Nutritional deficiency is rarely considered in terms of getting enough water—but it should be.
But most of us don’t really know what dehydration looks like. As a result, it creeps in slowly and undetected until it becomes a chronic condition.
Chronic dehydration is, in fact, a major, underlying cause of many common ailments in addition to causing decrements in physical, visuomotor, psychomotor, and cognitive performance.
The signs of chronic dehydration manifest themselves under the guise of seemingly insignificant and/or unrelated ailments.
For example, allergies (and even asthma) can be a symptom of chronic dehydration. Dehydration increases histamine levels, which causes the body to release cortisol (a stress hormone). This suppresses the production of white blood cells, making the body vulnerable to allergens.
Chronic dehydration can also cause or contribute to:
- heartburn
- gastro-esophageal reflux disorder (GERD)
- joint pain (due to dried out cartilage)
- kidney stones
- depression
- acid/alkaline imbalance (causing fatigue)
- diverticulitis
- high blood pressure
- obesity (dehydration causes a craving for foods rich in water, which confuses the body into thinking its hungry)
- eczema (because the body does not have enough water to dilute toxins, which then irritate the skin)
- urinary infections
- rheumatoid pain (toxins build up and cause pain because they have not been flushed out)
- premature aging
Thirsty yet?
The raw foods and juices in the 85% raw portion of The Hallelujah Diet contain abundant water in its purest form—living foods. Of course, a supply of purified water is also recommended. Drinking water a half-hour before eating will also help the process of food digestion, easing its effect on your cells.
