COGNITION SUPPORT AND INTERNAL WASHING

Cognition has several observable expressions (aspects) and is not easily defined and put into “boxes.” There are also levels of cognition that are hybrids of the four basic elements listed by this source:

• Perception. The system processes information, and the organism captures sensations and gives them meaning. 
• Attention. Humans select, focus on, and dedicate their mental resources to stimuli.
• Information processing. This allows the captured information to be processed so that it can be compiled. 
• Memory. Detected information is retained in the system to be worked on in the short or long term. 

Some sources add a fifth element of basic cognition, the processing, and use of language.

We will, however, stick with the fundamentals, as they are sufficient for our purposes.

Cognition, internal washing, and water management:

These cognition elements weaken and erode with age, poor lifestyle habits, and insufficient nutrition. With this post, I will offer advice to support your cognitive apparatus and extend your “mental youth.”

Water management and its byproduct, internal washing, is the key to successful cognitive health. Both processes are how your body obtains, uses, and distributes water.

We will focus on your central nervous system (CNS) today, primarily washing your brain. Yes, it gets dirty, and water plus the things it carries can and do wash it. This subject is complex, but I will use analogies to keep it simple.

Water management brainwashing and cognition:

Water – humans are always underwater:

Yes, it’s true. We are always waterlogged. In healthy humans, at least half to as much as 75% of our body weight is water. Certainly enough to drown in, but it’s so judiciously distributed that we hardly notice it.

80% of the brain is water, making it the primary content of the brain. In the CNS, cerebrospinal fluid is the water management “tool,” turning over an average of five times daily and carrying many things with it on its way out. We will talk more about this and cognition later.

In healthy adult humans, total body water turnover rates vary from 5 to 10 percent daily. Of course, many things affect this rate, and here is a summary with supporting articles to explain this in detail.

(Interestingly, water turnover issues can point to diseases and possible emergency conditions. That’s why this is tracked closely in hospitalized patients and in some non-hospitalized individuals with specific conditions.)

Water intake:

First and foremost, you get water from drinking it. There is no perfect amount of daily water intake as it depends on your sex, weight, and activity levels. Water also comes in the food you consume and differs significantly depending on what had how much you eat.

Finally, some water is produced as a by-product of your metabolism and digestive activities. Again, this depends on your diet, activity level, size, and sex.

Water absorption:

For the most part, water absorption begins in your stomach as it kneads your food and mixes it with digestive enzymes. This liquefies it before entering the small intestine as chyme. (Liquids pass easily through the stomach, enter the small intestine quickly, and begin passing into the bloodstream in about 5 minutes.)

Liquids and chyme (a kind of liquid itself) eventually wind up in the small intestine complex together, where the absorption of water and nutrients continues throughout the entire digestive system.

Water distribution:

In the small intestines, water is absorbed into the bloodstream (mostly). Once in the bloodstream, water and other “things” suspended or dissolved in it are distributed throughout the entire body, including the brain.

Some organs are selective and the brain certainly is, having a blood/brain/barrier (BBB) that keeps certain things out. Other organs do the same thing, and this is partially how “things” get to the right places.

Partitioning:

Some water is full of waste and is separated from the water in your bloodstream. The primary (but not the only) example here is urine being stored in your bladder, waiting for elimination. This water has been partitioned away from other parts of your body, and can no longer be used.

Normally, water can both flow in and out of the bloodstream. However, some of it will only go one way in normal circumstances. (E.g., kidneys to the bladder, then out.)

Biological detergents:

Detergents function by making water wetter so that it can easily penetrate soils. Some “things” will not dissolve in water or pass through barriers like the BBB. In these cases, an assistant molecule or atom will tag along and assist with the process.

Magnesium threonate, helping magnesium cross the BBB, is an excellent example of this helper molecule boosting cognition. There are many such mechanisms in the way of blood flow using semi-permeable membranes.

However, water is still the carrier. Many research efforts are dedicated to finding ways to help water along in its delivery process.

Water excretion:

Most water is excreted from your body by urination, defecation, and perspiration – there are other ways, but the three pathways I listed are by far the most important. Water balance is the equilibrium maintained between the intake and outflow of water.

This water management aspect is not simple and involves the brain and kidneys. It also consists of the thirst sensation that urges people to drink water. This is done subconsciously; most people are advised to let their thirst determine their water intake.

In healthy individuals, this is fine. Sometimes, however (especially in the elderly), the thirst mechanism fails to work, and dehydration can result. We will address this later.

Flow-through:

Imagine a small mountain lake fed by a stream of mountain run-off from melting ice and snow. On the other side of the lake is another stream that allows water to leave the lake in amounts equal to the water that enters.

Water is running into and out of the lake constantly and never stops. The water in the lake is crystal clear and alive with aquatic life.

Now imagine a similar lake fed only by occasional rains and is stagnant. It is murky and dead, with flies and stinging insects buzzing around it. It stinks and is populated by foul, ugly creatures like snakes and snapping turtles.

This is an illustration of freshwater flow-through, and it is similar to what happens in your body when freshwater flow-through is optimal and also when it’s sluggish and slow.

All the water in your body, including the cerebrospinal fluid that washes and feeds your CNS, must constantly be replenished with fresh water to keep your body’s water crystal clear and your cognition at its peak.

Let’s keep it that way:

Many of us walk around dehydrated, depriving our bodies of their natural inclination to perform internal washing. The percentages can be high, and some of this is lifestyle-related. Sometimes, however, it can be condition-related, especially as people age.

I urge you to discuss dehydration with your Primary Care Provider (PHP), and get an evaluation. Like the lake I described above, your body needs clean water to perform well and clean itself; otherwise, “things” get clogged up, and your body will stagnate.

Chronic dehydration will lead to many problems and, indeed, to poor cognition and a fuzzy brain. To help you fight these issues, here is a plan I follow myself to combat dehydration. This is simple, and it works.

OMY1’s Anti-Dehydration plan:

Every morning, you are dehydrated and probably need to urinate (this is normal). So when you get up, urinate first, and immediately drink an amount of water that is equivalent to one ounce (30 milliliters) for every ten pounds (5 kilograms) of your body weight.

In my case, I weigh 140 pounds, so I drink 14 ounces of cool water first thing in the morning before doing anything else. This is important.

Dehydration thickens your blood and causes your heart to work harder. The water you drink first thing in the morning starts thinning your blood within five minutes, lightening the workload on your heart and possibly preventing a morning heart attack.

Give yourself five minutes to sip the water; that’s about how long it takes for the water to start getting into your bloodstream.

OK, you’re rehydrated; what next?

Now, emptying my bladder produces 9 ounces of urine, which is pretty average. So, every time I urinate, I drink 9 to 10 ounces of water to replace what I just removed from my body.

I don’t worry if I overdo the water consumption because I have a “come down” adjustment period wherein I don’t drink any liquids after 6:00 PM and before I awake the following day.

And yes, although plain water is best, other liquids, such as coffee, tea, beer, sodas, and so on, can rehydrate you just as well. Be careful, though, as some of these liquids promote dehydration.

That’s it. This daily routine all but guarantees that you won’t get dehydrated, and your flowthrough will be doing its job as well.

Caveats:

1. Working out, working in hot weather, and doing anything that makes you sweat will warrant extra water intake during and after your exertion period. When you’re sweating a lot, have a liter-sized bottle of water at hand and drink from it often. After your work, rehydrate using the morning routine given above.
2. If you have an outstanding health problem that this routine interferes with, discuss it with your PHP. Dehydration can have very serious consequences.

OMY1

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