Water-Dehydration

Health conscious people, like you and I, know that drinking enough water is important. According to Wikipedia who uses Guyton's and Jackson's Anatomy and Physiology books for nursing as references, the adult body is made up of an average of 57-60% water. These percentages decrease to as low as 45% as a person ages. There are many technical facts about the water that is within the body like intracellular (within the cell)is 2/3 of the body's water and extracellular (outside the cell) makes up the other 1/3rd.

Electrolyte balance is connected to the amount of water, potassium and sodium that is in our body. Out of balance electrolytes can cause all kinds of horrible side effects. As an ER nurse, I have seen many out of whack heart rhythms from too much or too little potassium as well as muscle cramps from too little K+. Low sodium can cause mental confusion.


Considering all the health benefits of hydrating with water, it is easy to agree that "yeah, I should really drink more water". Then comes the confusing question. How much water is enough? Can you drink too much water? Does it mater when you drink your water? What kind of water should I drink?

The answer to these questions vary wildly depending upon which 'expert' you talk to. What is important to know is that there is generally at least a little truth in every experts opinion. This is why I say it is very important for everyone to find their own answer. Does that mean you should not listen to the 'experts'? No, listen, but know that your answer is somewhere between what each expert says and where you personally are with your body. Does that make sense? In other words, the answer is an individual one. There is a generally true answer but anytime we do not address individuality, we can really miss the mark as far as what is the right answer for you personally.

My opinions on these questions is as follows:

*How much is enough water? A general rule of thumb is half of your body weight in ounces. So, if you weigh 100 pounds, aim for 50 ounces, if you weigh 180 pounds, aim for 90 ounces and so on and so forth. That said, use your "how do I feel when I drink this much water?" answer to guide you. Every body is different.

**Yes, you can drink too much water. This usually only happens to people who have a Psychological disorder (which is the only incidences of water intoxication I have seen in my 20+ years of clinical experience) or in people who are way over zealous in drinking water. Too much intake of water causes an electrolyte imbalance (low sodium levels) which can cause severe neurological symptoms like confusion, convulsions, coma and in severe cases, death.

***Does when you drink water make a difference. I believe drinking 8 to 16 ounces of water upon arising in the morning helps to get things moving. Many people believe that you should drink a cup of water at least 15 minutes before you eat so that your body will have enough fluids for digestive enzymes. I reality, you will have to find a pattern that works for you. My thoughts are, it is more important to drink enough than exactly when you drink it.

****The kind of water is important, but, and this is really more of an opinion, I believe it is most important that you do drink sufficient water. The body does filter out toxins, especially if you are healthy. However, once you get in the habit of drinking sufficient water, and if you have the money, you may want to switch to filtered water. There too there is a huge differing of opinion, and you will have to make up your own mind between spring water, RO water, distilled water or just charcoal filtered tap water. It seems there is an expert who recommends any one of these so you just have to make up your own mind and trust that that is the answer for you.

Taking personal responsibility for my own health is a commitment and.... well, a responsibility. If I take that responsibility seriously, I will not begrudge the time it takes to read what the experts have to say and then examine my own lifestyle and my body's response to the added intake of more water, etc.

One of the more radical books on water is "Your Body's many cries for Water" by F. Batmanghelidj,MD. I am not sure you can cure all things with water but I think his is a good read to see just how important hydration is in all health issues.

As health conscious individuals, most of you have already determined how much and what kind of water you choose to drink. Nothing I am saying here is new to you. I applaud you and encourage you to keep on doing that which you know to do to keep healthy! My main goal with this blog is to encourage and empower anyone who wants to take charge of their own health.

Till next time,

Healthbug

Sites I used as reference.
1. http://www.europeanhydrationinstitute.org/pdin-en/ehi3/dehydration?gclid=COL-m_eKq7sCFbBAMgodyVAAlQ
2. http://web.pdx.edu/~sujata/FruitEze/education/laxative/water_chart.html

Motivation to Eat more Veggies

In contemplating my own health and health habits, I am looking for those things that motivate me to eat, exercise, and other wise take better care of myself. I have been a long time believer in the fact that people can make the most difference in their own health. Meaning, I, with my choices, can have the most effect on whether I am healthy or not. Sounds too simplistic, I know but in my 20 plus years of nursing, and 40 years of being a health conscious Mom, I do see that this is a truism.

How and what we think and believe about our health has a great effect on our health. If I think that my health is something that I either have or do not have,something that only the Doctor can help you maintain, then essentially you believe that nothing you do effects your health and with those beliefs, I am not motivated at all to do anything that would help prevent disease or make me healthier. However, if I believe that my life choices have a great affect on how I feel and what kind of health I have, then I am much more likely to make choices that have a positive affect my health.

Motivation is one of the great game changers. How motivated we are to do those things that will promote health will determine how vested we get in healthy living. Sometimes I find it helpful to use extremes to motivate myself. Say I am struggling to eat more vegetables (which I am at this present time) and I really don't like many vegetables, or at least not enough to be able to eat 2 cups of cooked veggies 3 times a day, which is what I am experimenting with at the present time. So I ask myself if I would be more enthusiastic about the process, if I knew that I had cancer, or some other life threatening disease that I know would benefit greatly from addition of this amount of veggies, would my motivation improve. Hmmm maybe not. But if I had research in front of me that indicated that those who ate that amount of veggies had a much higher chance of recovery, or that health issues were greatly improved, then I would be much more motivated. So the key is to keep those facts in mind and then figure out a way to make the veggies more to my liking.

