I am starting the water cure that was developed by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, who said: "You're not sick; you're thirsty. Don't treat thirst with medication."
Water cure involves drinking half your weight in ounces (so f.e., if you weight 120, you would drink around 60 oz./day), and taking unprocessed sea salt, an eighth to a quarter teaspoon, on your tongue through the day.
I've read so many places that there is a normal elevation in the blood Sugar readings overnight (while sleeping). This, I've learned, seems to be true.
However, every time I wake up in the middle of the night (to tinkle) and drink approximately 16 ounces of water, when I take my readings in the morning, they drop significantly.
This confirms what I've been saying about the role of dehydration in emphysema and all other diseases.
Smoking is a major contributor to dehydration. This dehydration robs the vitamin A from the body, which in turn, causes emphysema (look at the studies done on Retinol to try and reverse the disease).
By treating yourself for dehydration and maintaining that treatment, many sufferers will find relief.
I was diagnosed 5 years ago. For most of that time I did very little, opting to adhere to the medical community's conclusion that emphysema is incurable. I don't believe that anymore. In the year or so that I've been using what's called "the Water Cure ", I have not only found relief in my symptoms, but there are times when I seem almost symptom-free.
No, I'm not trying to hand anyone a bill of goods just to sell something. I didn't come up with the Water Cure and using it doesn't cost anything but time (and perhaps a small outlay to purchase the proper type of salt). But the website where the "cure" is found does not belong to me, and I have nothing to gain from sending others to the site except the satisfaction of knowing that maybe I'm helping someone.
Don't discount the healing power of water, just because it isn't a prescription drug and because it's virtually free. The body is made up of a critical balance of 75% water, with the blood having around 90% water and the brain 85% water. This water is combined with a salt solution that is close to that of the ocean. Cells function properly by using water and salt. When they need replenished, the water reserves on the outside inject them with more salt and water.
When this critical balance is changed, even in the slightest way, the cells don't get the water they need and start to malfunction and the immune system is compromised. This is what causes disease.
Few people drink water - of those that do, they don't drink enough. We prefer soft drinks, coffee, tea, alcohol, sports drinks, and energy drinks - these are not good for you, they contribute to dehydration, as does America's favorite snack - chocolate.
When considering the ways in which the body loses water - such as urination, breathing, and sweating (which also excretes salt), it takes a toll on the water reserves. Factoring in the effects of caffeine and other contaminates from the things listed above, and over time, you're talking about chronic dehydration.
The dehydration can be reversed - although the longer you wait, the harder it is. Most diseases can be reversed such as cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes - most of the so-called "incurables". As for emphysema, I've not heard of any reversal of this condition, but then again, how many have approached it using the water cure method?
I am doing just that - I am using water. Not only are my lungs clear of mucus 90% of the time, but I've seen a vast improvement over what I figure I should be like had I kept believing the medical community's prognosis.
One final thing: in my opinion, the main reason this is referred to as a "progressive disease" is because people are so addicted to smoking that they refuse to quit. Again, this is just my opinion, so don't attack me if you've quit and the disease has progressed, anyway - perhaps you waited too long to quit, I really can't say. Personally, after having smoked for over 30 years, being diagnosed and then finding some crackpot prognosis about emphysema victims only having an average survival time of 4 years, it gave me the strength to quit cold turkey. And if I can quit cold turkey - I, who hasn't got the will power to do anything else - then surely, anyone else can quit. Hanging on to excuses and using them as a crutch is only taking one more step down the path of no return. Patches and other gimmicks aren't the answer - you either smoke or you don't. This like trying to sober up by taking smaller drinks of alcohol. It's an all-or-nothing proposition.
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Important Tips To Know Before Starting The Water Cure Program
Water should stay inside your body for 2-3 hours so your body has time to use the water properly. Scroll down to asterisks (*****) below for
complete information.
You must be sure your kidneys are working ok. This means liquid in results in liquid out. For example: the amount of water or other beverages taken in should be urinated during the day.
Here are Dr. Batman’s recommendations:
The “rule of thumb” for water is half your body weight in ounces taken throughout the day. A little less or even a little more is ok.
The “rule of thumb” for salt is to dissolve 1/8 tsp of salt on our tongue per 16 oz ( ½ liter ) of water that we drink - 1/16 tsp sea salt per 8 oz. of water we drink.
If you have any swelling of your feet, ankles, legs, arms, fingers, eyelids you must stop all salt for 2 to 3 days and just drink the water. The exception to this would be swelling from an injury/accident.
You probably just rolled your eyes to the back of your head saying, “Are you nuts… that’s a lot of water to drink”. Actually, it’s quite simple to accomplish this when taken in say… 8 glasses of water spaced throughout the day.
