How Dry I Am

Out of the four basic nutrients which our bodies require for survival (water, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) WATER is the most important of all! Why? A human being is able to remain alive without food for approximately thirty days, however life would cease in about three if the body were deprived of this precious nutrient! The human body is two-thirds water, which plays a major role in every function from digestion and absorption, to circulation and excretion. water improves oxygen delivery to every cell, transports nutrients, enables easier breathing, cushions and absorbs shocks to joints, regulates body temperature, flushes toxins, removes wastes, improves cell communication, and helps us look and feel great. We lose approximately 2-3 quarts through perspiration and one pint through exhalation every day! Dehydrated and nutrient deficient cells will encourage health problems not to mention give us that dried-up wrinkly look, something so easily avoided by taking in a few sips of water here and there!

So, are we really drinking enough? Many people will admit that they are notand this is the reason why there are so many people with symptoms of dehydration. In a healthy body, even a slight dip in blood volume triggers the hypothalamus to send out a message that we are thirsty, making our mouths feel dry. Due to poor habits and aging, our trigger mechanisms become impaired and slow down, giving the false impression of adequate hydration, and this is more of a reason to drink water even if you arent thirsty. The old rule of thumb is that eight servings (8oz per serving) of good quality water per day is sufficient for normal body function, however, there is another more precise way to calculate the amount you need. Take your body weight in pounds and divide by two; this number in ounces is closest to what your body requires each day for optimal health. Ex. Michelle weighs 150 pounds; divide 150 by two, which equals 75. Michelle needs to consume approximately 75 ounces of water per day in order to meet the hydration needs of her body. Seventy-five ounces divided by 8 ounces equals approximately nine 8oz glasses instead of the recommended eight. (You may need more or less depending upon the time of year and your exercise habits; exercise is wonderful for us however we need to replenish what water is lost through perspiration). Another important thing to remember is that ice cold temperatures will shock the digestive system thus slowing down enzyme capability, so preferably drink your water at room temperature.

Why be concerned about dehydration? Some annoying signs of this from early onset to later stages may appear as headaches, cramping, fatigue, anxiety, depression, heart burn, joint pain, back pain, fibromyalgia, migraines, constipation, angina, allergies, asthma, adult onset of diabetes, hypertension, autoimmune disease, psoriasis and more. The worst part is that many people think they are getting enough quality water out of the many other types of drinks they consume throughout the day. With a society consuming so much coffee, beer, wine, and carbonated soda containing chemicals, sugar and caffeine, I am afraid not! What most people do not realize is that these type drinks cancel out the little bit of pure water that they do consume! Caffeine and alcoholic drinks are diuretics, which mean they contribute to a debit of hydration by increasing urine flow, not to mention other ill health effects due to some of their ingredients. Carbonated drinks usually contain high amounts of refined sugar or worse, artificial sweeteners. Your best bet is to cut back on products containing these ingredients or better yet stop using them altogether and reach only for the pure, good quality water!

Am I able to substitute some of my water intake with any other kind of beverage? YES!!! Fresh juices extracted through a juicer from organic fruits and vegetables (not bottled due to chemicals, high sugar and lack of enzymes, raw vegetables or a piece or two of fruit are the best. Decaffeinated herbal tea is also a fine choice.

So what are you waiting for? Go get a glass! Not sure when is the best time to quench your thirst and your body? Usually about 20 minutes before a meal or at least one half hour afterwards best so as not to disturb the digestive process. Too much water after a meal may interfere with enzyme function. And dont chug your daily requirement in one or 2 sittings. The body can only effectively metabolize around 5 ounces of water at a time. Drink too much, and it will go straight to the bladder, so sip your water throughout the day.

What do you mean when you say quality water? All water is the same, is it not? Not so! Many health problems ranging from parasites to cancer can result from drinking contaminated water. There are over 75 thousand chemical compounds lurking in our water today. These pollutants come from industrial waste, agriculture, municipal sewage and consumers. Most people assume their taps provide clean, safe, quality water yet unfortunately this is not the case. These contaminants do seep into much of our water supply. Who is responsible for setting the standards for public water systems? The Safe Drinking water Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) control over this ongoing challenge with our drinking water (private wells are not regulated by the EPA). In fact more than one third of the water supply from community water systems have been reported as failing to meet the EPA standards for safety and treatment techniques. Some of the harmful pollutants one may find in their drinking water include heavy metals, radon, fluoride, arsenic, fertilizers, asbestos, cyanides, pesticides, herbicides, industry chemicals, viruses, bacteria and parasites. And then of course, the following are added to public water supplies in order to kill bacteria, balance pH, control cloudiness, etc.; chlorine, carbon, lime, phosphates, soda ash and aluminum sulfate. Chlorine also has its undesirable effects especially if combined with carbon based pollutants which form deadly tri-halo-methanes (THMs). Another contaminant of concern is Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) which is an immune system depressant and most likely a carcinogen. MTBE is added to gasoline in order to increase its oxygen content however it is seeping into our drinking water at a fast rate.

