 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
By far, the leading causes of death in Western society are from diseases - like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's -
that in many cases result from poor lifestyle decisions. And the incidence of these diseases has been growing. In fact, in its World
Cancer Report, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that rates of cancer could increase by 50 percent in the next 15
years. That's a chilling statistic. Fortunately, the organisation indicates that at least one-third of those cases can be prevented if
we make healthy choices.
that in many cases result from poor lifestyle decisions. And the incidence of these diseases has been growing. In fact, in its World
Cancer Report, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that rates of cancer could increase by 50 percent in the next 15
years. That's a chilling statistic. Fortunately, the organisation indicates that at least one-third of those cases can be prevented if
we make healthy choices.
Nowadays it’s quite common for clients to walk into our clinic with large bottles or cans of soft drinks. This doesn't cause surprise
- except that it has happened as early as 08:30 in the morning.
We wondered how common the soft drink for breakfast habit has become, so we found some research. It turns out that more
than 15 percent of people now order a soft drink when they go to a restaurant in the morning. That's a jump from less than 8
percent in 1990. And there's an even bigger jump in the number of people who open a can at home every morning: 2.5
percent, up from less than 0.5 percent 20 years ago. That's a 500 percent increase!
These are frightening statistics particularly as diet and regular colas are dangerous... for different reasons. Regular colas spike your
blood sugar almost immediately, which triggers your body to produce waves of insulin. Insulin stimulates fat production and fat
storage. Diet sodas usually contain aspartame, a neurotoxin that prevents the hormone leptin from communicating with your
brain. This is critical, as leptin is the messenger that tells your brain, "I'm full." As a result, you are far more likely to overeat.
So what is a better alternative? There are many nutritional products out there... squashes, juices, tonics and liquid supplements...
- except that it has happened as early as 08:30 in the morning.
We wondered how common the soft drink for breakfast habit has become, so we found some research. It turns out that more
than 15 percent of people now order a soft drink when they go to a restaurant in the morning. That's a jump from less than 8
percent in 1990. And there's an even bigger jump in the number of people who open a can at home every morning: 2.5
percent, up from less than 0.5 percent 20 years ago. That's a 500 percent increase!
These are frightening statistics particularly as diet and regular colas are dangerous... for different reasons. Regular colas spike your
blood sugar almost immediately, which triggers your body to produce waves of insulin. Insulin stimulates fat production and fat
storage. Diet sodas usually contain aspartame, a neurotoxin that prevents the hormone leptin from communicating with your
brain. This is critical, as leptin is the messenger that tells your brain, "I'm full." As a result, you are far more likely to overeat.
So what is a better alternative? There are many nutritional products out there... squashes, juices, tonics and liquid supplements...
| WHAT TO DRINK? |
We sometimes get queries from our clients asking if they really need to concentrate on the ‘small issues’ when it
comes to health. We're talking here about eating organic food; avoiding pesticides; drinking non-fluoridated, non-
chlorinated water; and staying away from processed foods, sugar, and starches.
comes to health. We're talking here about eating organic food; avoiding pesticides; drinking non-fluoridated, non-
chlorinated water; and staying away from processed foods, sugar, and starches.
Small changes can make a big difference, and it doesn't require a lot of sacrifice. A few extra shekels a month for fresh, nutritious
food and 10 or 15 minutes a day of exercise is a small price to pay in exchange for a long, active, and disease-free life. And, in this
respect, what you drink is just as important for weight loss and overall health as what you eat.
food and 10 or 15 minutes a day of exercise is a small price to pay in exchange for a long, active, and disease-free life. And, in this
respect, what you drink is just as important for weight loss and overall health as what you eat.
Nutrition...
| The answer is YES! We firmly believe that, if you value your health, it is very important to pay attention to the minor details. |
|
| WATER! |
Yep, water. Absolutely, the best thing to drink with breakfast is water. But if you must have a pick-me-up, green tea is better
than cola. It gives you a gentle energy boost and is full of disease-fighting antioxidants. (Even regular tea or coffee is better than
cola).
