Visualization for Weight Loss -The Gabriel Method

Part III: Physical Stresses that Activate the FAT Programs

hunger, not thirst, because there was once a time when nearly all of our food contained water. Therefore, our bodies are pro- grammed to see food as a source of water, sending a hunger message when we are really thirsty. The majority of our food today does not have much water at all. How much water is there in fried fish and chips, or peanut butter and crackers? We end up eating because we are dehydrated, and yet we are still starved for water. Because there is less water in the food we eat, we need to drink more than ever. We also need more water these days because water helps eliminate toxins. There are literally thou- sands of toxins that we expose our bodies to today that did not exist in prehistoric times. Learning how to identify the difference between hunger and thirst is essential. This is a lesson that has taken me years to learn, and I often have to relearn it. However, now that I have had a lot of practice in distinguishing between hunger and thirst, I have to say that there are times when I am amazed at how much water my body wants. I also notice that my body becomes thirstier when it wants to burn fat. The process of losing weight requires more water to help you flush out the waste products that accumulate in the blood stream from the fat burning process. As a general rule of thumb, until you become good at differ- entiating dehydration from hunger, especially if you eat a con- ventional modern diet, you are most likely to be thirsty. This is not to say that you may not be hungry as well, but you are almost certainly chronically dehydrated. If you don’t give your body the water it needs, it will just stay hungry and cause you to eat unnecessarily. Drinking water at night is extremely beneficial for suppress- ing nighttime hunger. A University of Washington study found that drinking water at night eliminated nighttime hunger pangs in 100 percent of the subject’s tested. 2 I can’t emphasize strongly enough the importance of drinking lots of water at night. Water is best when filtered and free of chemical additives, and preferably from an unpolluted source. Adding lemon helps

110