Drink to Your Health

“Water your roots, so your soul can blossom.”

Life cannot exist without water!

Proper hydration is essential to a healthy life. Water comprises over two-thirds of our body weight and is one of the most essential elements of maintaining well-being. Water is important in every physiological process. Water helps your body with circulation, assimilation, digestion, elimination, and temperature control.

Researchers estimate that about 75% of Americans are chronically dehydration. This can lead to many health issues such as fatigue, joint pain, headaches, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, ulcers, and high blood pressure. Chronic dehydration may affect your organs and lead to kidney stones, cholesterol problems, constipation, and liver and muscle damage.

Water and Immune Function

Proper hydration is essential for a healthy immune system and at this specific point in time concerning the global pandemic it is of paramount importance for us all.

Even mild dehydration can decrease salivary rate and decrease the concentration of salivary immunoglobulin A (s-IgA), which is one of the first lines of defense of the immune function on pathogens.

Maintaining healthy skin is another primary barrier to potential pathogens. In addition to providing a passive physical barrier against infection, the skin also contains elements of the innate and adaptive immune systems which allow it to actively fight infections. Proper hydration is a prerequisite for healthy skin.

Staying hydrated helps the body naturally eliminate toxins and other bacteria that may cause illness. Dehydration reduces the overall volume of blood and lymphatic fluids that are integral to a healthy immune system. 

Lymph flows throughout the body to collect bacteria and waste. It transports collected waste to the lymph nodes which serve as filters. Drinking water works like a waterfall for lymphatic organs. The higher the amount, the stronger the push to the edge. In this scenario, water pushes bodily waste into the lymph nodes where lymphocytes destroy them. Eliminating toxins and waste materials become a difficult task when dehydrated. Not being able to remove this debris, your body is more susceptible to infection. Not staying hydrated diminishes energy levels, leading to a lack of exercise and a weakened immune system.

Water is vital for the functioning of all of your organs, and it’s a huge part of keeping your immune system functioning at an optimal level,” says Dr. Jyothi Tirumalasetty, assistant professor of medicine at UCLA Health Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergies. “We are made of 60 percent water. If we are dehydrated, the whole system of immunity could start breaking down.”

 Water is not just a beverage choice

Water is not just a beverage choice; it is our most essential nutrient. When we think of water in this way it becomes apparent that we must drink enough each day.  We can live for 3 weeks without food, but only 3 days without water!

Be Healthy by Choice.

What is Magnetized Water?

Water is essential for life and we have blogged extensively on its importance. It is the primary solvent and conveyance element in our bodies. Nutrients are carried into our cells on water. All waste is carried out on water. Our blood flows because of water; our nerves transport electric charges via water. Proper hydration is essential to a healthy life. Water comprises over two-thirds of our body weight and is one of the most essential elements to maintaining well-being. If you consider our composition in terms of molecules, we’re practically all water, nearly 99 percent! 

Water is important in every physiological process. Water helps your body with circulation, assimilation, digestion, elimination and temperature control. But not all water is created equal.

What is magnetized water and why would this be important.

I get this question frequently as all our Nikken water products utilize magnetic energy to enhance the water that we consume and bathe in.

We really can’t magnetize water. What we are really doing is exposing water to a magnetic field. Therefore, we are in essence treating water with a magnetic field and some interesting results ensue.

“Drink half your body weight in ounces every day of healthy bioavailable water.

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— Gary Lindner, PhD

Bioavailability

Although all water consists of the same basic H₂0 molecules, water varies as to how these molecules bond together to form "water molecule groups". Simply stated, it is the size of these molecular groupings that change when exposed to a magnetic field. Water is a very polar molecule consisting of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, hence H₂0 forms very large groupings. The larger the groupings the more inefficient water is at being absorbed.

The smaller the groupings, the more bioavailable the water is and the more easily it can pass through cell membranes to transport nutrients and remove waste.

Exposing water to a magnetic field results in a smaller molecular structure. Magnets can activate water molecules to change their structure to a hexagonal configuration making the water more bioavailable and easily absorbed into our cells. In addition, there's a strong secondary benefit. Applying a magnetic field to water can not only make it more bioavailable, but it can also raise its pH (up to a full point, depending on the water), resulting in a more alkaline water.

As stated by Gina Bria, Cultural Anthropologist, “Dehydration is the mother of all epidemics and it is the first step we need to take in addressing chronic disease.”

I concur and add, drink half your body weight in ounces every day of healthy bioavailable water.

