Feb 27, 20235 min read

You're Not Hungry, You're Thirsty!

Updated: Jun 28

Discover this simple and easy to implement five-step hydration formula that can change your health and life. Read on, to hear the amazing facts about hydration and the science behind why you need to drink more water and change when you are drinking it.

"Everyone I know who has started a water regime has lost body fat. As you lose weight and become more active, you’ll require more protein." Dr. Valerie Hunt

Firstly, I want to acknowledge Dr F. Batmanghelidj, aka 'Batman' because his name is challenging to pronounce, wrote the book 'You're not sick, you're thirsty.' I also want to acknowledge Dr. Valerie Hunt the scientist and author who interviewed Batman and shined a light on his amazing discoveries.

To understand how hydration is not only keeping you alive, but can help you to become younger, it's important you understand just how clever your body really is. Did you know that your body prioritises hydration? If you don't have sufficient water in your body, your body is programmed to prioritise which organs and systems receive the water and where it will steal it from to keep you alive.

If you have ever had a problem with constipation, it is likely you were dehydrated at the time.

It could be the amount of water you are 'not' drinking or it could be as simple as the time of day you are drinking it. Here are some of Dr. Batmans discoveries.

When You Are Thirsty

Dehydration causes immediate cellular damage. pain and disabling diseases that can take your life. Maintaining water levels cures major diseases, symptoms and disabilities making every function of the body possible. The minor aches of aging will go when you are sufficiently hydrated.

The body is entirely dependent on water for its complicated functions, it has never developed a water storage system, like it has for storing fat. Water must be supplied to the body before its has any major needs. Water circulates to every cell carrying all nutrients, oxygen, enzymes and hormones. When water breaks up into oxygen and hydrogen it releases electrical energy which acts like an electrical nutrient and powers the body.

Different Organs and Systems and Their Water Needs.

Here they are prioritised in order of need for the body to live:

Brain and nervous system
Lungs and heart
Stomach and intestines
Muscles, joints and tendons

We have a marvelous method of shunting water to where it is needed in the body.

When organs and tissues become active such as muscles and exercise or stomach after eating the nervous system releases histamine which compresses the water pathways and other parts of the body and dilates where needed. This works beautifully when the body has an adequate supply of water but when it is dehydrated:

First the muscles suffer with spasms and tension and iritis.
If there is still inadequate water the gastrointestinal suffers with poor digestion belching, heartburn and the intestines become clogged.
We become constipated because the body tries to withdraw all of the water from the stool to preserve water.
Next with longer-term dehydration the lungs and heart cells become water inadequate. Here the blood pressure goes up, with increasing narrowing of the blood bed and the lungs become inflamed creating mucus to hold back the water.
When dehydration is extensive and prolonged the nervous system and brain cells can no longer function causing such stabilities as Bell’s palsy, muscular and sensory disturbances and paralysis from destruction of nerve and brain cells.

For most adults’ degrees of dehydration are everyday occurrences. Water is temporarily stored in the body, if there is an inadequate cellular water, the body shuts down the water system somewhere else. If this lack of water continues cells poison themselves, become toxic sick and eventually die. This is the real source of disease and disability.

Reduce

Coffee, tea, juices, sodas and soft drinks, alcoholic drinks because research has shown that each of these fluids is concentrated and draws more water out of the body for digestion, than they put in. for every 8 oz glass of these fluids your body gets rid of 12 oz of water to process it. These become habits when your body is thirsty. The stronger the tea the more disastrous. Concentrated juices, like orange, citrus and cranberry have the same dehydrating effects. Dilute them as much as possible.

Drinking these drinks instead of water is the source of our major dehydration problems. Dr Batman

As we become adults we lose the urge of thirst, and either think we are hungry and eat or use tasty drinks that we enjoy more than water. This is where we start our downhill route to illness and medical complaints.

Salt

We have been told to eliminate salt from our diet to protect our vascular system, this is incorrect. Salt is needed to hold intercellular water in place for the cells stress needs. Batman recommends ½ teaspoon per day of salt when we eat natural unsalted foods. Without salt the water is not held in between cells. Increased hydration cures most hypertensions.

Are you water deficient? Check these symptoms

Do you have fatigue in the morning, not after strenuous activity?
Or sleep disorders?
Cravings of soda, alcohol or sweets?
Constipation, allergies or hypertension?
Asthma, diabetes?
Pain in muscles and joints?
Back, neck pain, migraine headaches?
Fibromyalgia, colitis, heartburn, gas?
Neuritis, phlebitis, indigestion?
Complications of obesity?
Hemorrhoids, arterial disease?
Parkinson’s, alzheimer’s and cancer?

Many clinical testimonies insist that water dehydration causes specialised cell function at the primary source of disease in this century. If disease is caught early enough with water maintenance programs, it can be reversed. With serious long-term dehydration cells are destroyed. So chemical replacement is required.

Batman believes all health problems are water deficiencies.

Fat is stored when we eat more than our body needs. But why do we eat too much?

Why are we always hungry? Because we mistake a need for water as a need for food.

The best reducing diet is a permanent one, an increased water intake. The urge to eat weakens as one eats less and pounds fall off and stay off normally.

Change your water drinking habits forever with Batmans routine:

How much water do we need regularly each day and when do we need it? Requirements for an average 128 pound adult would be 8 X 8 ounce glasses per day.

Batmans Simple 5 Step Hydration Formula:

16 ounces of water 30 mins before each meal
Do not drink with the meal, it causes the food to be more dissolved but not digested
8 oz of water between meals to keep up intracellular supply
8 oz of water before exercise, or known stress routines like long hours of work, driving, writing, shopping
Drink when thirsty, but not at mealtimes