Are You Chronically Dehydrated?

12 Symptoms of Chronic Dehydration

It is estimated that more than 50% of Americans suffer from dehydration and don't even realize it!!

Following are 12 of the more common symptoms of chronic dehydration:

1. Fatigue. Water is the most important source of energy in the body. Dehydration causes the enzymatic activity in the body to slow down, producing tiredness and fatigue. Thus, one of the earliest signs of chronic dehydration is fatigue.
2. Constipation. The colon is one of the first places the body pulls water when it is short of water in order to provide fluids for other critical functions in the body. Without adequate water, wastes move through the large intestines much more slowly. In fact, sometimes they don’t move at all. Thus, constipation is almost always one of the primary symptoms of chronic dehydration.
3. High blood pressure. The blood is normally about 94 percent water when the body is fully hydrated. When dehydrated, the blood is thicker causing resistance to blood flow, which thus can raise blood pressure.
4. High cholesterol. When the body is dehydrated, it will produce more cholesterol to seal off water loss from the cells. Cholesterol deposits within the cell membrane act to prevent additional cell water loss, ultimately for survival.
5. Acid-alkaline imbalance. The ideal environment for the health of the body is slightly alkaline. Our blood, in fact, is always slightly alkaline, usually ranging between 7.3 and 7.4 pH (7.0 being neutral). Dehydration significantly reduces the ability of the body to eliminate acid wastes.
6. Digestive disorders. The body needs an adequate supply of water to produce a wide array of digestive juices. A shortage of water and alkaline minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, can lead to a host of digestive disorders, including ulcers, gastritis and acid reflux.
7. Asthma and allergies. Another way the body rations water when dehydrated, as a survival mechanism, is by restricting airways. Respiratory problems are key symptoms of chronic dehydration. The rate of histamine produced by the body increases exponentially as the body loses more and more water. According to Water for Health, for Healing, for Life, chronic dehydration "is the primary cause of allergies and asthma in the human body." Drinking plenty of water is the single most important natural remedy for asthma. 
8. Weight gain. When dehydrated, cells are depleted of energy. They then have to rely on energy generation from food rather than water. People thus tend to eat more when, in reality, the body is thirsty. In addition, the body will not metabolize fat unless the body is adequately hydrated to safely remove dangerous toxins that are often stored in fat cells.
9. Skin disorders. The skin is the largest elimination organ in the human body. In a dehydrated body, the first site for water conservation is the skin. Dehydration impairs the elimination of toxins through the skin and makes it more vulnerable to all types of skin disorders, including dermatitis and psoriasis, as well as premature wrinkling and discoloration.
10. Joint pain or stiffness. All joints have cartilage padding, which covers the bone structures in the joint, providing necessary lubrication. The cartilage itself is composed mainly of water. When the body is dehydrated, cartilage is weakened and joint repair is slow. According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, the joints in which the pain is felt depends on where the localized drought has set in.
11. Bladder or kidney problems. As with all of the organs of elimination, when the body is dehydrated, toxins are not eliminated as well. The accumulation of toxins and acid waste create an environment where bacteria thrive. Thus, when dehydrated the bladder and kidney become more prone to infection, inflammation and pain.
12. Premature aging. When the body is chronically dehydrated, the skin begins to wrinkle prematurely. More importantly, what we don’t see is the same wrinkling and withering effect on the internal organs. The most effective and the most inexpensive way (by far!) to slow the aging process is to drink enough water, especially as we get older.

So my question is - what are you going to do about it?

Do you know how much water you should be drinking?

(If you answered 6-8 glasses a day, you are probably wrong)

Do you have an aversion to drinking plain water? 

(I do - but I have tips and secrets to share about how I've overcome it)

Do you know why your body needs so much water?

(Knowing why is half the battle!)

From August 7th - August 13th, I will be hosting a 7 day free group on Facebook where you will learn the answers to these questions and MUCH MORE!

Join us HERE

Interested in other health and fitness related issues? Find me on Facebook, or email me!

My Favorite Flavorful Seasonings and their Healthy Benefits

Over the past year, my passion for cooking and preparing (and eating) healthy food has literally exploded. And with that explosion, I've also become a bit of a connoisseur of seasonings - especially the ones that make my already healthy dishes not just taste great, but even healthier!

Some seasonings are just for flavor, but most of them have some added healing or health related benefit. Today I'm going to talk about my four favorites - and they're favorites, not just because they taste amazing, but also because of what they do for my body.

First on the list, today, is actually my latest "daily addiction" - Ginger. I've been using ginger in my refrigerator oats, but since I only eat carbs like that once in a great while, I started looking for another way to incorporate it into my daily regimen. At first it was an experiment, but it's become an addiction - I LOVE GINGER in my Cafe Latte Shakeology! It adds a little zing, and a lot of benefits.

So what's so good for you about ginger? What's not!!