Be Heathy by Choice, not by Chance.

The Hot and Cold of Working Out

The Hot and Cold of Working Out

By: Nikken

Some like it hot and some like it cold but both need to take special precautions to be healthy by choice and not by chance. 

The United States and many other countries are dealing with an increase, or even a prevalence of, obesity. Exercise and diet are the two basic ways to prevent or overcome this epidemic. In the United States, physicians refer to “Physical Activity” (PA) goals as the easy and affordable prescription for maintaining a healthy weight and more often than not, recommend outdoor exercise, which combines fresh air with mobility.

Weather conditions have an effect on whether an individual stays motivated to exercise outdoors. For example, not everyone will want to exercise outdoors during rain, snow or extremely hot or cold conditions. Working out under hot weather conditions can lead to a number of illnesses, including heat cramps, exhaustion and heatstroke. These occur when the body’s cooling system fails to function due to extreme heat and humidity, sweating profusely or not drinking enough fluids. The rule of thumb for outdoor activities during extremely hot weather is to avoid the hours immediately before and after the noon hour, and to stay hydrated throughout your exercise routine.

Exercising in cold weather not only helps keep extra pounds at bay but also can help combat the winter blues. As explained by Dr. Keven Plancher, head of Plancher Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in New York City to Women’s Health magazine, “All exercise can increase your levels of those feel-good hormones, endorphins. But because your body has to work harder in the cold, your endorphin production is boosted even more, leading to a happier state of mind.”1 Women’s Health also points out that a workout outside—even when the air is cold—can give you some much-needed sun exposure in the dark winter months, which will boost your mood as well.2

Cooler weather actually helps motivate people to do cardio workouts, because running, biking, hiking and so forth are all activities that produce heat. Even walking is suited for cooler temperatures. Low temperatures tend to make the heart work harder to keep the body at a stable temperature, so people with heart disease are advised to take caution when participating in strenuous activities during extremely cold conditions.3 Again, always stay hydrated.

To help stay motivated and consistent on an Active Wellness lifestyle, here are some tips:

1.     Eat healthy carbs a couple of hours before strenuous activities to keep your body warm and energetic. This also helps prevent fatigue.

2.     Do not drink caffeinated beverages before working out, because they can cause dehydration.

3.     Keep an energy bar on hand, especially when you know you will be exercising intensely or for a long period of time.

4.     Drink water or beverages with electrolytes before, during and after your workout to avoid cramping and dizziness. The PiMag® Sport Bottle is ideal with its built-in water filter.

5.     Set exercise/weight goals and write them down.

6.     Reward yourself periodically as you achieve your goals, but not with food, so you don’t associate pleasure only with edible treats.

7.     Wear KenkoTherm® Support Wraps and KenkoTherm DUK® Tape to help your muscles and joints stay warm and stable.

Sources used:

1. https://www.bustle.com/articles/174136-8-weird-ways-weather-affects-your-workout
2. https://www.bustle.com/articles/174136-8-weird-ways-weather-affects-your-workout
3. http://www.livestrong.com/article/367353-how-does-the-temperature-affect-cardio-workouts/

The Great Alkaline Water Debate

What is Alkaline Water?

Water is our most essential nutrient and is vital to our survival and good health. You may know that two-thirds of your body is water, however, in terms of the number of molecules, your body consists of over 99 percent water molecules! Because water is so vital to our health, the type and quality of water we take into our body is very important.

I have written before that filtering tap water is the best way to get healthy water, see What to Look for in a Water Filtration System. Basically, when treating water for drinking, we should “take out the bad” and “leave in the good.”. We want to remove toxic chemicals and impurities then add back the essential minerals that nature intended to be in water.

Water from natural springs have been highly sought after for centuries because those who drank it claimed it had amazing health-restorative abilities. There are many natural springs on Earth where this has been observed. Tlacote, Mexico, Nordenau, Germany, Nadana Village, India, Yankalilla, Australia, The Himalayan Mountains in China and recently in Vilcabamba, Ecuador. It is of note and interest that indigenous people that consume these waters display exceptional health and longevity where people are reported to live to 100 to 135 years of age. All these waters in their natural state are alkaline. The alkalinity is due to minerals in the water including calcium, silica, potassium, magnesium, and bicarbonate.

