Fascinating facts about water

1) Approximately 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
2)In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.
3)Even mild dehydration can slow down a person's metabolism as much as 3%.
4)One glass of water shut down midnite hunger pangs for almost 100% of dieters in a University
of Washington study.
5)Lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue.
6)Research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water can significantly ease back and joint pain
for up to 80% of sufferers
7 Just a small 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with
basic math and difficulty forcusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
8)Drinking five glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%,
plus it can cut the risk of breast cancer by 79% and bladder cancer by 50%.


Again, we need to drink water as much as possible, especially in hot weather, and eat water-rich fruits and vegetables. Here are some fruits and vegetables high in water content you can easily include in your diet:

• Broccoli



• Cucumber



• Spinach



• Bell peppers



• Cabbage



• Cauliflower



• Oranges



• Apples



• Bananas



• Grapefruit



• Tomatoes



• Asparagus



• Carrots



• Watermelon



• Cantaloupe



• Blueberries



• Grapes

ENJOY!

DRINK UP!!

Water is crucial in maintaining good health.........Especially in the summer months. Many of us routinely feel the effects of too little water. Although I know how important water is, I frequently forget to drink enough, unless I make a conscious effort. Reports say that dehydration is one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization after age 65, and that is partly because seniors often have a reduced sence of thirst. My husband, Galen, has dehydrated more than once and we had to take him to the hospital for treatment. Now, he is very careful about drinking the right amount of water (but not too much either--because if you drink too much you can wash out your electrolytes, and that is actually what happened to him). And, we have all heard about young people, dehydrating and dying on the football field. So, you can see how critical it is to drink, drink, drink our water (preferably filtered water-contact me if you need information about Water Treatment Systems). However, avoid too much coffee or sodas, they are more dehydrating, it is not the same as drinking water. For example: if you drink one cup of coffee, they say you will need to drink twice the amount of water. Also, along with the right amount of water, make sure you eat fruits and vegetables that are high in water content(I will post a list of them next time).

So, how do we know if we are drinking enough ? To calculate your daily water needs figure your weight in pounds and devide it by 2. For example: If you weigh 150lbs, you will need to drink about 75 ounces of water per day. 150:2= 75 (a little over 9 cups of water).

Some of the symptoms of dehydration may include:

• Dry mouth


• Limited tear production


• Thirst and weakness


• Decreased or unusually dark urine


• Sunken eyes


• Cracked lips


• Dizziness, drowsiness, nausea or feeling faint


• Irritability


• Confusion

Since water makes up more than two thirds of the weight of our bodies, it is very important that we keep our bodies hydrated. The human brain is supposed to be made up fo 95% water, blood is 82% and our lungs 90%. We can live for weeks without food, but only a few days without water. So DRINK UP! and keep the world's most advanced machine "your body" running at its optimum.

By the way, have you ever tried "PERFECT WATER"? We enjoy it daily and feel a big difference. The Perfect Water is purified, ionized and remineralized, and it tastes great. If you would like to try it, you can contact me on gsb1@quixnet.net.

It's healthy to be thankful all year 'round

Practice Gratitude for Wellness sake....


Did you know that giving thanks year 'round can have a very real impact on your physical health? According to research done at the University of California at Davis, "grateful" people are healthier people. They take better care of themselves and engage in more protective health behaviors like regular exercise, a healthy diet and regular physical exams. "Gratitude" research is beginning to suggest that feelings of thankfulness have tremedous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems and especially stress. They tend to be more optimistic, which boosts the immune system. At the University of Illinois, studies done among cultures around the world found that the people of Ireland where they boast of a "count your blessings" culture, life satisfaction is among the highest.


So, if you would like to cultivate an "attitude of gratitude" here are some suggestions:


1) Keep a gratitude journal---Last year around Thanksgiving someone suggested writing a 'thank you" note daily and dropping it in a "gift bag". By the time next Thanksgiving comes around everyone shares their notes at the Thanksgiving dinner. I thought it was a great idea and started implementing it. I have the bag by the kitchen area and although I sometimes forget to do it, it keeps me on track, because when I don't do it for a few days, I feel like I am missing something. It is like keeping up with your to-do list, daily. It forces me to stop and be thankful for at least one think for that day. I can't wait to pull out my little notes at Thanksgiving day! I am sure there will be some surprises (some will be funny and some silly and simple, I am sure), since I would have forgotten some of the things I've written about. So give this a try, and see if it works for you.


2) Make a list of all the positive things and people in your life---Then ....consider how much you take those people for granted. Is it your spouse, your parents, your children, you boss, your friends, people you work with? even your pets? It could even be your job, or all the material things you have. It is different for everyone of us. This exercise can help you have a visual reminder.

