Hydration is the key to good health and healing. Practical advice for deep hydration.

In Chinese Medicine theory, the efficacy of our immune system, hormonal, neurological and general health is strongly rooted in adequate hydration. Dehydration can be seen as the cause of many auto-immune and other chronic health conditions.

A common belief is that water intake is the key to hydration. While water is somewhat hydrating, it is actually more cooling and clearing. We certainly need to drink adequate water, but for those of us that have health issues we also need to be eating wet foods.

Food cooked in water absorbs all the cooking water, and then slowly releases this water into the gut over time as it digests.

This is slow release hydration. A profound and sustainable hydration that Chinese Medicine see’s as medicine.

Food that is cooked in a lot of water is also easier to digest. The precursor to the health of so many of our bodily systems, is fluids. These fluids are made through the effective digestion of foods in the stomach. If our digestion is not optimal, we miss the opportunity to make these vital substances. This can result in a weakening of our health, and overtime disease.

So by avoiding overloading our digestive capacity, through well cooked wet food and avoiding complex or harmful foods, we nurture and strengthen our digestive systems, allowing them to nourish our entire physiology.

So what does this look like in everyday life?

I like to start with wet breakfasts with my patients. According to the Chinese body clock - the morning is the time of the digestive organs of spleen and stomach. This means it is the best time to gently nourish and wake up our digestive systems - and the best time of day to eat grains, as grains soothe and strengthen the spleen and stomach.

Congee (from rice, oats, polenta or millet) is a simple, yet remarkably medicinal food that deeply hydrates and soothes the digestion.

It is eaten warm, with a small arrangement of condiments such as eggs, fish, mushrooms, cooked greens, sweet potato etc.

Next comes warm wet lunch’s. The middle of the day is when our digestion is at its peak, and optimal for digesting protein. Think beef stew’s, chicken casseroles, lamb soup etc.

Evening meals are best as broths with aromatic herbs. The aromatic fresh herbs transport the fluids to the lungs to disperse around the body, preparing the body to be well hydrated over the time we sleep while fasting from fluid intake.

Avoiding overly heating or dehydrating foods is also important, so our bodies are not robbed of their precious resources. Limit or avaoid coffee, alcohol, chocolate, garlic, chilli, sugar and too many dry foods such as toast, nuts, dried fruit. Poach fruit instead, eat grains whole and cooked in lots of water etc.

Eating this way is simple and can be life changing, especially if we have had years, or even a lifetime of dehydrating foods.

It is always important to have a large variety of food, the wider the range of protein, vegetables, herbs and whole grains, the healthier the microbiome. The above is a base example to be fleshed out with your own creativity, and individual healing needs.