Water in Ramadan (Part 4)

For the last three weeks, I have been discussing an essential element to life. Since we seem to neglect to drink sufficient water while fasting in Ramadan with the current high temperatures, I decided to explore the subject in more depth in my last articles. Moreover, water is not given its dues, especially by the medical community. Now, I shall continue where I left last time.
In certain cases, as seen in earlier articles, water deficiency can become the underlying cause of disease, which get overmedicated most of the time, when the cure can be as simple as a glass of water according to Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, expert on water. In the last weeks, I spoke about the most obvious organs and systems that can get affected by water shortage as well as disorders that results from water loss and how they can be reversed with adequate supply of the fluid.
I would like to start by repeating Dr. B.’s strong statement: “…Nothing substitutes for water — not a thing. No drink — no coffee, no tea, no alcoholic beverages. Not even fruit juices.” Sad enough recently, we developed a trend of breaking fast with such drinks as well as colas and sodas, ignoring the necessity of pure water to our body and cells. Let us see what Dr. B has to say about these beverages.
Dr. B. warned against soda, excessive caffeine and sweetened soft drinks (10 to 12 lumps of sugar in a can). He affirmed that they should not be equated with plain fresh water. The culture of manufactured beverages is a recently acquired trend practiced by our youth. He called it “bad education” instilled in the youth by the beverage industry. Unfortunately, youngsters and some addicted adults do not stop after one can, but guzzle down several a day. One portion of certain soda or energy drinks can reach up to 8 cups of coffee. He continued saying that such beverages make children “‘stupid,’ but once you take the soft drink away from them, their grades improve tremendously — C's and F's become A's and B's. So, there is something in caffeine that suppresses the enzymes from memory-making.” He added that caffeine, morphine and cocaine “are the same family of drugs — neurotoxic substances.”
Caffeine, sugar and alcohol containing beverages are considered negative drinks due to their diuretic characteristics. They rush to eliminate most fluids from cells, blood, bones, organs and systems indiscriminately, resulting in dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, muscle spasms and arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), or other complications.
Soft drinks do not act the same way in the body as water does. They have other targets and their chemicals do other tasks than water does. Brain and body cells require the purity of water to replace the amount expended by bodily functions and help the toxin eliminating systems and glands to cleanse the body through perspiration, urination and others, as Dr. B. puts it, “The body depends on the freedom of that fluid, water.”
According to Dr. B. “both sugar and caffeine have their own chemical agenda in the body. They defeat the purpose of the need for water.” He also believes that alcohol is detrimental on the cellular level, body and brain.
As for the skin, he explained that, “If the skin is nice and loose and smooth, then we are hydrated. If it becomes creasy and shriveled, it means dehydration. The crow's feet on the face of elderly people, that's a sign of dehydration. The turkey neck under the chin is a sign of dehydration.” Water deficiency speeds the ageing of skin. Well-hydrated skin is plump and taut.
Excessive exposure to the sun produces similar effects, too, because the hot sunrays dry and sear the skin, resulting in premature wrinkles and some times skin cancer.
Another symptom of water deficiency is bad breath. With dryness, the saliva becomes thick, giving a foul odor from the mouth. To sweetened breath odor, drink enough water.
In healthy individuals, thirst is an indicator of water shortage, but when dehydration overcomes the body, it shuts the feeling of thirst, fooling the dried out person that there is no need for water. Dr. B. asserted that, “Thirst perception [is] not reliable,” especially after the age of 70. Older folks and children should always be reminded to drink water. They tend to become dehydrated more easily or develop urine and bladder infections.
Finally, I would like to discuss the amount of water we are supposed to have every single day to substitute for the lost fluids through daily body functions (breathing, toxin elimination, digestion, renal system, blood). An important rule, you should not wait to feel thirst in order to drink. Every couple of hours, you should drink a glass of WATER and NOT COLA in between the main meals and in the morning as you wake up. Get into the habit of keeping a bottle or a canister of fresh clean water next you.
Around two quarts, or two liters, a day is what Dr. B. suggested. Your input of water should well exceed that of your output of urine, taking into consideration perspiration, digestion and other functions. When “the urine is colorless, that is a good sign,” said Dr. B., but when it becomes orange “The body is suffering from that dehydration.”
On the other hand, too much water intake can overload the kidneys and nutrients also get flushed out.
Other studies showed that the average body uses up to 2.5 liters for breathing, perspiration, digestion and elimination. When the body loses as low as 5 percent of water, it starts manifesting fatigue, body aches, disorientation and other discomforts. While children and infants dehydrate more easily, dehydration in the elderly can set the body chemistry (electrolytes) off balance.
All purified fresh or bottled water should be good for drinking. Some are higher in minerals than others such as artesian and spring waters. Zamzam well water from Holy Makkah is very rich in minerals, calcium and magnesium, making it energizing for the pilgrims who can enjoy it during their stay in the Holy City. Its high content of fluoride also protects the water from contamination. Even mixing a small amount of Zamzam to other water can enhance its mineral content and your body and health can still enjoy the benefits of the holy water.
Fresh clean water has a miraculous way of reviving energy, refreshing the mood, boosting immunity and revitalizing the spirit. According to a study, every time you wash, shower, or make wodhou’, ablution, before prayer, you are not just cleansing your body of dirt; you are also lifting your immunity, mood, energy and spirit. It is amazing what a splash on the face can do to you, let alone drinking regularly.
There is so much benefit and information about this essential element that we ignore. The subject requires a revisit some other time in order to explore its other aspects. Meanwhile, I wish you a peaceful and rewarding end of Ramadan and Happy Eid and to all Muslims. I will come back with more on health after the Eid break.

N.B.: Individuals with medical conditions or on medication should consult their physicians when they decide to introduce anything new in their diet even if it is natural.

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