For example, lets take a 192 pound person. Half their body weight is 96 pounds. Change that to 96 ounces. Divide that by 8, for the number of glasses you are going to drink, which equals 12 ounces. You would be drinking 8 (12 ounce) glasses of water per day. Now… wouldn’t you agree that drinking the water this way it is easy to do?
If you do not drink this much water right now, you must start adding the extra water very slowly. This gives your body time to adjust to the added water intake. If you don’t, the water will act like a water pill (diuretic), pulling necessary minerals from your body, possibly causing more harm than good. Senior citizens and children MUST start adding the extra water slowly.
Here’s how to increase your water intake slowly. Using the above example, start out with (3) – 8 oz glasses of water your first day. The next day add one or two glasses. Keep doing this until your required glasses per day is reached. Now start increasing the ounces until your total per glass is reached.
Please keep in mind; it’s only a rule of thumb on half your body weight in ounces of water and 1/8 tsp of salt for every 16 oz of water. Some people will require a little more water where others will require a little more salt.
After a while, the body’s requirements can change for a little more water and salt because of hot weather, cold weather or exercise. Each person must find his or her body’s requirement at this time.
Never drink more than 33.8 oz (1 liter) of water maximum at one time (or sitting).
Children ages 2 and up will need 75% of their body weight in ounces of water per day, because their bodies are growing all the time and every cell in their expanding body needs this extra water (mytosis).
Children that are active or playing sports can require up to 100% of their body weight in ounces of water per day.
The water cure program does not apply to newborns up to 2 years of age.
Iodized table salt will work in a pinch, but unrefined non-oven-dried sea salt is best, because of the extra trace minerals found in it. Sea salt also tastes better.
There are four ways to take the salt:
1. The best way is to just dissolve the salt on your tongue - let it dissolve as much as you can and drink the water after the salt, washing it down.
If you are very salt-sensitive then you would get some empty capsules and put the amount of salt you require into the capsules and take it with food.
When you put some salt on your food-be careful not to overdo it - if you use TOO much in addition to dissolving it on your tongue, you will acquire a taste for very salty food.
When ill or having a problem, you can do a "quick fix" by dissolving 1/8 teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of water. Swish, gargle and spit one mouthful of the salt water at a time and swallow just the last mouthful.
NOTE: A water cure "coach" can help you with this as well as learn to use several other possible "quick fix" solutions.*
Please note that it is not advised to drink salt water for a continued period of time. DRINKING SALT WATER CAN CAUSE FURTHER DEHYDRATION.
You must also make sure you are getting at least 350 mcg of iodine in your multi-vitamins each day, up to a maximum of 450 mcg of iodine each day.
You may want to look at drbrownstein.com. Dr. Brownstein further researched Dr. Batmangheligj' teaching that "we require iodine since there is none in sea salt". This research in very interesting and informative.
You need to read the “histamine article” so you can better understand how to tell when you need more salt, more water or more potassium (which is found in most foods).
It is very important for you to have one of Dr. Batman’s books. A suggestion would be “ABC of Asthma, Allergies and Lupus” or his latest book “Obesity, Cancer and Depression”. The ABC book contains a lot more than what the title says.
There are 6 pages in each book on why a person needs salt and what it does in the human body.
CAUTION ON SWELLING
If you have any swelling of your feet, ankles, legs, arms, fingers, eyelids or excessive diarrhea you must stop all salt for 2 to 3 days, just drink the water. The exception to this would be swelling from an injury/accident. Note: Too much salt can cause diarrhea.
Then begin taking the salt again, but add it back slowly. You should use no more than
1/8 tsp ( ¾ g ) of salt per 16 oz ( ½ liter ) of water.
Dr. Batman says drinking plain water by itself will flush out all the extra salt the body was holding in the cells and help clean out the system. The water will run through you very quickly pulling very important minerals from the body. It is suggested you take a multi-vitamin with all three main meals to replace what minerals might have been pulled out.
When the swelling is gone, you can restart the program of drinking half your body weight in ounces of water. This time however, you will take it in small amounts throughout the day, slowly increasing the amount of water until up to half your weight in ounces of water has been reached. Also start taking the salt with the water.
You must also make sure you are getting at least 150 mcg of iodine in your multi-vitamins each day, up to a maximum of 450 mcg of iodine each day.
***** Water should stay inside your body for 2-3 hours so your body has time to use the water properly.
If you are peeing (urinating) sooner than 2-3 hours after drinking your water, you should stop drinking plain water and switch to drinking orange juice, lemonade, grape/cranberry juice or any other juice. One point of caution… asthmatics should never drink orange juice
Note: When drinking orange juice, you should add 1/8 tsp of salt per 8 ounces.
