THE BASICS

OXYGEN

We can last only a matter of minutes without oxygen. But breathing that is deep and full can make the difference between poor circulation of oxygen and optimal circulation.

Belly breathing and nasal breathing are the deepest and most natural forms of breathing: Place one hand over your abdomen. Take in a deep breath and feel your stomach move out and lift your hand. Exhale and feel your hand sink into your abdomen. Repeat. After you have successfully achieved correct belly breathing, place your other hand on one nostril. Breathe in deeply through one nostril. Press down on the opposite nostril when you exhale. Repeat several times and then switch to the other nostril on inhalation and repeat several more times.

WATER

Quotes taken from Your Body’s Many Cries for Water by F. Batmanghelidgj, M.D. unless otherwise noted.

Water makes up 75% of the human body. To be healthy, women need to have a minimum of total body weight between 50-60% of their body weight; men need between 60 – 70% of their body weight in water.

Most people think that thirst is a sign of dehydration, but if you sense that you are thirsty, you are already DEHYDRATED. Secondly, chronic dehydration does not always trigger a thirst sensation at all.

There are three stages of water requirements:

The stage of life as a fetus. Water is required for cell growth. “Morning sickness of the mother is a thirst signal of both the fetus and the mother.” (p. 15)
The stage of growth from birth to full height and width, approximately between 18 and 25 years old.
The phase of life from fully-grown to the end of life.

It is very important to note at this point that coffee, tea, juice, soda, and/or alcoholic beverages not only are not substitutes for water but also are themselves dehydrating agents.

“Non-infectious ‘recurring’ or chronic pains should be viewed as indicators of body thirst.” (p. 21) See “Dehydration and some chronic pains”

Histamine is released when the brain senses dehydration. Histamine is the trigger in most inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as asthma, peptic ulcers and arthritis. Brain capillaries then respond by dilating when stimulated by histamine, thus the headache begins. Water could solve these problems, but instead over-the-counter (OTC) medications are used to mask the pain and symptoms and chronic dehydration has a chance to settle in. “The primary cause of Alzheimer’s disease is chronic dehydration of the body.”(p.33) Colitis is also caused by persistent dehydration, as the intestine’s functions are dependent on adequate hydration for secretion of motilin. Motilin is the hormone/neurotransmitter that stimulates peristalsis and motility.

The key to weight loss may be the consumption of ONLY water, no caffeinated products, juices etc. until the body is fully hydrated. People who need to lose weight are usually dehydrated. Dehydration limits the removal of ATP from storage for energy, thus reducing the use of stored fat for energy.

The biggest oxymoron is drinking diet soda. Diet soda is a bad joke on the body. First, it tastes sweet and thus triggers the brain to signal the pancreas to secrete insulin. The insulin is ready to bind with the sugar entering the bloodstream from this “sweet” tasting drink. The sugar never arrives and the insulin is forced to bind to glucose already in the bloodstream. Once the blood sugar level drops below normal, you are triggered to eat to raise blood sugar levels. The urge to eat can last up to 90 minutes after the consumption of the diet soda.

Soda drinking has reached epidemic proportions: In 1850, Americans drank about 13 ounces of soda per year. By the late 1980’s more than 500 12-ounce sodas were consumed per person per year. By 1994, consumption increased to 49.1 gallons of soda per year.

Choosing water first is critical to taking care of yourself. Before you reach for any other beverage in a day, finish drinking your quota of quality water:

Drink half your body weight in ounces every day. Drinking eight to ten 8-ounce glasses is appropriate if you weigh between 120-160 pounds. Remember all of your cells require water, so the more cells – the more water you need to drink. Add 4 ounces for every 15 minutes of activity/exercise above your regular day. Add an additional glass for every caffeinated (this includes decaf) beverage that you drink.

The best time to drink water: Drink one glass a half hour before each meal. Drink an additional glass 21/2 hours after each meal. Two additional glasses should be consumed around the heaviest meal or before going to bed. This is the minimum amount of water to consume daily.

If you avoid “salt” because you have been convinced that it is ‘bad’ for you, you may need to give yourself a pinch of salt directly on your tongue after drinking a glass of water. This will let your body know that salt is readily available and allow the body to return to normal water weight status without excessive bloating that can even occur in dehydrated states.

FOOD

See the attached handouts on eating to get in balance with nature. The number one rule for self-nurturing is to “Say No to Fake Food”. You deserve quality food, prepared by you or someone who cares about food. Don’t settle for fast food or highly processed packaged or frozen food. You can eat high quality food, without the added chemicals and flavor enhancers that will nourish your body, by planning ahead.

MOVEMENT

If the only exercise you get is using your remote control or computer keyboard, you need to re-group. Start with walking 10 minutes per day and slowly increase to 30-45 minutes per day. If you are not able to walk, do arm and leg lifts while seated to raise your heart rate.