Health Benefits of Water

We all know that it is important to drink water every day – but you might not realize all of the benefits that water has on our bodies.  Our bodies are composed of about 60% water.  The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients and maintenance of body temperature.

Benefits of water

1.   Helps to maintain healthy body weight by helping organs function properly thus increasing metabolism.  Water also reduces hunger – why wouldn't you drink more water – it’s a natural appetite suppressant.  Water also helps keep our metabolism functioning at its best.

2.  Increased water leads to increased energy levels.  The most common cause of daytime fatigue and weakness is mild dehydration.

3. Water is essential for our bodies to digest foods and prevents constipation.  I counsel many patients at the pharmacy about the link between dehydration and constipation.  We should all strive to drink more water.

4. Water naturally moisturizes our skin by hydrating skin cells and plumping them up.  Water helps to flush impurities and improves blood flow helping skin to glow.

5. 70%-80% of our brain tissue is water.  If you are dehydrated, your body and mind are put under internal stress which can lead to lack of concentration and feeling foggy.

6. Water helps to build muscle tone.  Drinking water helps prevent muscle cramping lubricates joints and aids in muscle recovery.  Water helps to keep muscles more elastic.  When our cells don’t contain the correct balance of fluids and electrolytes, the cells shrivel which can lead to muscle fatigue.

7. Dehydration can lead to headaches – even mild dehydration can contribute to a headache.

8. Water supports kidney and liver function allowing these organs to flush toxins from body. 

9. Water helps carry nutrients and oxygen to cells within the body.

10. Water helps with fluid retention – more water helps the body rid itself of excess sodium which results in less fluid retention.

Remember that if you feel thirsty, you are already slightly dehydrated.  There are many recommendations of the amount of water we should drink each day but you should be drinking at least 9 to 12 glasses of water per day.  Another recommendation is to take our body weight, divided in half and this is the number of ounces that we should drink each day.  And the more active you are, the more water you should be drinking every day.

You can also eat more fruits and veggies to increase your daily water intake.

And talk to your pharmacist or doctor about your medications because there are many medications that can cause increased thirst.

Exercising With Pain or Debilitating Diseases

You can exercise with pain or debilitating diseases.  Exercise is good for almost everyone!

Every day at the pharmacy I have a patient who is dealing with a pain syndrome, such as fibromyalgia or pain from an injury, or dealing with a debilitating disease, such as arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or osteoporosis.  Any of these conditions can limit mobility and complicate everyday tasks.  We use medications to treat each of these conditions but there is another treatment that is often overlooked.  Exercise.  This is the simplest treatment, is very effective and is very inexpensive.  The right type of exercise can help you decrease pain levels, have more energy, improve sleep and have better day-to-day functioning.

The stronger the muscles and tissues are around your joints, the better they will be able to support and protect the joints.  Without exercise, our muscles become smaller and weaker and our bones can become more brittle.  Exercise helps to keep our joints flexible and able to move easier. 

Benefits of exercise in patients with arthritis or pain syndromes (these are benefits to any and everyone!)

• Reduced symptoms (less pain)
• Improved joint motion, function and flexibility
• Improvement in coordination and balance
• Helps maintain bone mass
• Reduced body weight (less strain on joints)
• Reduced stress
• Improved sleep

There are 3 types of exercise that should be included in everyone’s exercise regimen each week.

   1. Flexibility exercises – range of motion exercises and stretching 

exercises help to maintain or improve flexibility in joints and muscles.

   2. Strengthening exercises – designed to work muscles harder to maintain or increase muscle strength.  As muscles become stronger, they provide greater joint support and reduced stress through the joints.  Strong muscles contribute to better function and reduce bone loss related to inactivity.

   3. Aerobic exercise – improves heart, lung and muscle function and endurance.  Types of aerobic exercises are walking, jogging, water exercises, bicycling, etc. 

The hardest part of beginning any exercise program is figuring out where to start.  Find someone to help you get started and to keep you motivated.  Having someone who understands what you are going through makes the entire process easier.  Exercise can become part of your daily life, something that you do every day, without a doubt and without even thinking about it.  Make a plan for your day and schedule time for exercise.

I don't have any type of arthritis or pain syndromes, but as a pharmacist, I work 12 hour shifts and I stand all day.  This causes pain in my feet, ankles, knees, back and hips.  I would wake up each morning and have a hard time getting out of bed because my knees and ankles would be stiff and actually hurt to put weight on.  It felt like I could wake up and crack every bone in my body and all of my muscles and joints would ache each morning.  Throughout the day, anytime I squatted my knees would crack and ache.  Anytime I sat for long periods of time, my entire body would be stiff and hurt when I moved.  My chiropractor would tell me that I needed to stretch more and loosen my hip flexors because my tight hip flexors were causing my hips and back to stay out of alignment.  This is when I discovered the HUGE benefits of flexibility exercising.  Yoga, Pilates and PiYo became my go-to exercises to repair and strengthen my body. 

As soon as PiYo became available last summer, I knew that this would be the program to change my life.  This program incorporates stretching and strength training to build muscle and keep muscles flexible.  Since using PiYo, Pilates and Yoga, I no longer wake up each morning in pain and I no longer spend my days in pain because my muscles and joints are stronger and more flexible.  

