Review: The Water Secret by Dr. Howard Murad

To say The Water Secret changed the way I look at food would be a ridiculous understatement.  Dr. Murad (who you may recognize from his line of amazing skin care products) does an amazingly compelling job of explaining the effect of cellular dehydration is having on our bodies.  His thesis, in a highly unscientific nutshell:  we treat our cells like crap.  They're spending so much time breaking down all the strange chemicals we put in our bodies via overly processed foods, etc that their little walls have all these holes and no matter how much water we drink, our cells aren't truly hydrated because our cells aren't retaining the water they need.  By eating our water (i.e. eating foods with a high water content) and taking certain supplements we can repair our cell walls, and by building healthier more hydrated cells, our cells can spend their time doing the jobs they were intended to do, like build collagen and burn fat.  Result:  your skin looks better, your sleep improves and you lose weight.  He doesn't push his products or promise unrealistic results; Dr. Murad truly aims only to shift your mindset on what healthy eating looks and feels like.  His advice isn't anything groundbreaking or new, but the way he explains WHY this works is so different than anything I've encountered before.


Right after I read this book last summer, I became a Water Secret convert and 15 lbs just fell off. I absolutely recommend reading the entire book, but here are the some of the most basic tenants:


1) EAT YOUR WATER:  Foods like fruits and vegetables obviously have the highest water content.  They should make up the bulk of your diet.  Dr. Murad also includes a huge list of water-rich foods, which has taken up permanent residence in my phone for when I grocery shop.


2) SUPPLEMENTS:  Especially when you're working to adjust your diet, it's important to take supplements to provide your body with all the nutrients essential for cellular repair.  His suggestions are:

• a multivitamin
• Fatty acid supplement with at least 500mg of omega 3
• Lecithin supplement 2,000 mg
• Glucosamine sulfate 1,200mg
• high-potency B complex
• calcium with vitamin D
• an antioxidant

3) EXERCISE:  Dr. Murad doesn't advocate selling your soul to the gym, but he does emphasize the importance of staying active.


4) SLEEP: It's important.  Make sure you're getting enough!


5) SKIN CARE: Have a regular skin care routine.  Cleanse, tone, moisturize, use an eye cream.  He recommends which ingredients should be in the products you choose, but his book is absolutely not an ad for his skin care line, which I appreciate.  


He also talks a lot about managing stress, finding your passion, giving back and the importance of celebration.  He's about moderation and taking small steps toward realizing your health goals.  Though marketed as a book about skin care, it really is about whole body health.  A must read for the summer, and a book I come back to all the time!


***This goes without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway:  I'm not a doctor.  Read the book and consult with your physician etc before making a dramatic shift to your diet or before starting to take any new supplements.