If drinking juice does not work, the next thing to try is experimenting with drinking your juice while eating a bagel. This means:
· Drink and eat the bagel at the same time… or
· Eat the bagel first then drink your juice
· Optional – increasing the salt to 1/4 tsp salt per 8 ounces, when you are eating the bagel may help retain the water longer
You can put cream cheese, real butter or jam on the bagel.
After using a whole bagel for a day or two, then you can cut down to using half a bagel, then a quarter and just stop the bagel and use your food to take with the juice.
Here is how you should slowly go from drinking juice to going back to drinking plain water again. After a few days you should try drinking 2 ounces of plain water a half hour before eating food. Then you can increase the water to 4 ounces a half hour before eating food. Next it would be 6 ounces, then 8 ounces and so on until up to your required amount.
Water should stay inside your body for 2-3 hours so your body has time to use the water properly. (See Water Cure Tips under Critical Water Cure Information).
The information and recommendations on water intake presented on this site are based on training, personal experience, very extensive research, and publications of F. Batmanghelidj, M.D. on the topic of water metabolism of the body.
This site does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use or the discontinuance of any medication as a form of treatment without the advice of an attending physician, either directly or indirectly.
The intent of Dr. B., based on the most recent knowledge of microanatomy and molecular physiology, is to offer information on the importance of water to well being and to inform the public and medical professionals of the damaging effects of chronic, unintentional dehydration to the body from childhood to old age.
This information is not intended as a replacement for sound medical advice from a physician. On the contrary, sharing of the information on this site and in his books with the attending physician is highly desirable. An individual undertakes the application and recommendations described herein at one’s own risk. Adoption of the information should be in strict compliance with the instructions on the website and in Dr. B.’s material.
Very sick people with a past history of major diseases who are under professional supervision, particularly those with severe renal disease, should not make use of the information contained herein without the supervision of their attending physician.
All the recommendations and procedures herein contained are made without the guarantee of Dr. B or anyone associated with this website and disclaim all liability in connection with the use of the information presented herein.
All information on this page was edited from Dr. Batmanghbooks, for the internet by Mr. Jim Bolen, a dear associate of Dr. Batmanghelidj. Please e-mail Robert Butts with any questions concerning the Water Cure Recipe or the Nutrition Table below.
SUGGESTED PROGRAM FOR WATER & SALT INTAKE
This information comes from the books Dr. Batmanghelidj wrote.
The formula for water intake is half your weight in ounces of water divided by 5 or 6 for the number of times you can drink the water throughout the day and the size of the container or amount of water you drink each time. IMPORTANT: When you drink your water, get it down in 5-6 minutes, “Don’t nurse it”.
EXAMPLE: For a 300 lb. person – half is 150 ounces divided by 5 equals a 30 oz. bottle
Use a 32 oz. bottle 5 times a day or a 24 oz. bottle 6 times a day
SALT: Sea salt is best: it has one of the highest mineral contents. Use a measuring teaspoon. The rule of thumb is to dissolve on your tongue 1/16 tsp for every 8 oz. of water you drink, 1/8 teaspoon of salt for every 16 oz. of water you drink; eat 1/4 teaspoon for every 32 oz (1 quart) you drink; eat 1/2 teaspoon for 64 oz. you drink, or eat 1 full teaspoon for 1 gallon you drink. (Some people will need less salt, others more). Remember not to drink more than 33 ounces at any one time when you drink. This is a starting point, not a set rule. Your dose of water and dose of salt will vary by whether or not you hold urine 2 hrs after drinking. You can also additionally salt your food to taste.
NOTE: ONLY add 1/2 tsp. of salt to just 8 ounces of water if you are using a quick fix described on the front page- shake or stir it. The best way to use salt is to just place the salt onto your tongue- let it dissolve then drink water._* Different individuals have different water and salt needs depending on urination, blood pressure and swelling. Get with a water cure coach from our site to ask for help.
“FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, DRINK WATER!”
1. Water – (amount required)_________oz. Note Time.
Wait - now you wait 30 minutes (ideally) before eating.
Eat - Breakfast. Start Timing.
Wait - 2- 2 /12 hours (nothing goes in your mouth).
4. Water – (amount required) __________oz. Note Time.
Wait - now you wait 30 minutes (ideally) before eating.
Eat - Snack. Start timing.
Wait - 2 – 2 ½ hours (nothing goes in your mouth).
2. Water - (amount required) _________oz. Note Time.
Wait - now you wait 30 minutes (ideally) before eating
Eat - Snack. Start Timing.
