Health Nuggets Archive

The Benefits of Drinking Water

We can go a few days without food but not without water. Life cannot exist without water. The millions of cells in our body must have water to operate properly.

Do not depend on thirst to be an indicator of the body's need for water. A simple indicator is one's own color of urine. If the urine is yellow, there is concentration of waist matter. The color of the urine should be pale to colorless.

The human body is constantly losing water through respiration, perspiration and urination and since the body is 75% water, we need to replace it often....

What is the adequate amount of water we need to drink daily? We need to drink according to our body weight. A person who weighs 200 lbs needs to drink more water than a person who only weighs 100 lbs. A simple formula is to take one's body weight and divide it by two and then convert the result into ounces, example: 100 lbs ÷ 2= 50. Fifty ounces is the proper amount a person who weighs 100 lbs should drink daily. To find out how many glasses this is equivalent to, simply divided fifty ounces by 8 ounces and you get 6.25 or 6¼ glasses of water.

Unfortunately, most of us do not drink enough water to maintain proper health. Many health problems can be solved by simply drinking enough water. Bladder infections, irritability, bad breath, fatigue, and even blood clots could be attributed to lack of water. When thirsty, drink pure water instead of the sodas, sweet drinks, alcoholic beverages and caffeinated teas. The best preventive medicine one can use daily is water.

When should we drink water? Try to drink water at least one hour before and after meals. Water should not be drunk with meals because it dilutes the digestive enzymes causing the process of digestion to be retarded.

Water is beneficial on the inside but also on the outside.

1. Hot water - Opens the blood vessels and is excellent for relaxation. A hot water bath can soothe the nerves.
2. Cold water - Constricts blood vessels and helps to numb pain. Excellent for joint pain, sprains, and burns.
3. Steam - Helps to treat infections and increases the number of red and white blood cells.

There are several types of treatments available that purifies our drinking water:

1. Activated carbon - Reduces levels of chlorine, herbicides, lead, hydrogen sulfide, and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). Also reduces color and turbidity.
2. Carbon filtration - Reduces levels of chlorine, organic chemicals, and pesticides. Also reduces bad taste and odors.
3. Distillation - Reduces levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, orin, lead, giardia cysts, nitrate, and sulfate. Also reduces turbidity.
4. Reverse Osmosis - Reduces levels of arsenic, cadmium, iron, chlorine, color, lead, giardia, giardia cysts, nitrate, radium, and sulfate. Also reduces color and turbidity.
5. Water softeners - Reduces levels of calcium, iron, and radium. Do your homework and purchase the one that is suitable to you.

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Weight Control

A simple way to avoid weight gain is to be disciplined. Everything we do in life requires discipline. Activities such as: working, driving, studying, traveling all require discipline in maintaining time schedules. Just as important as it is to maintain these activities in a timely fashion, it's also important to maintain our eating schedules.

It's said that the most important meal of the day is breakfast. It's after we "break the fast" that our system is ready for a hardy meal but unfortunately it's the meal that most people skip. Here is a simple but very practical way to maintain a healthy weight.

1. Eat as a king for breakfast
2. Eat as a prince for lunch
3. Eat as a pauper for supper

Avoid snacking between meals. Let your system rest before eating the next meal; drink water instead. Snacking is unheard of in most third world countries. The digestive process has to start all over again every time we snack. Digestive juices are constantly being produced to digest those crackers, candy, chips, cookies, etc. Could it be that the problem we are having in our society with acid reflux might be related to frequent eating? Besides, the body can repair itself much better when it's in a fasting mode.

Eat As a King for Breakfast - The largest meal should be eaten at breakfast. Start the day with a large glass of warm water with fresh squeezed lemon or lime. This helps to get your system going. Twenty minutes later eat at least three whole fruits. Add to your fruits whole grain cereal, whole grain toast with nut or seed butter for added protein. Include nuts into your diet. One quarter cup of nuts daily is ideal. It was discovered in the 1990s a very significant information about the benefits of eating nuts. In 1992 The Adventist Health Study at Loma Linda University in California reported that up to 60% fewer heart attacks were reported among those who ate nuts daily. Since the confirmed benefits of eating nuts by Loma Linda University, four other studies have come up with the same conclusion. In addition to protecting the heart, it was also discovered that the risks of having a stroke, or the development of the following: type 2 diabetes, dementia, advanced macular degeneration, or gallstones have all been found to be lowered by eating nuts.

Eat As a Prince for Lunch - Lunch should consist of a variety of raw veggies preferably in salads. Include whole grain pastas, rice and bread to your midday meal. You can also add sweet potatoes, beans, legumes and more. The Mediterranean cuisine is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, high in fiber and low in calories. The Mexican cuisine is rich in protein found in the beans. The island cuisine has a variety of roots and vegetable. Be creative and use variety. Try not to eat the same foods everyday. Make sure to include complex carbohydrates into your diet. Avoid simple carbs. When you eat the whole grain you are getting the full benefit.

Eat As a Pauper for Supper - In the evening as the metabolism starts to slow down, it is better to eat the smallest meal. The ideal is to end the day with fruits because fruits are loaded with vitamins, and they have detoxifying properties. Fruits are easily digestible and they leave the system within two to three hours. Try to eat the last meal four hours before bedtime. The stomach should be empty before retiring for the night. You will enjoy a more restful sleep when the system is also resting.

Weight control should not be controlled by our appetite but by discipline. It takes effort on our part to get the weight under control, but when that happens, the benefits are rewarding. Energy levels go up; blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar come down. Even medical costs come down as we maintain an ideal weight.

Keep in mind Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

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N-E-W-S-T-A-R-T

Here is an acronym to help you remember to follow a simple but remarkable way to stay healthy.

N - Nutrition. Eat a variety of wholesome foods, i.e., fruits, grains, nuts seeds and vegetables
E - Get adequate exercise daily
W - Drink copious amount of water daily. Here is an easy formula to remember: take your weight and divide it by two. The amount you get is the total number of ounces you should drink daily. For example, 100 lbs divided by 2 = 50 lbs. Then, simply change the units to ounces: 50 oz. Finally, divide 50 oz by 8 oz. Therefore, you should drink 6.25 (6 1/4) cups daily. Note that the amount of water you need daily is relative to your weight.
S - Get enough sunlight when possible before twelve pm
T - Be temperate in all things
A - Get enough fresh air daily
R - Get adequate rest
T - Trust in God.

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