The material in
this site is provided for personal, non-commercial, educational and
informational purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement. You should seek the advice of your
medical doctor regarding your particular situation.
Water -
Why so important- Our bodies are
estimated to be mostly water.
-
We need to drink water
because water is needed to regulate body temperature and to provide the
means for nutrients to travel to all our organs.
-
Water also transports
oxygen to our cells, removes waste, and protects our joints and organs.
Dehydration -We lose water through urination, respiration, and by sweating. If you
are very active, you lose more water than if you are sedentary. Diuretics
such as caffeine and alcohol result in the need to drink more water because
they trick our bodies into thinking we have more water than we need.
Signs & Symptoms of mild dehydration
·
chronic pain in joints, muscles, lower back pain, headaches, and
constipation.
·
A
strong odor to your urine, along with a dark yellow or amber color indicates
that you are not getting enough water. (Note that riboflavin, a B Vitamin, will make your urine bright yellow.)
·
Thirst
is an obvious sign of dehydration and in fact, you need water long before you
feel thirsty. So if you are
feeling thirsty you are already dehydrating!
How
Much Water do we Need to Drink?
-
A good estimate is to take
your body weight in pounds and divide that number in half. That gives
you the number of ounces of water per day that you need to drink. For
example, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should drink at least 80 ounces of
water per day.
-
If you exercise you should
drink another 8 ounce glass of water for every 20 minutes you are
active.
-
If you drink alcohol, you
should drink at least an equal amount of water.
-
When you are traveling on
an airplane, it is good to drink 8 ounces of water for every hour you
are on board the plane.
-
If you live in an arid
climate, you should add another 2 servings per day.
-
As you can see, your daily
need for water can add up to quite a lot.
The best source of water
is plain, pure drinking water. Sodas have a lot of sugar in them and aren't a
good source, so if you drink them, they don't count towards your daily
amount. Herbal teas that aren't diuretic are fine. Sports drinks contain
electrolytes and may be beneficial, just look out for added sugar and
calories that you don't need.
Caffeinated beverages will
also add to your daily water need. Even though caffeine is a diuretic, if you
regularly consume caffeine, your body will regulate itself to that diuretic
effect.
Skin 101
- Skin the
largest organ of the human body. Our skin is divided
into three major layers, the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue.
The top layer “epidermis” is the outmost layer that we use to touch and
feel. This layer protects us from harmful environmental agents like
radiation, dirt, and bacteria. Often abused and is the most visible. The
second layer “dermis” is the layer that provides the nutrition needed for
the epidermis. The third layer "subcutaneous tissue" is a fatty layer
that allows the dermis and epidermis to move freely. All three layers
contains elastin fibers and collagen that gives our skin the flexibility and
strength.
Why
Exfoliate? The skin cells of the
epidermis grow constantly. They divide in the lower level of the epidermis,
as more cells divide they push up to the top layer where they die and flake
off (shedding). As we age the ability to shed dead skin cells naturally
decreases. As a result the dead skin cells stay on the top layer
(epidermis) leaving your complexion dull and aged. Dead skin can act
like a sponge holding onto valuable moisture that can’t reach the lower
layers of the skin where it is needed. No matter what skin type you have a
build up of dead skin increases the cell density which slows the cell
division rate.
Exfoliating helps to
remove the dead skin cell layer and makes you skin look healthier
instantly. Removing the dead dull skin layer reveals the new healthy layers
below, which also means moisture and other vital nutrients can readily
absorb into the other layers of the skin.
Granular exfoliation
is an excellent way of removing those dead skin cells, and restore the
moisture balance as well as feeding the skin nutrients rich in Vitamin A, E,
F… from the butters, oil, sugar, dead sea and mineral salts used in our βodi-cure™
formulas.
Exfoliation should be
apart of your weekly beauty routine, like going the hair dresser or getting
your nails done. This should be apart of your grooming rituals. Ladies
take note men that shave there face daily is actually a form of exfoliation
which gives them a more youthful appearance. Heal your living skin
with exfoiliation!
Moisturizing
Why? To seal in
moisture keeping the skin soft, supple and youthfully beautiful.
Moisturizing should occur all year long to prevent dry aged looking skin.
Summer skin care should also use sun protection factors with uva/uvb.
More tips coming soon!
Suzette Royster, RN
