Don't treat your thirst with pain killers!

I've treated many patients suffering from some form of pain or other, without pain killers.

These include chronic headaches, joint pain and menstrual cramps (period pains), etc.

Pain is your body's way of telling you that something is wrong. When your body tells you something is wrong, your response should not be to rush and suppress that symptom. You should ask 'what is wrong and why is this happening?'

In other words, your approach to tackling your health issues should be 'what's causing this symptom [of pain]', as opposed to 'how do I suppress this pain?' - in answering the first question, you discover how to get rid of the pain and how to prevent it from happening again. In answering the second question, you leave the root cause of your pain unknown, and you are thus unable to prevent a future episode.

Answering the first question empowers you to take control of your health and life.
Answering the second question only, leaves you a victim of external influences (eg 'big pharma').

Which brings me to the main point of this blog post.

I'd like to introduce you to a very humble, unassuming drink, one which is freely available (which perhaps is why it is so overlooked and taken for granted...) yet one which is so vital to life you cannot survive up to a week without it. This drink is so necessary for your daily life that if you are not getting enough, various organs in your body complain by sending you signals such as pain, fatigue, irritability, 'stress'.

I'm talking about Water.
Not coffee, not tea, not juice, not alcohol, but water. H2O.

Every single cell in your body is made up of 75% water.
Your brain is 85% water.
Every energy releasing process in your body is driven by water.

Dr Batman, the author of 'Your Body's many Cries For Water', a physician who devoted at least 20 years to studying water and its health properties, showed from his research and experience, that pain is one sure fire symptom of dehydration.

In my clinical practice, I've found this to be true as well.

So much so that I now tell my patients that if you suffer from headaches that won't go away, or period pains, or back pain, or other joint pain, etc, before you run to your doctor looking for a pain killer, drink an adequate amount of water first. Let's rule out dehydration as a cause for your pain. When you do this, if the symptom is still present, then by all means come back and let's re-assess you.

Not one has come back saying the symptoms remained. One man actually came back just to tell me I was a miracle working doctor! I gently told him I was no miracle worker - the real miracle is the human body and the One who created it to be so intelligent that it can take care of and repair itself once it's given the right resources.

I personally practice what I preach: ever since I learnt about the pain-relieving properties of water, and started drinking the amount required for my body size, I've not had to take any pain killers - at the first sign of pain, I drink a pint of water or a bit more. This has kept me free from headaches and period pains (which used to be quite severe). 

How Much Water Is Adequate?

One size doesn't fit all.
No two people are the same in their requirements for food and water.
No two people are exactly alike, period.

So your water requirement (DWR = Daily Water Requirement, the minimum amount of water your body needs for its daily function) depends on various factors such as:

- Your size (a toddler needs less water than a 6 foot tall man, for instance)

- Your other habits: if you drink any thing with caffeine in it, you lose an estimated 500mls of water from your body per cup. So if you must drink caffeine or its relatives (found in coffee, tea, coke-type of drinks), you must drink an additional pint of water so that you're not in negative balance). Same goes for alcohol, which also dehydrates you.

- Your other habits: if you exercise, you need to drink extra water in addition to your DWR.

Formula for calculating your DWR:

Body weight (kg) x 33ml = Your personal DWR in mls
OR
Body weight (pounds)/2 = Your DWR in ounces.

Note:

• When you start drinking the DWR for your weight, you will initially pass urine more frequently than you're doing now, but don't panic - this doesn't last: after a few weeks of your persisting with this, your bladder adjusts and you don't need to go as often.
  
  

TAKE THE WATER CHALLENGE!

Before you start this challenge, check with your doctor and make sure there's nothing in your medical history that makes you need to restrict water intake. Make sure with your doctor that it's ok for you to take the challenge.

The Water Challenge
For the next 21 days:

• Drink nothing but water. Drink your DWR amount. No coffee, tea or other drinks.
• Eat your healthy meals as usual
• GAP (Grab a Pen) and keep a 'water journal', so you can document how you feel before, during and after the challenge, and also to keep you motivated and on track. Also document how many times you're going to pass urine each day.