from Chapter 1

Water and the Human Body

Our image of how the body is constructed and our understanding of how it functions determine how we use the body and treat it in the event of illness.

Unfortunately, an old mechanistic vision of the body that has been disproved by current physiological research still survives--most often unconsciously--in the way we consider the body. This outdated concept can lead us to overlook a fundamental factor: the important role played by water in health.

This concept, known as solidism, views the body as a machine made up of solid cogs (the organs) in which fluids circulate (blood, lymph). The body is constructed of a combination of “dry” and “hard” materials, with fluids or water constituting a negligible or very minor component whose role is limited to oiling the machinery and transporting different substances from one part of the body to another.

This way of looking at things so permeates our reasoning process that when an illness makes its presence known, we focus our attention on the solid parts of the body: the organs. We give very little attention to the organic fluids from either a qualitative or, more importantly, a quantitative point of view.

Is there any justification for this lack of interest in the body’s fluids? No, quite the contrary. In fact, what is the human body primarily constructed from, if not water?

THE BODY’S WATER CONTENT

Although the body is constructed of both liquid and solid materials, fluids are present in much greater quantity than solids. Physiology teaches us that water is actually the most important constituent of the body, accounting for 70 percent of the human body’s composition.

A human body weighing around 150 pounds therefore consists of some 105 pounds of fluids (in the form of blood, lymph, and cellular fluids), which represents a little over two thirds of the body’s entire weight. The solid part of the body consists of only about 45 pounds. This is a far cry from a body built from “solid” materials in which only a little liquid is found.

Furthermore, these figures are for the water content of an adult body. It is still higher during infancy, especially during the period of gestation. The body of a newborn is 80 percent water, that of a seven-month fetus 85 percent, and that of a four-month fetus 93 percent.

TABLE 1.1. THE BODY’S WATER CONTENT BASED ON AGE

Age Water Content
4-month fetus 93%
7-month fetus 85%
newborn 80%
child 75%
adult 70%
elderly person 60%

Water is not merely an accessory element useful for filling empty spaces (its structural role) and carrying nutrients (its role as a transporter); it plays a fundamental role in the very functioning of the body. Water is not just Iused by the “solid” parts but has a direct effect on the solid parts by virtue of its presence, motion, and properties.

The functions performed by water are many.

Energetic. By entering and exiting the cells, water produces hydroelectric energy that is stored in the form of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP.

Hydrolytic. Water triggers chemical reactions by decomposing the substances suspended in it.

Activating/inhibiting. The thicker body fluids become, the more slowly biological reactions take place, which means that a sufficient intake of liquid enables the body’s organic “motor” to resume its normal operating speed.

Eliminatory. The purification of the blood by the kidneys occurs because of the pressure applied to the renal filter by the liquid carried there by the renal artery.

Thermoregulatory. When water evaporates on the skin, it cools the body.

Circulatory. The quantity of water in the body regulates blood pressure and the movement of the blood.

Osmotic. The numerous exchanges that take place between the inside and outside of the cells occur as a result of the different pressures applied by the fluids located in various parts of the cellular membranes.

Furthermore, based on recent research and experiments, it turns out that the heart is better described not as a pump that makes fluids circulate throughout the body, but as an exchanger that is set in motion and kept working by the fluids themselves (circulatory function). Corroboration of the experiments performed in this area by Manteuffel Szoege is provided by the fact that in the fetus, the circulatory system is formed and begins to function before the heart.

Water is therefore not only present in the body’s structure in much greater quantity than is commonly believed, but it also plays a fundamental role in the body’s physical functioning.

In this book I offer ten rehydration remedies that use water as a therapeutic agent to restore, refresh, and enhance the balance and quality of the body’s fluid levels as well as remove toxins that have built up over time.

Dry–Wet Alternation Detoxification Remedy
The objective of this remedy is to force the toxins to rise from the depths of the body.

Method
A session in the sauna or physical activity, or any other activity that causes heavy sweating, is a necessary accompaniment to this remedy.

Dry phase: Drink nothing at all during the hours preceding the activity you have selected--a sauna, for example--nor during the time you are taking the sauna or are engaged in the activity. Nor should you eat anything juicy.

Wet phase: At the end of the sauna, or any other sweat-inducing activity, drink 1 to 2 liters of water in one hour to trigger a strong diuresis.

How It Works
The reduction in blood volume (and the rise of toxins from the tissues it creates) is obtained by abstaining from drinking and by the very large increase of the elimination of liquids caused by the sweating session.

Water Used
Mineral water, spring water, or tap water.

Quantity
1 to 2 liters in one hour after the heavy sweating period.

Duration of the Remedy
This remedy can be followed on a regular basis, provided you have rehydrated fully between sessions.