Health: As Simple As Drinking A Glass Of Water
Every person who has ever lived on earth has used water for survival, for without drinking water we would die. But because we
normally drink water only to quench our thirst, and as a solvent for our foods, we tend to ignore its manifold health benefits and
the fact that water is needed internally by every functioning cell and organ.
Yep, that cheap stuff that flows through our planet. That pours from our eyes. That gushes from taps. That flows from the
mountains. You know the stuff we mean! The world's most affordable health product.
So, the Real Truth About Water
But beware, there are some things we’re going to tell you about water that will not only blow your mind, but will also have an
almost immediate impact on your energy.
First – a lot of the advice you get about drinking water is dangerously wrong. No one really knows for sure exactly how much
water you should drink, and the blanket advice we get is pure hogwash. For example: "Drink 8 glasses a day."
Now, that may look like sound advice, but further analysis shows it's an overly simplified "wives tail." To be more blunt: "8 glasses
a day" is actually a well-established urban legend. As recently revealed by the American Journal of Physiology, there is absolutely
no scientific evidence to support the popular 8-glasses-a-day theory.
Now, none of the scientists at AJP are saying we don't need water (that would be silly). It's just that these overly simplified
platitudes are not helping anyone's health. What's needed is real scientific information and not half-truths.
What we do know is that "8 glasses a day" by itself is not good advice. First, you need to drink water regularly throughout the
day. Drinking 8 glasses in the morning and thinking you're good for the day is actually dangerous. You should, in fact, hydrate
every single hour. Many people who take up the habit of drinking a glass (or even half a glass - more about that in a minute)
every hour notice their energy levels skyrocket. Why?
than cola. It gives you a gentle energy boost and is full of disease-fighting antioxidants. (Even regular tea or coffee is better than
cola).
Health: As Simple As Drinking A Glass Of Water
Every person who has ever lived on earth has used water for survival, for without drinking water we would die. But because we
normally drink water only to quench our thirst, and as a solvent for our foods, we tend to ignore its manifold health benefits and
the fact that water is needed internally by every functioning cell and organ.
Yep, that cheap stuff that flows through our planet. That pours from our eyes. That gushes from taps. That flows from the
mountains. You know the stuff we mean! The world's most affordable health product.
So, the Real Truth About Water
But beware, there are some things we’re going to tell you about water that will not only blow your mind, but will also have an
almost immediate impact on your energy.
First – a lot of the advice you get about drinking water is dangerously wrong. No one really knows for sure exactly how much
water you should drink, and the blanket advice we get is pure hogwash. For example: "Drink 8 glasses a day."
Now, that may look like sound advice, but further analysis shows it's an overly simplified "wives tail." To be more blunt: "8 glasses
a day" is actually a well-established urban legend. As recently revealed by the American Journal of Physiology, there is absolutely
no scientific evidence to support the popular 8-glasses-a-day theory.
Now, none of the scientists at AJP are saying we don't need water (that would be silly). It's just that these overly simplified
platitudes are not helping anyone's health. What's needed is real scientific information and not half-truths.
What we do know is that "8 glasses a day" by itself is not good advice. First, you need to drink water regularly throughout the
day. Drinking 8 glasses in the morning and thinking you're good for the day is actually dangerous. You should, in fact, hydrate
every single hour. Many people who take up the habit of drinking a glass (or even half a glass - more about that in a minute)
every hour notice their energy levels skyrocket. Why?
| Because most of us are chronically dehydrated. |
| If you don't think you are, try the above advice for 48 hours and see what happens. This is a statistically valid "safe bet." |
| Another safe bet: you’re tired all the time and you can't figure out why. |
Dehydration Making You Tired?
You bet. Physicians and chiropractors often find that weak muscle response, particularly if ALL the muscles are responding in the
same way, may be due to minor dehydration. Lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue.