(Snack optional, but still wait the 2 – 2 ½ hrs)
Wait - 2 – 2 ½ hours ( nothing goes in your mouth, not even gum, mints, etc.)
5. Water - (amount required) _________oz. Note Time.
Wait - now you wait 30 minutes (ideally) before eating.
Eat - Evening meal. Start timing.
Wait - 2 – 2 ½ hours (nothing goes in your mouth).
After eating, don’t go to bed until you’ve had your next portion of water which helps you digest the food. Try to go for a short walk. If short on time, just skip food and do water.
3. Water - (amount required) _________oz. Note Time.
Wait - now you wait 30 minutes (ideally) before eating.
Eat - Lunch. Start Timing.
Wait - 2 - 2 1/2 hours (nothing goes in your mouth).
* Half your weight in ounces is the minimum amount of water, but a good starting point. If you’re working outside, exercising, doing sports or in an air conditioned or heated room, extra water & salt is needed to prevent dehydration.
6. Water - (amount required) _________oz. Note Time.
Wait - now you wait 30 minutes (ideally) before eating.
Eat - Snack. Start timing.
Wait - 2 – 2 ½ hours (nothing goes in your mouth).
Go for a short walk and then go to bed. (Any time you get up in the night to go to the bathroom, drink ½ glass of water and put a grain or two of salt on your tongue, then go back to bed). You can drink water anytime you feel you need it.
NOTE: Remember - if you urinate sooner than 2 hours after drinking water--do the bagel magic fix under the "Critical Water Cure Information" link on our front page and or eat sooner after drinking rather than wait the half hour to help hold your water for 2 hrs.. An average child over 3 yrs old old needs 3/4 their body weight in oz. of water - daily total in 6-8 doses.
Check with a coach for more information-children require more water and salt as they are more active and have higher metabolisms.
Elderly (above 65) or very ill or dehydrated persons should begin the suggested program slowly; for example, start by taking 8 oz. of water with salt 2 times a day; one a.m. and one p.m. Then, after a couple of days, add another glass or two to your daily intake. Keep adding a glass to your daily intake until you are drinking half your weight in ounces as suggested at the top of this page.
NUTRITION
THINGS TO STOP:
Coffee, tea, soda, smoking, alcohol, chocolate & ginseng (ginseng works like caffeine). Caffeine and alcohol act as a diuretic by forcing water out of the body.
CAFFEINE:
• Robs the body of vitamins B-1, B-2, B-6, B-12, vitamin C, zinc, potassium & other important minerals
• Interferes with DNA replication (how cells repair & reproduce in the body)
• Can be highly toxic (the lethal dose estimated to be around 10 grams)
• Can interfere with learning and memory (ADD - Attention Deficit Disorder)
Daily intake adds up over a year. Caffeine accumulates in the body’s fat tissues and is not easily eliminated. The amount of caffeine that is staying in the body depends on the amount of caffeine intake. One cup of coffee contains an average 80 mg of caffeine. Mountain Dew soda has 120 mg. Starbucks 8 oz coffee has 160 mg.
Read more about caffeine in:
“ABC of Asthma, Allergies and Lupus” – pgs 166 – 168
“Water for Health, for Healing, for Life” – pgs 227-230
DAILY FOOD REQUIREMENTS
At Breakfast, Lunch and Evening meal choose one of the following food groups:
At least 2 eggs every day.
Beans - red, white, kidney, pinto, green, lentils, lima - If sick, 4 or more eggs. Raw, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, poached, scrambled etc.
Nuts - 1 or 2 handfuls. pecans, walnuts, almonds, cashews or brazil nuts.
Cottage cheese (4%)
Yogurt – Yoplait Original or Stonyfield are the best. Do not use artificial sweeteners.
Fresh vegetables – broccoli, green beans, snow peas, celery, carrots, squash, cabbage, ETC.. (raw, sliced broccoli stems with dressing OK).
SUGGESTED DAILY SUPPLEMENTS
Acidophilus or a good pro-biotic – Good bacteria needed by intestines. Take one with each meal. (pill form) 4 billion per pill is best.
Beta Carotene - Eat one or two medium raw carrots, with skin, per day.
B-6 – 100mg after breakfast and evening meal. The body uses up B-6 every day.
Zinc - 50mg after breakfast and evening meal. This is for stress. The body uses up zinc every day. Males also take 50mg after noon meal also. When body is low in zinc, it borrows it from the prostate.
Vitamin C – 500 mg or more after breakfast, lunch and evening meal.
Vitamin E – 400 IU with 100 micrograms of selenium. (You can buy the capsules that combine the two together. Take 1 after breakfast and evening meals.
