PC - I recently re-posted the recipe for making Waller Water at home and Erling has reminded me that your instructions for adjusting the pH with with lemon juice should also be included.

Can you repost your instructions for your modification of the original WW?

I remember it, I filed it, and can't find it. Figures.

Thanks. Jackie

Jackie,

For those new to ww and why we're a little concerned about its pH, it helps to know that all magnesium waters are basic with a pH of around 8.3 or so. This includes Noah's Adobe Springs Water, Unique Water and our very own Waller Water, courtesy of our very own Erling Waller. Many tout this as an advantage, a threefor (magnesium, water, HCO3- all in one). The Unique Water site really sells this last component, especially for the predominantly meat eating acidic Western diet.

Who knows if this is good or bad. I certainly don't. However, while drinking ww I ran periodic blood electrolyte levels on myself, including HCO3-. The latter slowly rose and finally became abnormal after about two months. During this time my K+was midrange. My concern was that this excretion of excess HCO3- in urine (the body tightly regulates blood pH between 7.35 and 7.45) would eventually lead to a decrease in blood K+. HCO3- drags K+ out with it in the urine. This maintains electrical neutrality. Hypokalemic alkalosis is a condition that results from this physiologic process. I don't know that this will happen when taking aqueous Mg, but I'm a little concerned that it might. We all know how important intracellular K+ is wrt LAF.

So I grabbed my pool pH/chlorine/... kit reagents and started experimenting. Most of the things I tried were acidic but also contained sugar, e.g., cranberry juice. This wasn't too good either. Finally someone on this BB suggested lemon juice. It turns out that lemons are very acidic. Jackie knows better than anyone how damaging lemon juice can be for your teeth.

I found that between a quarter and an eighth of a lemon squeezed into a liter of ww just about completely neutralized its pH.

You asked the time and I built you a watch.

PC

Thanks, PC - this time I'll try to remember where I filed it!

For anyone who is buying magnesium-rich water or making the WW version of magnesium-rich water at home, please read and understand what PC is bringing up here as a necessary or cautionary instruction.

It makes no sense to drink so much alkaline (bicarbonate-rich) water that the body suffers the loss of potassium as a consequence since this could contribute to afib in addition to lack of magnesium.

I'm now using WW concentrate but at much lower proportions than indicated in the original recipe so I don't consume a huge amount, although I do drink about 3 liters or more of water a day. Depends on where I am and what I'm doing. I think a small amount of the WW helps facilitate the entry of the supplemental magnesium glycinate into the cells faster. Don't ask me for scientific proof of that - I can't provide it.... I just seem to sense it is good to do that. And that, coupled with the success I've had in controlling breakthrough afib, seems support my theory. No science here; just gut intuition.

Thanks for the watch!

Regards, Jackie

Thanks Jackie for bringing these two aspect of ww together. I have recently added a third aspect to the ww based on a recent conference board discussion regarding hydration. It's recommend that a little sea salt be added (about 1/4 teaspoon per liter) to any water consummed.

However, the combination of ww, lemon, and salt doesn't provide for a pleasent drinking experience, at least for me anyway. Anyone else notice this or have found a way of insuring adequate salt intake along with the water?

Kent S

Kent - what about just taking tiny amounts of of salt in the palm of your hand - occasionally throughout the day - depending on how much you determine you need - and just licking it off - washing it down and be done with it.

Then you can enjoy the rest of the water without salt. I would think that if you can taste the lemon juice, you are getting too much acidity and I would worry very much about the long-term consequences of lemon juice bathing tooth enamel.

If anything, you should cut down on the amount of the WW concentrate you add to a liter of water and then you can add just a minor amount of lemon juice. Drink some plain water in between.

I'd be interested in the source that indicates the quantity of sea salt that is both necessary and safe to consume in the quantity you mention and if they take into consideration the amount of water needed to adequately hydrate. I understand and agree with the need for sodium in the electrolyte balance. It is frequently said one can get all the sodium they need in a day from food sources. If you can share your source, I'd like to learn more about this 1/4 tsp. / liter recommendation.

Additionally, it is frequently stated that when one increases sodium intake, they should also increase potassium intake.


Thanks. Jackie

I'd like to know if Hans has noticed any measurable difference, by adding salt to his water, if in fact he did. Hans? Thank you.

Richard

Jackie thie is from " Your body's many cries for water"

[www.watercure2.com]

Drink 1/2 your body weight of water in ounces, daily.
Example: 180 lb = 90 oz. of water daily.
1 qt is 32oz - - 1 liter is approx. 35 oz.
s Use 1/4 tsp. sea salt ,as seasoning on food, for every quart of water you drink. Use a good sea salt, one with at least 80 minerals. As long as you drink the water, you can use the salt.
Some put it in their water, some lick it off their hand, most season their foods after cooking. It's up to you. The balance should be emphasized spread the water and salt throughout the day (ex. if you are to drink 3 qts of water per day, that does not mean 1 qt for breakfast, one for lunch, one with dinner. Sip water throughout the day.)
When fist getting started, simplify your intake by measuring out the amount of Celtic Sea Salt you will need per day.
Make sure you take potassium daily (banana, orange juice, etc.), also calcium and magnesium.
Avoid caffeine and alcoholic drinks. These are diuretics and will dehydrate you. A standard coffee mug is 10 oz. of caffeine. A 12 ox can of caffene or alcohol will require 16 to 18 oz. of water to rehydrate you.

Hope this helps

Ella

Ella - thanks - very helpful. I'll read more. Jackie

Jackie,

Thank you for bringing up such a worthwhile point and for the suggestion to combine a little ww with magnesium glycinate.

In fact I was reminded only yesterday of the myriad benefits of Mg, including its blood thinning qualities. Bill Sardi in his newsletter mentioned that Mg, Vit E, omega-3 were good preventive measures against cancer spreading (metastasizing) to more distant sites. The cancer cells have a more difficult time sticking to other cells and growing (prevents cancer cells from forming a beachhhead so to speak). Consequently they are more easily attacked by the immune system. Just another benefit in addition to helping minimize stroke risk for us afibbers.

PC

Richard,

I got the idea about adding Celtic sea salt to my drinking water from the same source as Ella, the book "Your Body's Many Cries for Water" by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj. He suggests 1/4 teaspoon per quart of water. This is I believe, is about the same concentration as found in the blood. I thought it made sense to try to avoid possible depletion of sodium when water intake is increased markedly. I can't say though that it has made any noticeable difference to the frequency or duration of my episodes. I do not add the salt to WW as I get my magnesium from chelated magnesium.

Hans

Thank you, Hans, for your response. I've never asked you this before, but did you have any symptons of any other kind, before getting AF. I know you were an avid exerciser, but I would also like to know if you ate carbs heavily, or did you consider yourself to have a good diet? Thank you in advance.

Richard

Richard,

There is no question in my mind at all that my first afib episode was brought on by heavy and unrelenting work-related stress. At the time I thought my diet was very healthy as it was mainly vegetarian; however, I have since realized that I function better with some animal protein added and no starchy foods. I totally agree with you that digestive enzymes are very important; they have made a huge difference to my digestive efficiency.

Hans

Hans,

I absolutely agree, that stress caused my problem, as well, but didn't correlate it at the time. It was a partnership gone bad, with a very old friend, and soon thereafter the first incident happened. The digestive system played a part, too, because I wasn't getting enough nutrients to feed the depleting stress. Sometimes I think that our brains are like an electrical circuit. When too much current keeps running through the line, then the circuit blows. I can only hope that we can reverse the damage.
Thank you, Hans.

Richard