints, it’s impossible for most
companies to get a truly fresh product out to the
mass market, so store-bought coffee will be always
be stale to an extent. If supermarket brand coffee
is what you generally buy, look for vacuum-packaged
containers with a good expiration date. These packs
help keep the beans from staling further by keeping
carbon dioxide trapped in the bag, which is also
why some bags are fixed with valves.
Also, be sure to watch for the two different coffee
beans: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica generally makes
a more flavorful coffee while Robusta is cheaper
to produce and contains more caffeine. Average coffee
brands contain mainly Robusta, with low-quality
Arabica or older beans thrown in the mix. The higher
quality gourmet coffees are usually 100% Arabica
(and hence, pricier), the exception being espressos,
which contain Robusta beans for their higher caffeine
content. Jars of instant coffee are almost exclusively
Robusta.
Lastly, make sure the equipment you use to make
your coffee is clean. Oils and particles left over
from previously usage on your coffee maker can cause
bad tastes to linger. It’s a good idea to
clean your machine thoroughly after two or three
uses, if not fewer.
Diet Coke is poison. And it's addictive,
some victims drink several liters a day and keep
it on their nightstands. If Coke changes the formula
to remove aspartame the world will heal.
The poison in Diet Coke is aspartame.
As a member of the National Soft Drink Association,
Coke opposed FDA approval of aspartame for beverages.
Their objections, running to several pages published
in the Congressional Record of 5/7/85, said aspartame
is uniquely and inherently unstable and breaks down
in the can. It decomposes into formaldehyde, methyl
alcohol,formic acid, diketopiperazine and other
toxins. In a study on 7 monkeys 5 had grand mal
seizures and one died, a casualty rate of 86%.
Coke knew; and knowing, broke their
good faith contract with customers, a breach exhibited
by the recent plot to program vending machines to
raise the price with the temperature. Dissatisfied
with selling flavored sugar water plus phosphoric
acid, they switched to pushing an addictive formula
called "Diet". Addictive substances multiply
markets, so Diet Coke soared off the sales charts,
spreading obesity in its flight.
We're fatter because aspartame suppresses
seratonin and makes us crave carbohydrates. Our
brain is programmed to expect calories and carbohydrates
when experiencing a sweet taste. When it doesn't
get them, it triggers HUNGER.
So why is aspartame/NutraSweet/Equal/Diet
Coke/Diet Pepsi/etc on the market and in thousands
of foods? One FDA Commissioner and one acting Commissioner
have changed sides to work in the NutraSweet industry,
plus 6 underlings and two federal attorneys assigned
to prosecute NutraSweet for submitting fraudulent
tests to get it approved. "It's like a script
for Abbott & Costello." lamented an honest
FDA scientist writing to Senator Metzenbaum. It
works like this: "Approve our poison, and when
you stop being a bureaucrat we'll make you a plutocrat!
After its licensed we'll pay off the American Dietetics,
the American Diabetes Association, the AMA and anyone
we need who's for sale."
Worldwide consumer action has exposed
aspartame, and millions have kicked the habit. Coke's
profits are down 37% and for a year Monsanto's been
trying to sell The NutraSweet Company. Finally they
sold NSC, producer of the phenylalanine in NutraSweet
for $125 million. Now Monsanto faces a $71 million
lawsuit for exaggerating profits. Monsanto stock
is in the toilet, but they may have found a buyer
in the Swiss firm Pharmacia-Upjohn. The deal won't
finalize for a year. The plans are to ditch the
Monsanto name as its stench is unendurable. CEO
Bob Shapiro may soon be history, like Doug Ivester
of Coke who has resigned.
P.S. Aspartame was pushed through
FDA approval by Donald Rumsfeld a couple decades
ago when he took over as CEO of the original manufacturer
of aspartame.
Also worth noting is the fact
that "soft drinks" & "sodas"
are loaded with phosphoric acid which leaches calcium
from the bones. ("Bone spurs" are a common
result ... not to mention osteoporosis, arthritis,
etc. etc.) |