Distilled Water, Detoxification and Your Health - by Roe Gallo, M. A.

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http://www.livingnutrition.com/water.htmlDistilled Water, Detoxification and Your HealthWaterby Roe Gallo, M. A.Water is the primary essential nutrient. Remember that the essential nutrients are those that your body needs to survive but cannot make on its own. Over 75% of your body is made up of water and this must constantly be replaced. Water is in every cell and involved in every function of the body. Going back to basic physiology, the condition of your body's internal environment, which is the fluid surrounding each of your cells, is what determines your state of health or disease. This fluid is mostly water and must be kept free of toxic waste. If this fluid dries up or becomes poisoned, your health is in serious danger. Therefore, your body must get sufficient water and that water must be pure because the quality and amount of the water in your body is primarily responsible for your state of health or disease.Where do you get your water?If you are eating raw plant food, a large portion of your daily water requirement will be met by your food intake. Remember that plant food is 80% water, which means that in order for fruits and vegetables to be healthful, the water in your plant food must be free of pesticides and toxins. This is the major consideration in buying certified organic produce.We must also drink water because most of us cannot get all the water we need from our food supply. Granted, water rich plant food is over 80% water but with exercise, heat, etc., more water is lost than can be replaced with food, unless you ate more food than needed, and then you may have the problem of excess fat. Physiology shows us that when the body absorbs excess nutrients, e.g. protein, fat or carbohydrates, they are generally stored as fat. So eating more food to try to satisfy your daily water requirement is not a good idea. You must drink water.The water that you drink must be pure or else you are doing more harm than good by flooding your body with toxic chemicals. Tap water, which usually contains chlorine, radon, arsenic and other toxic chemicals, is not healthful. Filtered water, mineral water and spring water still contain some chemicals. In fact, some bottled water is even worse than local tap water. The minerals in mineral water are not organic and not used by the body, energy must be used to excrete the minerals, and they can be unbalancing and harmful. Pure water is distilled, and only a vapor compression distillation process will purify your water and make it healthy to drink. Another benefit of distilled water is that it transports out of the body inorganic minerals that would be rejected by the cells and tissues, adding to the purification of your internal environment.Let's look at natural distillation. The earth is constantly recycling its water. Water is vaporized from the bodies of water on the earth and drawn up to the clouds where it condenses and drops as rain or snow. The water from the clouds is pure distilled water, but collecting rainwater is not always practical, plus most of our atmosphere is so polluted that the water becomes contaminated before the rain hits the earth.The solution is to make or purchase distilled water. If you must get bottled distilled water, check out the plastic container - it must be hard plastic with no toxic plasticizers, or order your water in glass bottles. Remember, this water is going into your body as its primary nutrient and will make a major difference in the state of your health. Question & Answers by David Klein, certified Nutrition Educator, Life Scientist, Healthful Living Consultant and Environmental Engineer (B. S. in civil engineering) Question: Should I add minerals to my distilled water for taste?Answer: Adding minerals to water gives us unbalanced nutrition, inorganic minerals which are toxic to and unusable by the body, and this corrupts the pure, “slippery†property of the distilled water. Pure distilled water has an ultra-low viscosity which means that it is able to slip through tight spaces easily, whereas water with minerals and other impurities is less viscous, or “sticky,†and will not move through the body as easily. Distilled water is tasteless. That is a good thing! When our body harbors toxins, we typically have an unpleasant taste in our mouths. After we have cleaned out and adopted a healthful eating program, our bodily fluids will become clean, even sweet, and the taste in our mouth will be pleasant or unnoticeable - that is a wonderful sign of good health! The drinking of tasteless distilled water during and after our detoxification phase typically has a pleasant freshening effect upon our senses and energy. Living in a body with purified fluids and no debris is a blessed, even ecstatic, experience, and everyone I have ever conversed with on this subject has stated that drinking pure distilled water feels great to the senses. Question: I have heard that distilled water is “dead†water. What does this mean?Answer: Distilled water is pure H2O, which is perfect for rehydrating and assisting the body in detoxification, because distilled water has no impurities and has an ultra-low viscosity which most efficiently dissolves soluble toxins and transports most toxins out of our cells, tissues and lymph channels for elimination. Heat-distilled water molecules are not damaged and the water is not in any way harmful. We obviously obtain pure, healthful water from raw fruits and vegetables. Some say that the water in sun-ripened fruits and waters is “activated,†“structured†or “live.