I found that when I did that, I discovered that as I kept writing, more people and things came to mind. You would be surprised how many you can come up with.


3) Let your 'self-talk' be optimistic and appreciative---This will help you count your blessings. If you are in a challenging situation right now, try to re-frame it from a negative to a positive. For example: if you are trying to cope with a troublesome co-worker, or a family member, instead of seeing that person as a buren or a thorn in your side, think of him or her as giving you a chance to improve your patience, understanding or compassion. I try to do that whenever possible, which gives me a different perspective. Although at times I find it to be difficult and very challenging, I try to learn from the experience. I stop to ask myself, what it is that God is trying to teach me or teach the other person?

Even if I can't figure it out, it seems to calm me down and give me peace.

Try it for a while, you have nothing to lose.

1 Out of 10

Not too long ago I read in an article that the famous author Kipling, best known for the Jungle Book, made a fortune from his writing career. One day a reporter said to him that it was once calculated that from his books he made $100/word. So, he gave him a $100 and asked him to give him one of his hundred-dollar words. Mr. Kipling took the bill, put it in his pocket, looked at the reporter and simply said: "THANKS".





"THANKS" is, indeed, a valuable word-but not just because of the powerful meaning it conveys; it is a word far more rarely spoken in sincerity than one would think. And strangely enough, ingratitude is a persistent epidemic in our society, even in the midst of overabundance. How can we get so much and yet thank so little?





My husband and I recently attended a couple of graduation parties, and birthday celebrations. I was pleasantly surprised to receive thank you notes from a few of the 'gift recipients'. One of them (actually the youngest of them) even took the extra step and wrote a few very thoughtful quotes, besides her message; she wrote: 1) cheerful people are like sunshine, cheering up everybody around them 2) wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been and 3) of all the things you wear-your expression is most important.....those quotes were taken from the little book which was part of her gift..which made it a more personal note. A lot of people don't say thanks. It's implied, isn't it? But I remember a friend telling me why she decided to withdraw her name from the family Christmas gift swap-nobody ever thanked her for her presents. I hear this from many people. I enjoy cards, sending them and receiving them. Whenever I am in a gift shop I buy thank you cards and keep a supply at hand, my husband still writes them too.We send dozens of them out and never know what the recipients do with them, but it makes me feel good and I have come to appreciate the importance of this tradition/etiquette.





Maybe the reason more people don't send them is because they don't know what to say, but that is not the point. It doesn't matter how eloquently you can state your gratitude, just the simple act of saying thanks is enough. When we take a moment to express our appreciation, we acknowlege the efforts of others who give generously when they don't have to. When we do it, we bless them and blessings come back to us twofold.





In the Bible, Luke 17:11-19, Jesus and his disciples were travelling to Jerusalem on the border of Samaria and Galilee when they encountered ten men suffering from leprosy. These men stood at a distance because they were 'unclean'. The were not allowed to go to the Temple or live with their families, they were forced to stay outside the city. As they stood at a distance they called to Jesus: "Master, have mercy on us". Jesus responded to their pleas and healed them from a distance. He told them to go and show themselves to the priests in Jerusalem, and the 10 men were completely healed of their leprosy on the way. What makes the rest of the story interesting is that the only one who came back to THANK Jesus was a Samaritan. He praised God in a loud voice and threw himself at Jesus' feet, and thanked him. Samaritans were looked down by the Jews of that day, and were considered unclean and inferior in spiritual standing and they were excluded from temple worship. Yet, when this Samaritan figured out that God had healed him, he came back. The Jews, who would now be in good standing with their communities and temple worship, since they were cleansed, were too eager to get their religious status back that,they missed God Himself. So, Jesus asked the disciples, probably with great sadness, "were not all 10 cleansed? Where are the other 9? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner"? (V17-18) When Jesus healed these men, not only did he give them physical health-he also restored their independence, because they could now re-enter society and earn a living to feed themselves and their families. When we sincerely thank someone, we are acknowledging the fact that the person did something for us which we did not do for ourselves. A confession like this is sometimes an assault to our pride. That is often why we don't do it-we don't like admitting that we need others. Jesus did not revoke the healing from the other nine lepers because they failed to thank him, but when we take God's gifts and run, never confessing our gratitude and dependence, we miss out. When we choose to live with continuous gratitude we receive an intimate friendship with the Giver Himself.





Same thing applies today. We must actively thank the people who make or have made a difference in our lives. We should establish a daily habit of noticing the gifts and grace that we receive. Everyone needs a kind word of appreciation, so by all means, take time to write thank-you notes. Do it and see what happens.





Happy 4th of July and Happy Independence Day--as we thank those who made it possible for us. Let it not be forgotten that America has fought in more wars for the freedom of other peoples than any other nation in history. America's history is one that we can be proud of.