Although it contains no nutrients, water is essential to life and for the growth and maintenance of our bodies. Many people are dehydrated without even knowing it; this is typically caused by a variety of factors:
not drinking enough pure water
consuming excessive amounts of caffeine-containing drinks such as coffee and alcohol. Caffeine is a diuretic ie it causes fluid loss from the body
spending long hours in dry environments such as offices, with exposure to central heating, air conditioning and electrical equipment.
Many natural health practitioners believe that dehydration is the root of some degenerative diseases and health complaints, and studies show that dehydration can contribute to many common ailments such as migraines, allergies, asthma, constipation, kidney stones and even arthritis. This should perhaps be unsurprising, given that our bodies are made up of 70% water, which of course needs to be constantly topped up.
Lack of hydration in the body has also been shown to cause backache: major muscles in the body do not perform properly unless the body has sufficient water intake. One of these, the psoas muscle, which runs from the thigh to the lower back, is the muscle that causes stiff hips and lower back pain.
How much is enough?
The best way to tell if you're drinking enough water is from your urine – it should be a light straw colour. The darker your urine, the more water you need to drink.
The recommended amount of pure water (excluding the water contained in soft drinks, tea and coffee) is 8 glasses or 2.5 litres per day. You should drink more if your caffeine intake is high, when exercising and on hot days, or if you've been sweating excessively.
How and when should you drink
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and another last thing at night ,as the body loses water during sleeping.
If you're out and about, take a couple of small bottles of water with you to ensure you drink enough.
Avoid drinking water with meals as it interferes with digestion. Instead, drink a glass half an hour prior to each meal.
Try not to drink ice-cold water; room temperature is best, as it is kinder to the body. Ice-cold food and drink can interfere with your metabolism.
There is some controversy regarding which type of water to drink: mineral, bottled or filtered tap water. Some argue that even mineral water contains some undesirable chemicals. To be safe, drink a combination of mineral, bottled and filtered water. Invest in a good filter, such as the Aquathin range.
Further reading:
"H20" by Anna Selby
"Your Body's Many Cries For Water" by F. Batmanghelidj
There are numerous reasons to introduce an exercise routine into your life. Whatever your age there is no doubt that physical activity will help you to be happier and healthier! The obvious benefits are a slimmer, more toned body and higher energy levels, but there is also a huge array of scientific evidence placing exercise as a major contributor for preventing many physical & mental diseases.
“If exercise were a pill, it would be one of the most cost-effective drugs ever invented” Dr Nick Cavill.
It’s Mental!!
Research has shown that exercise can reduce the risk of depression by 30%! Endorphins (our feel-good hormones) are released during a work out which help to alleviate stress and anxiety, boost self-esteem and good mood and improve the quality of your sleep. Long-term effects of a regular exercise routine can reduce the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by 30%!!
Now Lets Get Physical!!
Whilst researching prior to writing this I was staggered to re-read the statistics of how effective exercise is as a preventative of serious illness. Regular exercise can reduce the risk of:
Heart Disease by 35%!
Type-Two Diabetes by 50!!
Colon Cancer by 50!!
Breast Cancer by 20%!
Exercise can also be instrumental in preventing and/or alleviating symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis- by helping to build muscle, maintain bone density and also prevent weight gain, (which would cause more stress on the joints).
So How Much Is Enough?
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends the following for most healthy adults. (If you have any health problems it’s a good idea to consult your GP prior to starting an exercise plan);
Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity. You also can do a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread out this exercise during the course of a week.
Strength training. Do strength training exercises at least twice a week. No specific amount of time for each strength training session is included in the guidelines.
Moderate aerobic exercise includes such activities as brisk walking, swimming and mowing the lawn. Vigorous aerobic exercise includes such activities as running and aerobic dancing. Strength training can include use of weight machines or activities such as rock climbing or heavy gardening.
As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Want to aim even higher? You can achieve more health benefits, including increased weight loss, if you ramp up your exercise to 300 minutes a week.
Short on long chunks of time? Even brief bouts of activity offer benefits. For instance, if you can't fit in one 30-minute walk, try three 10-minute walks instead. What's most important is making regular physical activity part of your lifestyle.