†It has been shown that the sun imbues the water molecules in sun-ripened fruits and vegetables with a special energy or structure. The superb life-force-enhancing effects of sun-charged living juices taken in whole-food form or juiced form are well-documented. However, adding distilled water to our diet, or fasting on distilled water will not pose any health problems. Hundreds of thousands of distilled water fasts have been conducted at fasting centers around the world over the last century with positive, energizing, healing, and in many cases, lifesaving results.If you are concerned about “activating†distilled water with the energy of the sun, you can place a topless bowl of distilled water outside on a sunny day. The effect of the sun-drenched distilled water versus raw distilled water may or may not be discernible. All in all, pure distilled water straight out of a distiller is great for any body. Question: I have heard that distilled water leaches minerals from our cells. Is that true?Answer: If, in this case, "leaching" implies that the distilled water acts against the body's best interests in removing useful minerals from our cells, this assumption is incorrect. Water in its pure distilled form is only good; it is inert and cannot act on the body. Distilled water can never force out essential body elements. By virtue of its ultra low viscosity, distilled water efficiently transports wastes and stores of toxins, including harmful inorganic minerals, out of the cells, tissues and bones, for elimination via sweat, respiration, urination, etc. So, when we drink only distilled water, we are assisting our body's ability to eliminate toxins. When people make dietary improvements, such as reducing the proportion of cooked, acid-forming foods, while increasing the quantity of whole, raw, alkalizing, foods, their bodies begin health-improvement actions, including the elimination of toxins, in the process of establishing healthy alkaline balance.Acid wastes are dumped into the bloodstream and lymph, and then sent to the liver and kidneys for processing and elimination. The body must keep the blood pH at a uniform 7.4. If there is a slight shift toward the acid end, the body will buffer the blood acidity to maintain homeostasis. The blood itself has many buffers to help maintain the normal electrolyte balance. If necessary, the body will take alkaline minerals out of the bones to buffer the acids, but only under extraordinary conditions when the blood buffers are not adequate.An elimination crisis need not be drastic and harmful, and even intense and uncomfortable cleansing is not to be feared. These elimination crises are always orthopathic, i.e., right and necessary. They can be gentle and 100 percent health-building if one secures extra rest during this time. The drinking of enough distilled water when thirsty (not in excess), will allow the crisis to continue, as it should, resulting in a steady improvement in health.If a person adheres to a good diet with no grossly acid-forming foods, as part of an overall healthful, low-stress lifestyle regimen, he or she will arrive at a condition excellent health after the old acid wastes are eliminated. Drinking distilled water will not cause harm, but rather, will help keep one internally clean and operating at optimum efficiency. I found distilled water to always induce a freshening effect during my initial rebuilding phase 20 years ago; I felt (and continue to feel) more energetic and healthy after drinking pure distilled water. If one regularly drinks distilled water and cleans up his or her diet say only 75 to 90 percent, while still indulging in 25 to 10 percent of the grossly acidifying cooked foods (e.g., meat, dairy, cereals, breads, cakes, candies, pasta, rice, tofu, soy milk, beans, etc.), he or she will never get beyond the acid-poisoning phase, thus, the body will always be exerting itself to eliminate acid wastes, resulting in sub-par health. Thus, it is dietary and lifestyle stress, not distilled water, which is to blame for the loss of any useful minerals.Detoxificationby David Klein, Healthful Living ConsultantMany, if not most people, begin transitioning to a raw food diet when they are severely ill; some do so when they are attempting to recover from minor nagging illness symptoms; and still others make the change when they are free of symptoms. In all of these conditions, once the body begins to assimilate a higher proportion of natural raw foods, it initiates detoxification and health-building actions since it is always striving to establish a higher state of wellness.The new, enzymatically-active live raw foods with their nutritious, energizing sugars cause the body to spring into action, utilizing much of its energy in cleaning house: purging debris, shedding old inferior cells, and using the new raw nutrients to build a completely new, healthier body. It is recommended that the transition be made gradually, to avoid triggering the uncomfortable symptoms that can accompany a drastic cleansing process. As long as there is vitality, the opportunity exists for the body to rejuvenate to a far more vigorous level of health. Results are often noticed within 24 hours of beginning a new healthful regimen.Detoxification is a self-purifying process which the body carries out at all times, but most aggressively during the early to late morning hours. It is