• Ginger reduces pain and inflammation, making it valuable in managing arthritis, headaches, and menstrual cramps. (yup, I'm sold already!)
  
  But - in case you need more than just that...
• It has a warming effect and stimulates circulation.It inhibits rhinovirus, which can cause the common cold.
• It inhibits such bacteria as Salmonella, which cause diarrhea, and protozoa, such as Trichomonas.
• In the intestinal tract, it reduces gas and painful spasms.
• It may prevent stomach ulcers caused by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen.
• Ginger may drastically lower blood sugars and improve heart disease risk factors.
• Ginger may lower cholesterol levels
• Ginger contains a substance that may help prevent cancer.
• Ginger may improve brain function and protect against Alzheimer's disease.

Obviously, fresh grated ginger is going to be more effective than ground ginger in a jar, but - - even that can help to some degree.

Number two on my list today, is actually my number one favorite health seasoning. I am madly in love with Turmeric (which happens to be a member of the ginger family). Yup, another weird looking root. So besides turning things yellow, why Turmeric? It started with the anti-inflammatory benefits. I have arthritis in my feet and I have been looking for ways to make walking less uncomfortable, without taking all sorts of drugs, or having surgery. So along with eliminating certain foods from my diet (want to know what? email me!), I also started adding turmeric - especially to foods like sweet potatoes, chicken, and eggs.

• Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.
• Turmeric dramatically increases the antioxidant capacity of the body.
• Curcumin, that main active ingredient we talked about above, boosts brain function and lowers the risk of brain diseases.
• Curcumin leads to various improvements that should lower your risk of heart disease
• Turmeric can help prevent (and perhaps even treat) cancer!
• Curcumin may be useful in preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease.
• Arthritis patients respond very well to curcumin supplementation
• Studies show that curcumin has incredible benefits against depression

It's pretty difficult to get enough curcumin out of just the turmeric you're seasoning your food with, so I take a capsule every day to make sure I'm receiving all the healthy benefits it provides. If you're looking for a great source for healthy supplements, and other natural products, at a discount, click here for a free one month membership to my favorite place to shop for things like curcumin, coconut oil, maca root, tigernuts, cacao nibs and more.

Third on the list, Cayenne Pepper, contains capsaicin, the substance that gives cayenne its spicy taste, but it's also the active ingredient in many over the counter treatments for arthritis and muscle pain.

You can use ground cayenne pepper mixed with olive oil, topically (unbroken skin ONLY), at the site of painful joints, several times a day to, over time, alleviate the pain. At first it will cause a mild burning sensation, but after a week or so, you will become desensitized to that, while the pain relieving benefits will continue on.

As a seasoning on your food (ingested), cayenne pepper has other great benefits as well.

• Boosts metabolism and reduces appetite!!!!!! (shout out to all the dieters). Just a half teaspoon along with a meal can help suppress appetite and burn calories. Besides, it tastes great on so many things.
• Capsaicin is a powerful decongestant. It stimulates the release of mucus from respiratory passages and opens up your airways - so it's a great way to unclog a stuffy nose.
• Cayenne pepper can reduce blood sugar levels. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people with diabetes who ate a meal containing liberal amounts of chile pepper required less insulin to reduce their blood sugar afterward, suggesting the spice could have anti-diabetes benefits.
• Cayenne pepper boosts circulation and lowers blood pressure. Because cayenne improves blood flow, it is also helpful in conjunction with other medications or supplements if you have circulation issues. Research in the U.S. National Library of Medicine also shows that capsaicin helps lower blood pressure.

Black pepper - last on my list today - is probably the most common, and most versatile of my favorite seasonings with healthy benefits. So what can it do for you?

• Black pepper increases nutrient absorption. The piperine in black pepper enhances the bioavailability of various nutrients - and specifically, increases the bioavailability of curcumin (see turmeric, above) twenetyfold!
• Black pepper improves digestion. It stimulates the taste buds and increases the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which aids digestion.
• Black pepper can help you lose weight. The outer layer of the peppercorns contain phytonutrients that encourage the breakdown of fat cells, and suppress fat accumulation in the body. And since it improves digestion, it can help you burn calories. Black pepper is also a diuretic, so it can help flush toxins and excess water from the body.
• Black pepper relieves stomach gas and also helps prevent gas formation.
• Black pepper can help clear congestion as it helps loosen phlegm. It also has antimicrobial properties.
• The piperine in Black pepper can help treat arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties. It also improves circulation which can help with reducing joint pain as well.
• Black pepper can fight cancer and prevent other diseases, through its antioxidant qualities - specifically colon and breast cancer. It also protects against high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
• Piperine in black pepper, increases seratonin production, which helps regulate the mood and can act as an antidepressant. It also increases beta-endorphins in the brain, and promotes mental clarity.

So, there you have it - my four favorite spices and the reasons why I love them. It's kind of like Frank's Red Hot Sauce - I put that sh!t on everything!

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