Flax Seed Oil – 6 -9 grams. Two capsules after breakfast, lunch and evening meal. This does not apply to young children or to the underweight elderly.
Multi-Vitamin – Take one good multi-vitamin tablet 2 times a day or Swanson whole food multi--1 three times daily with meals.
Kelp (Iodine) – 150 mcg - 1 per day if it is not in your multi-vitamin.
Chlorophyll – Take 1 tablespoon of liquid 2-3 times daily. You can buy DeSouza’s liquid chlorophyll at a low cost from vitacost.com. chlorophyll morning and evening or Swanson Vitamins chlorophyll capsules.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Going to the bathroom after one week of doing the water and salt – your stool will become light yellow, brown or light green, float, have little odor and can be 1-2 feet in length. You should be using very little paper.
Going to the bathroom (#1) will have little color except after eating meals or taking vitamins. You will be going #1 a lot, but the time will get longer in between visits to the bathroom. Water taken first time in morning will be passed quickly.
If your eyelids, ankles or fingers swell, then you’re getting too much salt. Drink your next couple glasses or bottles of water without using salt. Suggestion: when you restart the salt, reduce a little from the original amount. However, if you get muscle cramps, you need more salt. Add a little salt to your fruit or take extra salt on your food.
EXERCISE
Walk morning & evening (mall, treadmill, around the block).
Get at least 15 minutes of sunlight 2 times a day. Expose as much skin as possible.
(continued on next page).
You should strive to drink at least (1) 8 oz glass of Orange Juice every morning. “No pulp” and “not from concentrate” is the best. You need 1/8 tsp (3 g) of salt per 8 oz Orange Juice so that your body can utilize the potassium in the orange juice.
(If a person has any breathing problems such as asthma, they should limit their orange juice intake to one, at most, two glasses a day.)
NOTE: If you’re tired, take a glass of water and eat some salt. If you still feel tired 10-15 minutes later, then take a glass of orange juice with salt as described above. Any time you feel you need water, drink some. If you feel hungry (when it’s not your scheduled time to eat), first drink some water and eat the salt and wait ½ hour. If you still feel hungry, have something to eat.
Thanks so much, how long have you been on this regime? Please to know what stage COPD you are dx'd? And what types of differences has this made in your life? I am 4th stage, FEV1 of 35%, however I am very active living off the grid, lots of chores just to survive, hoping this can give me a bit more longevity in the SOB factor when working to complete chores.
I just started. Previously I thought I got enough fluid from teas and such, but according to the doctor who developed this protocol, nothing, but nothing takes the place of pure, plain water. Still clearing throat some, but feeling better already. I think I will see a lot more improvement in about a week.
I'm not crazy about mainstream medicine so I've never been diagnosed by a doc, it was my own diagnosis from my symptoms and history (breathing tons of second-hand smoke, starting in the womb). Anyway if you research the water cure, you realize that as the curezone poster said, dehydration plays a role in all diseases. The water cure can be a panacea, as long as you are living healthfully and refraining from health-destroyers like sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and - smoking!
I hope everyone here will try the Water Cure! Let's keep this thread going.
OK, it is working for me, although it is not an overnight cure. It takes time to rehydrate the cells. And it's not easy to drink the recommended amount in the beginning. I'd advise just drinking as much as you can (while staying away from smoking and dehydrating drinks like coffee, alcohol and most commercial sodas), aiming to get to drinking half your weight in ounces. And don't forget to include the sea salt, which helps keep the water in your body where it can be used.
Anyway, I am coughing and clearing throat less, and I look forward to getting better every day. Still researching, this is relevant here, I think:
"If you are experiencing chronic dehydration from not drinking enough water, or from drinking water-depleting drinks such as coffee, beer or beverages containing sugar, your body tries to prevent respiratory water loss by producing histamines which close off the capillaries in your lungs. Through the constriction of these capillaries, water loss is reduced, but of course breathing is made far more difficult. It's important to understand that the body is doing this on purpose. The body is producing histamines as a strategy, not as a disease or something gone awry. The body wants to constrict the capillaries in your lungs because it is trying to save your brain."
Thank you so much for this information!!!! I have c.o.p.d. from smoking and from a job I had in which I was constantly burning plastic. I can hardly get around at all and my life is falling apart. I am going to start this water and salt program today!!! Do you know where I can find this kind of salt? Thank you again and take ❤ Lisa
Lisa-e, sorry I didn't answer sooner, didn't see your post. Did you start with the water and salt? You should be able to find good quality salt at any natural foods store, and online. Salt Works is a good source and inexpensive. I got this, 5 lbs for $19.
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