So sauces it is. Sauces, sour cream dip, yogurt dip, seasonings and what ever I have to do to make Veggies my most favorite food.I'm on it.

Remembering that any 'diet' must be composed of food I enjoy eating, foods that I love eating and foods that agree with my body is the only way that I will be able to eat healthy for a lifetime.

Till next time,
Healthbug

Honestly! Why should I bother?

What a good question. It takes determination,time and courage to take responsibility for your own health. That said, how do you feel about having someone else tell you what job to work at, where to buy a house, whether you should marry this person or that person, what to wear every morning? Each and every one of these areas takes time and energy to decide just what we want to do. However.....you nor I would ever think of giving that responsibility away, nor allowing someone else to tell us what to do in any one of those areas. So why do we allow this to happen in such an important part of our lives as our health? The answer, as I see it is very short and simple. We have been conditioned to think that we should allow someone else to take up that responsibility. "They know more than I do." "It's just way too confusing for the lay person to understand. I need to leave that area of my life in the hands of the professionals." Am I saying we should not consult professionals? No! That is an emphatic NO! What I am saying is to trust yourself more. It's an attitude issue more than a knowledge issue. The attitude of, 'I know my body better than anyone else, after all I have lived with me 24 hours a day 7 days a week for my entire life. Who else has that kind of knowledge about me?' I am also not discounting information. It takes commitment to listen to and try to understand what your body is trying to say to you. The other thing is doing day to day, hour by hour those things that build health rather than those things that tear down your health. It is a lie that everything that is good for does not taste good! While fruits and veggies may be more expensive now, in the long run they are money well spent. Have you heard that the cost of health care is soaring? It is true. How permanent is a heart attack, stroke, poorly structured bones, gastric distress? Yes eating right can is the answer to every health issue. " But I can't do it alone" you say. "I don't have time to learn all that nutrition stuff!" My DR will never listen to my suggestions. I and my family can't and won't eat those healthy things. It takes too much time to cook from scratch." All those statements are true only based on your attitude. Just how important is you and your families health to you? Do you really care that you may be contributing to your child's poor mental and physical health? Do you care that you may be contributing to your own poor mental and physical health? Harsh words? Believe me, those words are soft compared to the harshness of the real life consequences of poor eating habits and bad food choices. I challenge you to sit yourself down and examine your attitude about your health, about food, and just how those two intertwine. We all want a pill to make it all better, when in truth, taking responsibility for our health is far easier than it looks. A change of attitude is where it starts. Changing one thing, one day/week at a time can make the changes easy on yourself and your family. Best of health to you till next time, Healthbug

What's this all about?

Hi,
This is the first post to my first blog! I imagine you may have reached this blog through a search about health or by accident. However you arrived here, you may still have the question "OK, so just what do you mean by 'You in charge of your health'?".
I have been passionate about health for as long as I remember. I began reading almost everything I could get my hands on about how to be healthy and have healthy kids way back in 1971 (Oops! there I go dating myself ;-) ). I continued reading, thinking, analyzing what I read and heard about health. Skip many years later, 20 years in the healthcare profession as an RN and I have arrived at some very strongly held opinions.
Please note! I said opinions! If you read this blog you are agreeing that you, ultimately are responsible for what healthcare decisions you make. I do not diagnose nor prescribe! Sorry, had to get that out of the way for legal purposes.
As I see it, I am in charge of my own health and you are in charge of your own health. After all, who knows more about me than me? I have lived with me for 60 years. You have lived with yourself for however many years old you are. No Healthcare Professional has that many years of experience with you.
"Hold it!" you say, "But I don't have the professional education that my HCP has. How can I even think that I am in charge?" Good question. One we all have to answer for ourselves.
Let me illustrate with the plumber. Your drain gets stopped up (you know that the tree out in the yard has roots that have grown into your sewer) When the plumber arrives you tell him your drain is stopped up and you think it needs to be roto rootered as you are almost positive the roots from that ole tree out back has grown into the sewer line. Note here: you don't say you know because you are afraid of offending the all knowing plumber, after all he has so much more education and experience with these things, but you really are sure the roots of the tree are the problem.
Well the plumber really doesn't like it that you of all people, a lay person, is even suggesting to him what the problem MIGHT be so he sets out to "discover" the problem without taking you seriously. 6 hours later he comes to you confidently, with professional voice and breezily states "Well, I finally found your problem. The roots to that old tree out back have grown into your sewer line. I'm going to need to roto rooter the line. No time today so I will be back tomorrow and I think I can get the line cleared in 4 hours." Or an even worse case seneario is that he comes to you and says, "the problem is your kitchen sink, the drain trap needs replaced......etc, etc, etc". See the problems one can get into by 'just listening' to the "Professional".
What? You got it, If this professional had listened to you, he would have gotten your line cleared right away. OK, so maybe that is a cheesy example but it's all I could think of at the moment.
What I am trying to say is, whether or not you are consulting with a MD, ND, DO, DC, NP, PA, Massage therapist, Reiki Master, CST therapist, or any other kind of healthcare provider. We each, in fact, are the Head of our own Healthcare Team because it is us who has the greatest knowledge about ourselves.
Any way we go from here, we are the ones who decide what to do with the information we are given by the HCP. We can decide to kick back, and do just exactly what "they" tell us to do or we can say "thank you very much for your advice, I want to think about this, a second opinion, to research more, see what cousin Elmo says etc. ".
This "taking charge of your own health" concept is what this blog is all about. If you have questions, please post them and I will attempt to answer them. Otherwise, I imagine I will be blithering on about just how a person can best be their own Healthcare Team Leader. :-}
Until next time.
The Healthbug