Quench: The New Science of Optimum Hydration
By Dana Cohen, MD and Gina Bria
Hachette Book Group
Eat your Water! Quench by Dana Cohen, MD, and Gina Bria is an informative and easy-to-read book describing how hydration affects health in more ways than we previously knew. We have all heard we should drink eight glasses of water a day, but could this be too much or too little, and are all sources of hydration the same? What about how hydration affects your skin, your immune system and even your energy?
Quench informs the reader not just about these subjects but also includes the different types and benefits of proper hydration—as well as providing a daily protocol with recipes. Along the way, the reader also learns how movement, self-massage, sweat, medications, red light therapy and even electronic usage affect hydration levels in the body.
The authors emphasize that it is better to “eat” your water for optimal absorption, distribution and storage in the body and then provide information about food and methods that are consistent with Weston A. Price principles. In fact, Cohen and Bria specifically reference Weston Price’s and Mary Enig’s work!
Some of the more interesting topics to me were the recent discoveries of structured water as well as how our fascia is a primary hydration delivery system. The discovery of “new” states of water (structured or gel), which fans of Dr. Gerald Pollack would recognize, are also supported by fascinating studies from the University of California, Berkeley as well as Cornell’s “spine of hydration” discovery. Another finding is the existence of a denser form of water inside our bodies that is activated by light waves—allowing scientists better insight into how the body repairs and regenerates cells (which any reader of Dr. Tom Cowan would find familiar territory).
Another recent discovery the authors Cohen and Bria share is how the fascia effectively forms the largest system in the body and how this touches every other system. For the first time, researchers have discovered that fascia is more than just a protective wrapping for our organs and muscle, but in fact is one of the body’s major water transport systems— a conductor of electricity. Apparently, there are more miles of fascia than the forty-seven miles of nerves in the human body! In other words, because water expedites electrical signaling, “fascia is rather like the fiber optic system of communication and information of the body.” Maybe this is why massage and acupuncture have such therapeutic effects!
Along with case studies, the practical portions of Quench educate the reader not just about what type of foods are more hydrating and how to source and prepare them better, but also how proper hydration can affect digestion, energy, headaches, skin, bloating and many common chronic diseases.
Finally, it was refreshing to read about a health issue that can immediately complement and support whichever health protocol you may be doing.
One thing is for certain though; since we are mostly comprised of water, staying properly hydrated is absolutely fundamental to allowing our body to function optimally.
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Spring 2020
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Dear Mr. Hory, Gina Bria here, author of Quench. Dr. Cohen and I were thrilled to find your review of our book. As an anthropologist, it is especially touching to me because I have long revered Dr. Weston and his anthropological work to better our understanding of the diversity of human diet and ways to health. His message is healing for our times and your work to continue it is hallowed work! As head of the Hydration Foundation I’d like ot share a resource for your audience. This spring we launched the first ever, all free, all online Hydration Solution Summit with 30 top doctors and scientists, including Dr. Pollack, sharing never heard before hydration tips besides guzzling 8 glasses a day. Nature has provided many ways to hydrate. Participation in the summit also provides a way to support farms directly to hydrate and decontaminate their soils.
Here is the link to register, we have extended its access to help us during this time.
https://hydrationfoundation.org/hydration-solution-summit-2/
lovingly, gina
QUENCH is an essential & excellent addition to the literature re actual health & healing. Huge thanx to Gina & Dana!
Allow me to gripe that, according to the index, carob is not mentioned, that cacao or chocolate powder is used & recommended without warnings, that baking soda is not mentioned, that neither WAPF nor Weston Price appear, Sally Fallon does not appear.
I have just begun the book & I know too well that too many indexes are short on too many important entries. So I hope to find some of the above seeming errors in the text so I can write them into the index.
No index entry for Tom Cowan.
I think I understand at this point. The unusually divisive & insane politics of these times.