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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.)
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