Lauroly Opening: I welcome Dr. Dana Cohen to World Wise Beauty and excited to feature her book ‘Quench’ for the WWB ‘Wise Guru’ series. As a doctor of Integrative Medicine, Dr. Cohen’s passion stems from her belief that medicine is an art, and that a patient centered, holistic approach is the vital first step on the path to overall health and wellness. There have been many high profile and respected doctors and nutritionist who have joined me for a Q&A, and what they all have in common is their wellness wisdom grounded in science. I would like to note upfront to my readers that the authors of Quench Dr. Dana Cohen and Gina Bria acknowledge in the introduction of the book that the science they base their claims on is not yet confirmed by clinical studies. They are currently calling it breakthrough science, so we should keep in mind that the study of the importance of water hydration from a health focused perspective is an emerging science. But please read on…
The reason I have selected ‘Quench’ for the Wise Guru series, is much of the content is based on sound nutritional science, and because it reminds us how important water hydration is to our health. Dr. Cohen connects the dots for us and walks us through the many ways water is powering and supporting our body, mind and spirit. While proven science is extremely important to me, I also embrace ancient wellness wisdom that has sustained the test of time and can be found in many cultures around the world. Like Hydration Therapy, Chinese Medicine has been around for centuries and yet from a western scientific perspective, some of it can’t be definitively proven. Yet it works for many people. Think ‘acupuncture’.
What makes this book interesting is Dr. Cohen’s co-author Gina Bria shares her research as a cultural anthropologist. Cultural context is so important because we can’t be completely well if we live in a ‘sick culture’. When I was writing for the spa industry, I spent some time researching hydration therapy around the world for my article and I was amazed at how many cultures had their own versions of hydration therapy. One ancient spa therapy is Thalassotherapy (from the Greek word thalassa, meaning “sea”) using seawater as a form of therapy. It is based on the systematic use of seawater, sea products, and shore climate. The properties of seawater are believed to have beneficial effects upon the pores of the skin. The other enduring and popular hydration therapy is the sauna. Sauna originated in Northern Europe, and is embraced by many cultures who believe in the healing effects of the sauna. From Finland, to Russia, to Japan, the sauna is used to treat specific ailments as well as to enhance well-being. You’ll learn more about the healing use of sauna and much more in this thought provoking but also practical wellness book called ‘Quench’.
SCIENCE IS ALWAYS LEARNING, DISCOVERING & EMERGING
Again, I don’t embrace or subscribe to pseudo science and especially when it comes to health and medicine. The ideas in Dr. Cohen’s book are in conjunction with sound nutritional medical science. I see hydration therapy almost like reviewing the science on olive oil. Can Olive Oil by itself cure and prevent disease? No. But it does seem to be the strong component of the Mediterranean Diet which has been scientifically proven to prevent heart disease and other conditions. Its nutritional magic is most likely dependent on other lifestyle and dietary factors. The interdependence of many things is what keeps us healthy and well. So, if you have a ‘interdependent’ mindset to wellness, you will most certainly recognize that water is an extremely important element our bodies need to function well and ward off illness. For the pure ‘give me real data and proof’ folks, keep reading…
I’d like to remind you, scientist just this year, discovered and identified a new human organ hiding in plain sight, in a discovery they hope could help them understand the spread of cancer within the body. Layers underneath the skin, long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the “interstitium”. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins. Remarkably, the interstitium had previously gone unnoticed despite being one of the largest organs in the human body. The interstitium (connective tissue) — is a series of spaces, supported by a meshwork of strong (collagen) and flexible (elastin) connective tissue proteins found below the skin’s surface, lining the digestive tract, lungs and urinary systems, and surrounding arteries, veins, and the fascia between muscles. Wow! You can see how amazing and complex our human bodies actually are!
To really stir the pot and get you thinking, the study’s co-lead author Neil Theise, MD, a pathologist and professor at the New York University School of Medicine has said this in many published articles, “There are many complementary-medicine techniques that have been proven to have therapeutic efficacy but, in the absence of mechanistic explanations of the sort prized in Western medicine, remain poorly understood or even scoffed at over all. Acupuncture, pulse diagnosis in Tibetan and Chinese medicine practices, myofascial-release therapy, for example, are all techniques that may find some mechanistic explanations in the interstitial structure and properties.”
When you read ‘Quench’ you will learn more about researchers who have been studying ‘fascia’ long before the new organ ‘interstitium’ was discovered by scientist. All of it is very convincing, but you will have to use your own discernment when considering Dr. Cohen’s holistic programs based on the emerging science on hydration therapy. Also, discuss it with your own physician before you make any changes. I believe you will agree with me that there is much wellness wisdom to be found in this book. At the very least, from a nutritional point of view, you will be very aware of the importance of water and how to hydrate your body for optimal health beyond just drinking eight glasses of water, which can be challenging for many. Let’s talk with Dr. Cohen and learn more about the new and emerging science of hydration therapy with an open mind…
Laura Connolly, Founder of World Wise Beauty and Rise of Wise Presents
Lauroly Q- Welcome Dr. Cohen. I felt it important to offer my readers some context before getting into the ideas of your book Quench. As said, what I find most impressive is how you and your co-author have connected all the dots, and water seems to be at the beginning and end of each of them. I believe to cultivate wellness wisdom we have to practice discernment all the time and try to look for the solid science as much as we can. With that said, as I have outlined in my opening, there are many wellness treatments that have been used for centuries that are just being ‘proven’ by scientist today. As I always say at World Wise Beauty, Ancora Imparo! That’s Italian for “I am still learning”. Why don’t we start with the basic foundation of your book. Why is water and hydration so important to our health and well-being?
Lauroly Q- I mentioned fascia in the opening and you spend a good amount of content educating us about Fascia, Movement and Hydration. This is what I refer to as connecting the dots. As Plato once said, ‘The part can never be well, unless the whole is well’ and your focus on water seems to be a missing link when we attempt to treat painful conditions and diseases. Your patient case studies outlined in the book illustrates just how crucial water is to our whole body and system. Can you explain what fascia is and why proper hydration matters to fascia. I particularly liked you cable system metaphor in the book…
Lauroly Q- Centenarians around the world have this one important health habit in common. They all keep moving! What are good examples of micro-movements and how is proper hydration related to these movements?
Lauroly Q- One of the big takeaways in your book from a nutrition perspective is we can hydrate more efficiently when we get water from our whole foods. You also talk about smoothies which is part of your health program in the book. I found the facts about getting water from whole foods to make a lot of sense. I was confused about the smoothie prescription you offer because I would think you would lose the nutrients in the breakdown via the blender. I would also worry, that people might skip wholesome meals in exchange for a smoothie. Do you worry about this? Help me understand your belief in smoothies? I know I am very late to the smoothie revolution!
Lauroly closing: Thank you Dr. Cohen for sharing your deep knowledge and wisdom about the healing powers of water. I have a feeling we will be hearing and seeing more of your wellness programs in mainstream medicine, especially when it comes to auto-immune conditions and the inflammation process of disease in general. Readers should know, there’s also a comprehensive five day hydration ‘Quench’ plan to review in the book and at the heart of the plan is hydrating drinks like smoothies. Who knows I may finally use my blender! Thank you for advancing wellness culture with an important focus and topic Dr. Cohen. We are still always learning and the more I read and learn, I realize how interdependent we are with nature and the planet earth we live on. Water is essential to us all and we somehow have lost the connection, especially when it comes to our personal health. Quench is a must read!
Dr. Dana Cohen closing: Thank you! You are a beautiful writer, I can tell. With much gratitude…