Beat the dehydration trap making 95 percent of women fat—plus, Kathy Smith shares her secrets to looking and feeling great at 66

Harvard researchers reveal how water in a “gel” state can flush away trapped fat, dial down hunger and erase wrinkles to help you look and feel 20 years younger in three weeks!

Chances are, there’s a water bottle next to you. How do we know? In 2015, Americans bought 1.7 billion half-liter bottles of water every week, and as a nation, we spent $7 billion dollars on reusable water bottles that same year. Yet despite all of that sipping, more than 95 percent of women are in a state of under-the-radar dehydration. Why? “Our cell phones, computer screens and central air systems all suck the hydration out of our body,” asserts integrative physician Dana Cohen, M.D. “As a result, we all live in a state of chronic low-grade dehydration.” In fact, despite drinking more than the regularly recommended eight glasses of water per day, most subjects

in a study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill couldn’t actually achieve adequate hydration.

Subclinical dehydration is especially problematic for women born before 1978. As we age, inflammation damages cell membranes, weakening their ability to hold water. The more damaged cells become, the more they leak. The result: UCLA research shows that while the body is composed of 75 percent water at birth, by age 40, it’s more like 50 percent.

Low-level dehydration pulls women into a health-sapping trap. “Every action of every cell requires hydrating water for proper function,” explains Gerald Pollack, Ph.D., a leading water researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle. “If any of those cells hasn’t enough hydrating water, it won’t function properly.”

This cellular dysfunction can give rise to an array of bothersome symptoms such as false hunger, headaches and low energy. And losing as little as 1 percent of the body’s fluid has been shown to significantly slow metabolic rate.

Fortunately, a new form of water that optimizes hydration has been discovered. “Our experiments show that water hasn’t only three phases— it’s not just liquid, solid and gas. There’s a fourth phase,” says Pollack. Experts call this phase “gel” water, and it is found inside the cell walls of plant foods. What makes gel water different? Its molecules are ordered (like crystals), and it has a consistency between a solid and a liquid (like raw egg white). And as Pollack’s work suggests, the unique features of this water enable our cells to hold on to hydration more effectively, helping us escape the dehydration trap.

Get enough gel water and wow! “When you’re hydrated, hormone signals work better, so there are less fat-storing hormones in the system,” explains Dr. Cohen. “Good hydration also allows us to have a healthy output of sweat and urine, so the body can detoxify itself better.” Additionally, German studies show that when the body is optimally hydrated, metabolism speeds up by 30 percent— without any other changes.

The benefits go beyond weight loss. “You’ll have better concentration, your energy will soar, you’ll sleep better, your skin will be radiant and you’ll eliminate bloat,” promises Dr. Cohen. “You’ll feel the effects right away.”

The best part? Unlike with many crash diets, gel water is helping women lose up to 10 pounds every week without negative side effects.

“I don’t have to warn you about detox reactions, constipation or hunger,” says Dr. Cohen. “Hydration does nothing but good for the body.” Healthy lifestyle expert Kathy Smith has experienced this firsthand—she says gel water helped her ward off middle-age spread—and she certainly looks stunning at 66! So we asked Kathy to share her favorite hydration strategies. Read on for the success secrets that will help you revitalize your health.