Health Gem 9/10/21
Water!! It is essential for daily physical and spiritual life. Jesus said in John 4:14
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
And in Revelation 21:6
And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
We not only need literal water, but we need the water of life from Jesus for our spiritual life. This spiritual water from Jesus Christ is critical to our spiritual health. The only way that we can obtain that is to spend time with God in His word and in prayer. This has to be done daily or we will "spiritually dehydrate".
But how essential is H2O to our daily life? Every part of your body, down to the smallest cells and tissues, requires water to function properly. Important bodily functions can not be maintained without the aid of water, such as:
Removing wastes through urination, bowel moments and perspirations
Regulation of temperature
Proper function, lubrication and cushioning of joints
Protecting sensitive tissues
Dehydration's major cause is usually (but not always) the result of not taking in enough water.
Mayo Clinic recommends:
15.5 cups of water a day for men (3.7 litres)
11.5 cups of water a day for women (2.7 liters)
This, however may be adjusted according to how much you weigh and your activity level.
Two indications that you are drinking enough water for your body are:
You rarely feel thirsty
Your urine is a light yellow color or colorless
When you get sick with fever it is very important to stay hydrated because fever dehydrates. As a general rule the higher your fever the more likely you will become dehydrated.
According to Go Health Urgent Care this is what happens to your body when you dehydrate:
If you’re feeling thirsty, your body is likely already dehydrated. Why is this the case? Because your thirst mechanism lags behind your actual level of hydration.
Losing body water without replacing it results in your blood becoming more concentrated. This causes your heart rate to increase to maintain your blood pressure, and it triggers your kidneys to retain water (hence, decreased urination).
Less water in your system also hinders your body’s ability to regulate your temperature, which can lead to hyperthermia, or a body temperature that’s well above normal. And because fluid levels in the brain lower, they affect your mood, memory and coordination.
So if you are already fighting a fever and you become dehydrated your temperature can rise even more due to the hyperthermia.
If you were to become sick with Covid or another respiratory illness it would definitely be important to stay hydrated. If that illness is accompanied by chest congestion another way that water can boost your immune system to fight is through hydrotherapy. If you are unfamiliar with this term it refers to using water (hot or cold) to therapeutically assist your body in healing. It can be something as simple as wetting a washcloth with cool water and placing it on a feverish forehead to help reduce the pain and heat of the fever, taking hot and cold contrast showers or a more involved process of doing fomentations.
What is a fomentation? The Free Dictionary definition is this:
fo·men·ta·tion
(fō′mən-tā′shən, -mĕn-)
n. 2. a. A substance or material used as a warm, moist medicinal compress; a poultice.
b. The therapeutic application of warmth and moisture, as to relieve pain.
Here are some wonderfully beneficial websites and a video that might be of help to you should you or some one you know come down with Covid or some other respiratory illness.
The following website is devoted to traditional hydrotherapy methods practiced by Dr. Kellogg and Dr. Abbott. Traditional Hydrotherapy
And here is a website that shares hydrotherapy treatments specifically designed for combating Covid. Hydro4Covid
In the video below Barbara O'Neil demonstrates how to do hot and cold fomentations. I have personally used this method and found it to be very beneficial in fighting against Covid pneumonia and reducing associated coughing.
Please remember that no treatments should ever be given without first going to the Great Physician in prayer and asking His blessing on what we do.
Truly we serve a wonderful God who has blessed us with many Health Gems that are priceless tools in helping us strengthen our defenses and fight illness. Praise God for His mercy! Psalm 22:22 I will declare Thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee.
**These are beneficial health suggestions. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This is not a substitute for speaking with your health professional.