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Having a coach can help you start your journey and can help you stick with your goals.  As a coach, I am able to share my personal experiences to help others succeed.

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*Always check with your doctor, physical therapist, or occupational therapist before beginning or changing your exercise routine.  Finding the right balance with your exercise routine is the key – figure out what works for you and what makes you feel good.  Start slow and gradually progress.

My Clean Eating and Shakeology Journey

When did the value of nutrition become important for me?  When I grew tired of always being tired, sluggish and feeling drained.

I’ve known for many, many years that I should eat healthy, and sometimes I did, but those veggies and proteins aren’t good for you if they’re fried.  And it took me a long time to learn that eating less isn’t the way to lose weight; and that eating healthy the majority of the time is what is better.   And my sweet tooth had its own agenda against me!  All of these things had been causing my struggles over the years.  I could exercise and exercise (and boy did I exercise!) but I couldn’t quite get down to the weight that made me feel better and happier.  This dilemma continued on.  I would eat “healthy” some of the time.  But I love casseroles, cookies and fried foods…I love to cook & bake and I love comfort foods.  I think that I survived the stress of pharmacy school with cookie dough – this is my favorite junk food.

Then, one night a couple years ago, watching a P90X infomercial, I decided it was time to do something extreme.  So I ordered P90X, did the workouts daily but wasn’t satisfied with the results.  Yes, I lost some weight, but it wasn’t nearly what I had anticipated.   It didn’t sink in then; I didn’t realize what the problem was.  Then I ordered Malibu Pilates and then T25 (love T25!).  Both programs gave me some results…but I knew that I could see better results. 

I began drinking Shakeology in January of this year.  As a pharmacist, I realized the value of the 70 ingredients in this all natural, preservative free product.  Shakeology is a nutrient dense, meal replacement – yes – this product contains more nutrients than I could ever eat in a day.  And it is the quickest and easiest way to feed my body what it deserves.  It contains vitamins, minerals, proteins, nutrients, prebiotics, probiotics and digestive enzymes derived through WHOLE foods.  Within a week I noticed changes.  I had less cravings, more energy, better digestion and absolutely felt better. 

Then I saw the advertisement for PiYo – I instantly knew that this was going to be THE program that brought me results!  I patiently waited months for the release of the program.  While waiting, I started reading about Chalene Johnson, visiting her website and social media pages.  And I started to realize that if I wanted to see changes – I needed to make changes with my nutrition.

Thus began my journey with actually eating healthier and learning more about clean eating.  Then, the PiYo workouts were released in June – this program and the changes that I made with my nutrition gave me RESULTS!  Finally, I feel better, have more energy and I am happier with how I look.

My clean eating journey began by cutting out processed foods, eating much less white flour & white sugar products and eating more vegetables (not fried!).  I plan my meals more so that I am not tempted to grab something quick and unhealthy.  I’m still learning and figuring out what works for me – but this is a process worth every second!

This journey has helped me realize the importance of sharing and teaching others what I’ve learned.  Had it not been for others sharing, I wouldn’t be where I am today.  After all of this, I decided that becoming a Beachbody Coach was perfect for me to continue my growth and help others along the way.

Join me in my next Clean Eating Bootcamp Group to learn the basics of clean eating. 

Or join me in my next Fitness Challenge Group for the total package:  personal support from me as your coach, a complete fitness/nutrition program and daily Shakeology.  We work together to achieve your goals.  

Visit my website and click “Contact Me” or message me through Facebook.

Kristin Ratliff's Beachbody Website

Sources of Antioxidants

Antioxidants Part 2

Sources of Antioxidants

What are sources of antioxidants?

Our bodies produce some antioxidants naturally.  We also get antioxidants from our diets by eating a variety of vegetables, fruits, beans, seeds/nuts, coffee and tea.

Vitamins and minerals that are antioxidants include vitamins A, C & E; beta carotene, selenium, lycopene, lutein, zinc, copper, selenium and manganese.

               

Vitamin A – milk, butter, eggs

               

Beta carotene – apricots, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, corn, green peppers, kale, mangos, turnip/collard greens, nectarines, peaches, pink grapefruit, pumpkin, squash, spinach, sweet potato, tangerines, tomatoes and watermelon.

               

Vitamin C – berries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, cauliflower, honeydew, kale, kiwi, mango, nectarine, orange, papaya, snow peas, sweet potato, strawberries, tomato, peppers

                

Vitamin E – broccoli, carrots, chard, mustard/turnip greens, mango, nuts, papaya, pumpkin, red peppers, spinach, sunflower seeds, kale, canola oil, sunflower oil

               

Zinc – oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, seafood, whole grains, dairy products

               

Selenium – nuts, tuna, beef, poultry, eggs, cheese, pasta, bread

               

Lutein – spinach, collards, kale, broccoli, corn, peas, papaya, oranges

               

Lycopene – pink grapefruit, watermelon, apricots, tomato

Other foods rich in antioxidants include: prunes, apples, raisins, plums, red grapes, alfalfa sprouts, onions, eggplant, beans, potatoes, pecans and cherries

**An awesome supplement containing many antioxidants is Shakeology!!