The “alkaline” in alkaline water refers to its pH level. The pH level is a number that measures how acidic or alkaline a substance is on a scale of 0 to 14. For example, something with a pH of 1 would be very acidic, and something with a pH of 13 would be very alkaline. Alkaline water has a higher pH level than regular drinking water. Because of this, some advocates of alkaline water believe it can neutralize the acid in your body. Normal drinking water generally has a neutral pH of 7. Alkaline water typically has a pH of 8 or 9.

Alkaline Water Debate

There has been much debate as to whether drinking alkaline water is healthier than drinking pH neutral water (7.0) or acidic water (less than 7.0).  There are scientific studies that report benefits and those that do not. Those in favor of alkaline water claim it provides a range of health benefits. Namely, that it boosts the metabolism, reduces bone loss and slows the aging process, and metabolizes nutrients easier by neutralizing acid in the blood that causes disease. They believe low-grade acidosis may not always be detected with testing, leaving your body to suffer the consequences. The opposing side agrees there might be benefits but is unsure whether the benefits come from the high-pH-level alkaline water itself or the minerals it contains. 

One recent and interesting study in mice, Alkaline Water and Longevity: A Murine Study, reported, “statistical analysis revealed that alkaline water provides higher longevity in terms of “deceleration aging factor” as it increases the survival functions when compared with control group; namely, animals belonging to the population treated with alkaline water resulted in a longer lifespan.” Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016; 2016: 3084126.

I suggest that a little common sense regarding this debate is the answer. Alkaline water is water that’s less acidic than tap water, filtered water, and most bottled waters. Concentrating on the pH level of our water might be not be the aspect we want to focus on.  If alkaline water is healthier, that is intrinsically due more to the minerals it contains rather than its pH level. This means it is rich in alkalizing minerals that our bodies need. Yes, we can get minerals from the food we eat and many health and nutrition experts advocate alkaline diets. Drinking alkaline water seems a simple and efficient way of providing minerals in addition to our food choices. Also, we absorb minerals more efficiently from water than we do food.

In nature, water flows down mountain streams and picks up minerals from rocks in the stream to give it it’s alkalinity. Water filtration systems that create naturally alkaline water work the same way.

Water is not just a beverage choice, it is our most essential nutrient. Drinking half your weight in ounces per day of healthy water is one aspect of Being Healthy by Choice, not by Chance.

The Beginning of Discovery

Skeptical or Cynical?

Following a recent event where I was speaking, I was approached by a woman who said she really enjoyed the Self Care Awakening talk I had given. I thanked her and asked if she had questions about the information presented. She responded with, the information was very good, but that she was a very skeptical person. For those of you that have been following Self Care and our subject matter, you might ask as I did, what is there to be skeptical about? Thankfully the teacher in me surfaced and I really wanted to know if she was skeptical or cynical. I have no issue with skepticism as it is a very important part of the discovery process.  It’s easy to confuse being a skeptic with being a cynic The word skeptic is derived from the Greek skeptikos, meaning “to inquire” or “look around.”, which is a good thing. I do take issue with a cynic, who distrusts anything that is contrary to their belief. The first thing I had to ascertain before continuing the conversation was if I was talking to skeptical or cynical individual. As the conversation continued it became apparent that she was skeptical and looking for more information to help her process the Self Care Awakening. We talked about each of the subjects that I had just presented.

Water Matters

I asked our guest if she was skeptical about being well hydrated and if drinking enough water each day to counter balance our daily loss of water (about 10 cups) was a good idea.  I referred her to “Down the Hatch”

Sleep Matters

Was she skeptical that sleep matters and we need 7.5 to 9 hours sleep a night to avoid sleep debt? That lack of quality sleep can adversely effect our health and that sleep is our most important part of our day. Referencing What Sweet Dreams are Made of…

Weight Matters

Might it be a good idea to have some measure of how much sugar we are consuming daily? And that it might be a good idea to limit that consumption to a healthy level.  Self Care Defense 101: Hidden Sugar

Environmental Toxicity and Pollution in People

Was she skeptical that we live in a toxic world and that accumulation of these toxic chemicals could influence our health? Might it be a good idea to filter our air, drinking water, bathing water and take steps through good sleep, proper hydration and limiting processed foods to lower our internal pollution, our Body Burden. The Body Burden

These may sound like simple steps to be Healthy by Choice, but sometimes the simplest ideas have the greatest skepticism. Welcome the skeptic and provide the information so they can take the next step to be Healthy by Choice. None of us can afford to be cynical enough to leave our Health to Chance.

author: Gary Lindner, Ph.D.