Dehydration has also been shown, quite clearly, to be linked to all of the following:
OK, so you want to fix these... Well just drinking a lot of plain cold water will help to revitalise your body and mind during those
sluggish periods. One glass of drinking water can sometimes help to overcome such strange, total body weakness and aid many of
the other conditions listed above.
You bet. Physicians and chiropractors often find that weak muscle response, particularly if ALL the muscles are responding in the
same way, may be due to minor dehydration. Lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue.
Dehydration has also been shown, quite clearly, to be linked to all of the following:
- Dizziness
- Chronic fatigue
- Impotence
- Hair loss
- Headaches
- Low back pain
- Constipation
- And more ...
OK, so you want to fix these... Well just drinking a lot of plain cold water will help to revitalise your body and mind during those
sluggish periods. One glass of drinking water can sometimes help to overcome such strange, total body weakness and aid many of
the other conditions listed above.
But before you start gulping down lots of water, you need to know that "how much", and this depends on a lot of factors. It
depends on your body size, how much you exercise, the climate in which you live, and more. Obviously if you live in a hot climate
where you're sweating all the time you need more - a lot more (a lot of sweat is invisible - you don't have to be dripping to be
rapidly losing water all day long). If you exercise even mildly, same thing. But there's something important here.
You may think drinking more water by itself is enough, but if you drink too much you can actually "overdose" on water. It sounds
crazy, but there was a widely publicised case where people were "holding their wee for Nintendo Wii" as part of a radio contest.
The contestants were ordered to drink a high volume of water and hold their "wee" for as long as they could. One of the
contestants died as a result (true story).
Too much water can harm you by either "water intoxication" (as the above Wii casualty, may she rest in peace) or by creating an
"electrolyte" imbalance.
depends on your body size, how much you exercise, the climate in which you live, and more. Obviously if you live in a hot climate
where you're sweating all the time you need more - a lot more (a lot of sweat is invisible - you don't have to be dripping to be
rapidly losing water all day long). If you exercise even mildly, same thing. But there's something important here.
You may think drinking more water by itself is enough, but if you drink too much you can actually "overdose" on water. It sounds
crazy, but there was a widely publicised case where people were "holding their wee for Nintendo Wii" as part of a radio contest.
The contestants were ordered to drink a high volume of water and hold their "wee" for as long as they could. One of the
contestants died as a result (true story).
Too much water can harm you by either "water intoxication" (as the above Wii casualty, may she rest in peace) or by creating an
"electrolyte" imbalance.
- Ah, electrolytes...
Listen to this: See, the more water you drink, the more you need to replace your electrolytes.But before you go thinking you're
going to need to purchase some expensive fancy "electrolyte replacement" sports drinks, here's the real deal:
All you have to do is add a tiny pinch of sea salt to every gallon of filtered drinking water you drink and - voila! - you have all the
electrolytes you need.
Of course, the sports drink peddlers won't tell you that. They'd have to sell you a whole lot of sea salt to make the same profit
off your back!
What about a beverage that may help you burn calories
If your goal is to lose weight and become lean, one of the things you have to do is drink enough water. Not only does adequate
hydration boost your metabolism and speed up elimination, it's likely to help you consume fewer calories too.
In a study presented in the journal Obesity Research, scientists at the University of North Carolina found that men and women
who drank more than 1.5 litres of water per day consumed roughly 200 calories less than "low-water drinkers." Considering that a
moderate 20-minute aerobic workout burns about that number of calories, you can clearly see the impact increasing your water
intake can have on your weight-loss programme.
The Institute of Medicine suggests that men drink roughly 3.0 litres (12 cups) and women 2.2 litres (about 9 cups) of water per
day. Here's how to do it:
going to need to purchase some expensive fancy "electrolyte replacement" sports drinks, here's the real deal:
All you have to do is add a tiny pinch of sea salt to every gallon of filtered drinking water you drink and - voila! - you have all the
electrolytes you need.
