not able to filter much of it, and urine will remain scarce. Any sudden intake of large amounts of water
can indeed cause severe lymph congestion, swelling, and in some cases, even death. The effect would be
water intoxication, a potentially fatal disturbance in brain function that results when the normal balance of
electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits by a very rapid intake of water. The transition
from a state of severe dehydration to improved hydration should be very gradual and is best monitored by
a health practitioner who knows the basics of water metabolism.
Guidelines For Gradual Rehydration
Add only about one glass of water per day to the amount of water you usually drink and check whether
urination increases. If it does, drink another 1-2 glasses per day. If not, reduce the additional amount to a
third or half glass of water per day. It is of principal importance that your kidneys begin to filter more
water when you drink more water. You don’t want to create a “dam” in your kidneys, which could end up
flooding even your lungs. In time, the kidneys will recognize that water is no longer a scarcity in the body
and will make the necessary adjustments to increase urination. At the same time, the body will naturally
decrease its salt production and salt retention. When this occurs, the urge to eat a lot of salt or salty foods
will also lessen. This response is caused by the water’s own natural diuretic effects.
If you are on diuretic drugs, it is important for you to know that water is a much more efficient diuretic
than any drug can possibly be, and it has no harmful side effects. Diuretic drugs should be decreased
gradually and under the supervision of a health practitioner.
Once the kidneys have no more difficulties with eliminating urine, you can increase your water intake
to the natural minimum daily requirement of 6-8 glasses per day. This will drastically reduce the health
risks imposed by an illness. To undo years of dehydration and to be completely hydrated again, however,
may take up to a year, and sometimes even longer.
A note of caution: When the body is dehydrated, it tries to retain its salt in order to hold on to water.
Once urination increases following improved hydration, these salts are gradually passed out with the
urine. If the hydration attempts are implemented too quickly, those areas with the most salt retention may
develop lymph edema. Any emerging puffiness of or around the eyes or swelling of the ankles indicates
that the hydration process should be done more gradually. As the swellings decrease, you may resume
drinking normal quantities of water. With increased water intake, your body will also be able to remove
any excessive salt. However, you do not want to become salt-deficient. You should, therefore, be certain
to include some unrefined salt14 as an important part of your diet. If don’t use your muscles enough and
they start to cramp, particularly during the night, your body is most likely not getting enough salt (or it is
getting the wrong type of salt, which is commercially produced table salt).
Both water and salt are absolutely essential for keeping the water metabolism balanced and for
generating enough hydroelectric energy to maintain cellular activities. Drinking water is the most
important therapy of all therapies because absolutely nothing in the body does not depend on it. Drinking
water and cutting out any energy-depleting (overstimulating) influences should be the very first treatment
in the case of an illness, before attempting to do anything else. In most cases, the problem will disappear
naturally when the body is properly hydrated and allowed to rest.
14 Regular, refined table salt (sodium chloride) is a major cause of heart, lymph, and kidney problems and should be avoided.
See also the section on the great benefits of unrefined salt in Chapter 7.