How To Stick To A Routine!
*Choose an activity you enjoy and you’re more likely to stick to it long-term.
*Diarize and prioritize your exercise. You will feel better in all other areas of your life if you are physically fit so make it a priority in your schedule. I find that if people plan their sessions into the weekly diary they are much more likely to stick to their routine.
*Make it convenient- don’t make it too hard for yourself. Choose a gym or activity that’s near to your work or home, so that you don’t have to travel too far to get there. Cycling or running to or from work, if feasible, is a great way to make exercise part of your daily routine.
*Get lasting motivation and make it a long-term habit!
Healthy Habits can help you with hypnosis and mind management techniques to re-program your sub-conscious mind, giving you the right mind-set towards exercise! This will empower you to truly enjoy and reap the benefits of the activity you choose and to implement exercise into your life permanently!
“Until I tried the Healthy Habits Program exercise had been sporadic in my life and I’d never stuck to anything for more than a few weeks. I’ve now developed a love for running, which I never thought possible. I can’t believe how much I enjoy putting on my trainers and heading out. I actually look forward to it and feel amazing during and after! I’ve lost inches from everywhere and in my forties I feel and look better than I did in my twenties!!
Maggie
Have you ever laid awake at night, your mind racing only to finally drop off to sleep, what seems like minutes before your morning alarm sounds? For sufferers of insomnia this can be their reality, night after sleepless night. According to The National Institute of Health insomnia affects 30% of us at one time in our lives.
There are a few different types of insomnia with varying causes and effects;
Acute Insomnia- this tends to be for a brief period and can occur following a stressful event or change in the person’s life or during or after traveling. This type of insomnia tends to resolve itself, normally without requiring treatment.
Chronic Insomnia- this is more long term and is categorized as chronic if the insomnia occurs more than three nights per week and lasts for three months or over. The causes of this type of sleeplessness can be really varied.
Comorbid Insomnia- this occurs alongside, and may be caused by, another medical/health disorder such as a mental or anxiety condition. An inability to sleep could also be linked to ailments causing pain like arthritis, or chronic back pain or a neurological condition like Parkinson’s disease.
Insomnia tends to play out in two different ways. Onset Insomnia is when there is difficulty falling asleep at the beginning of the night. Whereas Maintenance Insomnia is the problem with staying asleep, the sufferer can wake up during the night or very early in the morning and have trouble getting back to sleep.
The debilitating effects of sleeplessness can negatively affect everyday life, sometimes making things unbearable. If you are having difficulty sleeping and also suffer from one or more of the following, it may be time to seek help;
Low mood and lack of energy
Lack of concentration
Fatigue
Increased irritability &/or mood swings
Difficulty in relationships
Problems at work or school
The causes of insomnia are varied. Anxiety and/or depression can be linked to sleeplessness and one can onset the other. The good news is that these conditions can be treated by Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy, relaxation exercises and mind management techniques.
Whatever the initial cause, sleeplessness inevitably can cause more worry and anxiety about not being able to sleep and this often starts a vicious cycle, turning initial acute insomnia into a more chronic situation.
Lifestyle factors can also play a part. For example nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, exercising or eating dinner late in the evening can all have an impact. Or maybe you work late into the night and then find it difficult to switch off.
Hypnotherapy can help insomnia massively and is a natural aid and cure, as a pose to taking addictive sleeping tablets.
If you come to Healthy Habits for help with insomnia we will discuss and look at lifestyle factors as well as other initial causes for the issue. We will then treat the causes with Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy, NLP techniques and relaxation mind management tools. We will also identify and advise on any lifestyle habits that need tweaking to help you.
Depending on the individual case between 2 & 4 sessions may be needed.
‘I’d been suffering on and off from insomnia for several years prior to last year when it became unbearable. My stress levels were sky-high because of work overload and at the point that I sought help from hypnotherapy I’d not slept for more than a couple of hours per night for a fortnight. My personal and professional life was suffering and I was really at my wit’s end. I read about some success stories where a couple of cases of insomnia were cured by hypnotherapy and decided to give it a try. After three sessions I am now sleeping soundly every night so far! I can’t believe it – such a relaxing therapy is so powerful!’
Catrina
