Did you know… that drinking water in the morning immediately after waking up can have amazing therapeutic effects for a multitude of health conditions – ranging from pain to asthma?
The sages of India called this therapy Usha Paana Chikitsa , which translates roughly from Sanskrit as ” early morning water treatment .” It has long been known that drinking water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach purifies the body’s internal systems. A particularly important result of this treatment is that it cleanses the colon, making the body much better able to absorb nutrients from food.
More recently, in the 1970s, the now-famous Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj rediscovered this ancient knowledge and discovered through his own research that water can naturally heal us from conditions such as high blood pressure, arthritis, asthma, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, and migraines using what he calls water therapy. Born in Iran in 1931, Dr. Batmanghelidj graduated from St. Mary’s Hospital, University of London, Medical School, where he studied under Nobel Laureate Sir Alexander Fleming.
He eventually returned to Iran, where he was imprisoned in 1979 as a political prisoner for over two and a half years in the infamous Evin Prison. There, he discovered the healing powers of water and successfully treated 3,000 fellow prisoners suffering from stress-induced peptic ulcers using simply water. He reported his findings in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology in June 1983, and the New York Times Science Watch , in turn, reported his discovery on June 21, 1983.
In 1982, Dr. Batmanghelidj escaped from Iran and came to America. He began researching the effects of unintentional chronic dehydration on the human body, continuing to publish his groundbreaking data in 1991 and 1992. According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, the body’s natural thirst signals are often mistaken for signs and symptoms of other illnesses. Throughout our lives, we become chronically dehydrated. By addressing this problem at its root, we can avoid unnecessary and invasive procedures and medications.
The water treatment method is as follows:
1. Immediately after waking up in the morning, drink approximately one 250 ml glass of fluoride-free water. If you’re drinking tap water, that fluoride is likely unavoidable. Other options include distilled water (be sure to add minerals back to the water, including a little baking soda for alkalinity) and reverse osmosis. You should do this upon waking and on an “empty stomach.”
2. Do not eat or drink for 45 minutes after drinking the water. After 45 minutes, you can eat and drink whatever you want.
3. Drink a cup of water half an hour before meals. Drink again two hours after each meal.
4. Feel your health begin to improve.
According to the Japanese Medical Society, this treatment would take 10 days to treat constipation, 10 days to treat some gastric problems, and 30 days to treat high blood pressure.
Here are some facts about the benefits of water to help motivate you to drink at least a glass of water first thing in the morning:
1. Speeds up your metabolism. Drinking at least a large glass of water first thing in the morning has been shown to exponentially increase your metabolism by 24% for 90 minutes.
2. You’re dehydrated when you wake up! After 7 to 8 hours of sleep, you’ll likely wake up dehydrated in the morning. Drinking water helps produce new red blood cells and can increase oxygen flow, all of which will energize you.
3. “ Water helps your body flush out toxins. Your kidneys do an amazing job of cleansing and removing toxins from your body as long as your fluid intake is adequate ,” according to Kenneth Ellner, an Atlanta-based dermatologist. Ingesting fluids right after waking up will help your body flush out toxins first thing in the morning: “ Fluiding out toxins and impurities is even easier when you add fresh lemon to your glass, as lemon can increase the rate of urination, allowing for maximum enzyme function and helping to detoxify the liver .”
4. Your brain tissue is 75% water. When you’re not well hydrated, your brain runs on less fuel, and you may feel exhausted, fatigued, or experience mood swings.
5. You’ll eat less. One study showed that people who drank a glass of water before each meal lost 4.5 pounds over a three-month period because it ” filled the stomach with a substance that had zero calories ,” and people ” felt full as a result .”
6. Immunity. As cold and flu season approaches, it’s vital to increase your water intake. If you tend to get sick frequently, you may not be drinking enough water. Staying hydrated can maintain the health of your lymphatic system, which directly affects how your body fights infection. Studies have also shown that a lack of water in the body (dehydration) can cause increased cortisol levels, stress, and illness.
The truth here is that water isn’t a miracle cure. But since humans are mostly made up of water (72%), it makes sense that staying hydrated and active can do wonders for our health. And, an estimated 75% of us are chronically dehydrated. There’s tons of research supporting the fact that most of us live in a state of chronic dehydration and that drinking a couple of glasses of water in the morning can change our lives on a cellular level and do wonders for our bodies and minds. Why not make this a simple daily habit?