Of course, the sports drink peddlers won't tell you that. They'd have to sell you a whole lot of sea salt to make the same profit
off your back!
What about a beverage that may help you burn calories
If your goal is to lose weight and become lean, one of the things you have to do is drink enough water. Not only does adequate
hydration boost your metabolism and speed up elimination, it's likely to help you consume fewer calories too.
In a study presented in the journal Obesity Research, scientists at the University of North Carolina found that men and women
who drank more than 1.5 litres of water per day consumed roughly 200 calories less than "low-water drinkers." Considering that a
moderate 20-minute aerobic workout burns about that number of calories, you can clearly see the impact increasing your water
intake can have on your weight-loss programme.
The Institute of Medicine suggests that men drink roughly 3.0 litres (12 cups) and women 2.2 litres (about 9 cups) of water per
day. Here's how to do it:
- Drink a glass of water with each meal and between each meal.
- Drink a glass of water before, during, and after exercise.
- Whenever you're tempted to reach for juice, cola, or another high-sugar beverage, have a glass of water instead.
And More On The Topic Of WATER...
- Drinking water can help reduce a high fever, stimulate one organ to interact with another, and cleanse the body internally
by eliminating unwanted material from the system.
- 75% of people in the West are chronically dehydrated. In 37%, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken
for hunger. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.
- One glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of
Washington study.
- Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of
sufferers.
- A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic maths, and difficulty focusing on
the computer screen or on a printed page.
- Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by
79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
- Drinking adequate amounts of pure water can aid in eliminating chronic heartburn.
Finally some cautions on Water.
Are You Drinking Dangerous Levels of Fluoride?
A recent study by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in America, reveals that high levels of fluoride in drinking water can
cause tooth weakness and discoloration as well as bone damage (even fractures). Their findings suggest that millions of us may be
at risk.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), anything over 4 mg per litre is dangerous. Yet the NAS results indicate
that fluoride-related problems begin at a level of just 2 mg per litre. While there is scant and questionable evidence that fluoride
applied topically can benefit your teeth, there is absolutely NO evidence that ingesting this poison has any benefit. It's kind of like
drinking sunscreen to prevent a sunburn. Don't drink fluoride. Stick to spring water or water that has been filtered to remove it.
And...
- ...Some Bad News About Bottled Water (Al Sears, MD)
bacteria. Common tap water has stricter purity standards and, in many cases, is better for you.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates tap water, but the FDA oversees the bottled water industry. And, by law,
the FDA has the power to selectively follow the EPA's rules - enforcing some and ignoring others. This gives big business the
opportunity to sell you expensive bottled water that is anything but safe. And if you think bottled water isn't a "big business,"
think again. Global sales top $35 billion every year.
Here are some of the surprising results from a recent study by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC):
- Over 25 percent of bottled water is actually tap water from municipal water supplies.
- A popular brand of "spring water" - with a label depicting a lake and mountains - comes from a well in the parking lot of an
industrial facility. (The parking lot is right next door to a hazardous waste dump.) - About 30 percent of bottled water has chemical and bacterial contamination above the levels considered safe by state and
industry regulations. - In some cases, levels of arsenic in the bottled water tested by the NRDC were at "a level of potential health concern."
Your best bet for safe, clean drinking water is to put in an under-sink purifier. The reverse-osmosis type is very reliable. If you
don't want to invest the money to do that, a simple pitcher with a charcoal filter is better than most bottled water.
(Infostore comment: The situation in Europe is not that better. We are researching various solutions like Reverse Osmosis purifiers
and will make our recommendations once completed).
The Gaia Infostore
| © Copyright 2008 - Active Recovery - All Rights Reserved. The Gaia Centre for Holistic Therapy, 17 Frederick Street, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3BH email: info@gaiaholistics.co.uk Tel: 01509 551513 |