advantageous to eat lightly in the morning, drinking distilled water and/or fresh-made fruit juices and/or eating whole fruits. Heavy foods eaten at this time suspend the cleansing process, keeping us toxic, and, in some cases, overweight. The process of “detox†entails: 1. the cells off-loading metabolic wastes and environmental toxins into the bloodstream for filtering by the liver and kidneys for elimination, and 2. the organs of elimination (bowels, kidneys, lungs, skin, vagina) releasing metabolic, environmental and residual food wastes via feces, urine, breath, sweat and menses. Toxins are also expectorated in mucus via the throat and sinuses.Under normal conditions of healthful living and natural diet, the body is able to eliminate metabolic wastes and other environmental pollutants through its normal organs of elimination. However, under chronic excessive bombardment with unnatural dietary fare, environmental pollutants, emotional stress, and/or overeating on even good natural foods, the body̹s eliminative capacities are not equal to the task, and a buildup of toxins increases as the days and years go by. This condition, called toxicosis, leads to accelerated aging, fatigue, illness, and, in many cases, to obesity. In this condition of toxicity, which is particularly likely if one has lived on a diet of foods such as cooked meat, dairy, bread, and junk foods, the body harbors sticky and insoluble debris and waste matter on artery and bowel walls, as well as in the bloodstream, tissues, bowels, and organs.Fortunately, the body is a magnificently designed masterpiece of self-regulation and self-healing, always striving to establish and maintain purity and wellness. When a toxic load becomes too dangerous for the body, it intelligently enacts a detoxification-elimination-purging-housecleaning event or phase, manifested by any of these “symptomsâ€: sore throat, inflammation, fever, skin outbreaks, coated tongue, mucus expectoration, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Malodorous body wastes and underarms are signs that toxic putrid fermented matter and acids are being eliminated. During the detoxification phase, many people experience lightheadedness and headaches as the body stirs up and dumps toxins into the bloodstream for processing and elimination. During a thorough detox, unhealthy fat, cysts and even tumors are also broken down (autolyzed) and eliminated. As toxins are stirred up and released, the body relaxes and people also typically experience short-term symptoms of mental-emotional detox: mood swings, depression, sadness, anger, and crying.When the organs of elimination are weak and/or overloaded, the body will resort to eliminating toxins through any convenient outlet it can find: e.g., the eyes, ears, throat, vagina, skin (sweating, rashes and suppurations), sinuses, and scalp. When we experience any of these signs of elimination, we typically feel fatigued and sleepy, as the body is directing much of its energy toward accomplishing the housecleaning. At such times, it is always wise to assist the body by heeding the calls for extra rest and sleep. All of these “symptoms†will diminish and then vanish when the body is sufficiently cleaned out, providing we adhere to a healthful lifestyle regimen.In conjunction with the heightened detoxification action, the body works at repairing any damage, regenerating new cells, rejuvenating and restoring wellness. The repair work mostly occurs when we sleep. When there is damage to be repaired and rejuvenation to be accomplished, the body needs extra sleep. We typically feel weak and need plenty of extra sleep in the beginning stage of the rejuvenation phase. If the toxemia, physical damage, degeneration and emotional distress is severe, this phase may last for weeks or months. It is important to understand that the symptoms of the detoxification and rejuvenation process signify the workings of the awesome rejuvenating power of the body. It will help the process if we appreciate the workings of the body and do everything possible to assist it in its healing processes. We can do this by taking a break or a sabbatical from our normal routines, obtaining plenty of extra sleep and rest--if necessary, complete rest--as well as eating simply, until the work is sufficiently accomplished and we experience new vigor and vitality. It would be ideal to take the sabbatical at a comfortable health center or retreat with fasting supervision, juicing, deep rest and hygiene education.If we persevere through the uncomfortable detox symptoms, get extra sleep and rest when feeling tired or unwell, and resist covering up symptoms with medicines (which only add more toxins to the system), we will arrive at a wonderful state of well being in the quickest time possible, and in the process, we will learn invaluable lessons about how the body works to restore health. Some of the rewards include freedom from illness, sweet smelling breath, no body odors, easy and inoffensive elimination, shinier, thicker hair, clearer eyes and skin, more mental energy and clarity, better memory, more joie de vivre, slimmer belly, no cellulite, greater stamina, deeper connection to spirit, and finding a mutual attraction with healthy, vivacious people like ourselves. Through healthful living practices which keep our bodies clean inside and free of energy-robbing toxic matter, we can ensure a healthier, longer, more vital and youthful life, free ourselves from disease and aging, and tap into the wellspring of joy within.