Unfortunately many of the impurities found in our drinking water supply are carcinogens; others contribute to general malaise or various types of illness. What to do? Clean up your tap water with one of the many filters on the market or choose a quality bottling company for your hydration needs. Although boiling water will kill bacteria and parasites it falls short at removing contaminants, so it wont improve the quality of water enough to make it suitable for drinking. Some of the available home water treatment and/or filtration methods you might want to look into include: charcoal, micro straining, and ceramic filters, KDF filtration, distillation, reverse osmosis, water softeners, bactericides, ultraviolet light and ozone. Although reverse osmosis and distillated are considered the best, no system can remove every single contaminant. Before choosing a unit it is suggested that you contact NSF International (www.nsf.com ) or the Water Quality Association (www.wqa.org). These organizations will let you know if a manufacturer is holding their claims. See Holistic Healers Academy website for description of filtration methods: http://www.holistichealersacademy.com/water.htm

This article offers an introduction to alternative methods to plain tap water to encourage consumers into further investigation on which water would be best for them to use for drinking or cooking. It is my hope that you will contact some of the companies /agencies listed in order to get a closer look at how important it is to drink good quality water!

References: Dr. Batmanghelidj' M.D. ,"Your Body's Many Cries for Water" www.watercure.com Paul Bragg N.D., PhD, Water, The Shocking Truth That Can Save Your Life Steve Meyerowitz Water The Ultimate Cure

Please read the following: by Masaru Emoto, Messages From Water see site www.hado.net on how our thoughts effect water

Bob Worthington CNC, Naturopath (instructor for Holistic Healers Academy) see his own site http://www.spiritcentral.net

Kristen Lauter BS, HHP holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Health from Clayton College of Natural Health and has received board certification as a Holistic Health Practitioner from the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She is currently a candidate for the Certified Nutritional Consultant (CNC) through the American Association of Nutritional Consultants. Kristen fell ill with mercury and copper toxicity which led her on a nine year holistic journey resulting in the birth of Holistic Healers Academy.

Holistic Healers Academy (HHA), offers various programs leading to board certification as a Holistic Health Practitioner (HHP) through the American Association for Drugless Practitioners. Through affordable home study courses, HHA offers holistic, metaphysical, energy and spiritual programs. With over thirty five courses to choose from, our HHP program is self-paced and enjoyable with one on one mentoring via email! For additional information visit our website at http://holistichealersacademy.com

Certified Holistic Health Practitioner #76892201 Holistic Healers Academy received accreditation and certification from AADP in 2002 Certificate No. 37182206 and again in 2004 Certificate No. 31472411

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Soccer Nutrition and Mental Focus, the Mind-Body Link

Soccer Nutrition and Mental Focus;

Food-Brain-Brain-Food link,

We've all heard of the "breakfast on champions".
This is true because it focuses on the daily nurturing of the body to aid the mind in preparation of the events ahead.
It can be a part of a ritual as, proper breathing techniques and adequate liquid consumption.

Focusing on a dietary plan is also preparing the mind for future competitions is a long process.
This is the use of one of the most important issues in life (food), to introduce another important issue (competition), to heighten the all aspects of individual and team performances.

It teaches the players/athletes to cue themselves for their games ahead.
It also prompts acceptable behaviors and fosters conditions of ownership among the players and all those involved in the team.
Nutrition also allows the coaches to use food and other rewards to encourage other acceptable techniques to prepare for a variety of competitions. NO! I'm not encouraging "Pavlovian" psycologial techniques, this is a much longer and indepth process.

Nutrition is only a step in a process towards mental focus.
We have also heard, "strong in body, and strong in mind".
I would suggest that these major components in life are completely intertwined and in fact are, inseperable.
You can win by recognizing this or lose without even knowing that there is a link too or a cause and effect with this issue.

Many of us try and focus on what to eat. This is the first important step in the correct direction.
The flip side to that is what not to eat. This is realizing what is harmful to the player and even the coach.
"Maybe a little more oatmeal and less coffee?" is a good first step towards this solution.

The addition to that is what to eat, and in which combinations.
We have now entered the realm of the ZONE.
This is the area of expertise of the highly qualified nutritionist to deliver the ultimate nutritional plan.
This however can only be successful once the planner knows which competitons lay ahead. The nutritional planner also has to understand the team of athletes and their gender and age specificity.

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Golf Swing Troubleshooting

Every golfer player knows that in order to lower their scores they need to learn about golf strategy as well as tips on how to help with golf swing. Below we provide you with some golf swing troubleshooting tips which should help to ensure that you get the most out of your swing every time you play.

Golf swing Troubleshooting

When it comes to aiming at a target a golfer can cause themselves to miss aim in a couple of ways. The first is because they place their body in such a position that it is this which is aimed at the target. What you should be doing in order to aim correctly at the target is to have your club sitting at right angles to the target which you align your body parallel left to it. It will take quite a bit of practice on your part in order to get you to align your body and club correctly when you actually play a game of golf on a course. The best place to practice this position is at the driving range where you can pick a target that you wish to aim at. Then you get another one of your clubs a few feet in front of you in line with the target. Then take another club and place this parallel to the first but in line with your toes so that it shows how your body is aligned. Then you just start to need hitting a few balls and after a while you will find that you are easily able to train both your body and eyes to accept the way in which you are aligning your body now.

If you are looking to get more distance and less loft out of your shot you need to spend time evaluating how you actually move through the swing to the stage where you hit the golf ball. If you find that your swing is quite steep it may be advisable to come lower the loft and if you are someone who finds that they have a much shallower steep swing then it may be worth your while actually raising your loft higher. By raising your loft you will be able to provide maximum low spin but it will launch the ball much higher when it is in flight. It is best that your launch angle should sit somewhere between 13 and 14 degrees at all time.

When it comes to using different golf swing troubleshooting tips it is important that you always relate the position of the ball to your upper body. A lot of golfers today will use their feet as a way of judging a balls position and this will in most cases actually give the illusion that it is in the correct position when it isn't.

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