One of the easiest and most important steps everyone can make toward supporting better health is something we already do every day, but just not well enough. In fact in a great number of cases, it provides such a significant effect on one’s health that individuals have reduced and even eliminated medications and remedied other ailments. What is this miracle solution I am speaking of? Simple ordinary water.
Along with a decline in wholesome food choices, we have grown intolerant of accepting plain water as palatable let alone necessary. When I attend meetings or luncheons where ice water is placed at every seat, by the end of the meeting the majority of all the water glasses amazingly have never been touched. Yet next to those full glasses are multiple empty soft drinks or coffee cups.
I could site libraries full of research on the importance of water especially as a priority over other beverages, but as the old saying goes, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” The human twist should be, “you can lead a person to water, but they’d rather have a high fructose corn syrup-laden, carbonated, diabetes stimulating, immune depressing soft drink!”
Water is the most essential element, next to air, for our survival. Yet the aversion to water that so many people have developed is nothing short of a tragedy and significant part of our failing health. The human body needs water. In fact, it needs quite a bit of water each and every day for a multitude of reasons.
Water is your body's principal chemical component making up about two thirds of your body weight, but without it, we would die in a few days. Every system in your body depends on water. Just to name a few, water lessens the burden on the kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products, it carries nutrients to your cells by keeping your blood in balance, it provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues, it’s necessary in regulating body temperature. It also helps prevent constipation and helps dissolve minerals and other nutrients to make them accessible to the body.
Water is a key component of cartilage and the disc material between the vertebrae of your spin and when we under hydrate ourselves, our body sacrifices the water in our joints to make it available for more critical needs such as our blood and kidney function. Therefore a lack of water contributes greatly to joint degeneration and pain.
Did you know there is a good chance you are dehydrated? Most people are. A mere 2% drop in our body's water supply can trigger signs of dehydration: fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on smaller print, such as a computer screen. (Are you having trouble reading this? Drink up!) Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue. An estimated seventy-five percent of Americans have mild, chronic dehydration. Pretty scary statistic for a developed country where water is readily available.
To properly replenish your daily water needs from what you lose in perspiration, breathing, urine and bowel movements, the standard recommendation is to drink 8 - 8oz. glasses of water each day – AT LEAST! Some may advise that all beverages and even water content in food contributes to this amount, but that is absolutely not true. Yes we do get additional water from other sources, but the daily recommendation of fluid intake from all beverage sources is 3 liters for men and 2.2 liters for women each day. We have a specific need for water intake aside from our food.
Your metabolism loves water. Your brain’s pleasure centers love sugar and all the other ‘flavors’ made up of toxic chemicals which greatly contribute to obesity and all health problems. So it may seem difficult or even impossible, but by replacing the sugary and toxic beverages with essential water, you will most likely notice profound improvements in your attention, energy and overall health.
In addition to the daily maintenance of our bodies, water also plays a key role in the prevention of disease. Drinking eight glasses of water daily can decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50% and it can potentially even reduce the risk of breast cancer. And those are just a few examples.
So you get the idea – drink your water! And what are the best sources? I will share facts on that subject in my next article. For now just start with making sure you are following the 8 x 8 rule of water only. But if you want a tip on the best sources, first off avoid bottled water. Know that tap water is typically safe, but use a filter if you are concerned. Drink up and look forward to better health!
The Only "Cure" for DiabetesThe incidence of adult onset or type II diabetes is not only increasing in adults, but is becoming more prevalent in young adults and even children. Some statistics show that there has been a 600% increase in Americans diagnosed with diabetes over the past 10 years. Since there is no other cause for this disease than dietary factors, this rampant increase in affected individuals, especially of younger age range, is a testament to the severity of dietary problems we face.
Although it can be a difficult disease to manage in more advanced cases, understand this; there is only one cause for this disease - only one. It is brought on and perpetuated through the typical western diet of extremely high amounts of simple refined carbohydrates and oils along with high amounts of dairy and animal meats. Another sugar source that has created staggering problems in our country is high fructose corn syrup. Regardless of the food industry’s defense of this product, it is a serious detriment to our metabolism and the leading cause of the increase in diabetes incidence among our young.
Also understand this; the difference between a drug based medical solution and nutritional intervention is that drugs will only manage the disease as it continues to affect and deplete one’s health. No one has ever exclaimed, “I’ve been taking this amazing drug and now I’m cured of diabetes and don’t have to take a drug anymore.” What does happen is there are usually more drugs and therapies necessary as the disease worsens.
However, successfully treating and even reversing this disease with nutritional intervention is well documented. Many people are restoring normal insulin response and blood sugar metabolism, but only with a serious intent to change. The most important thing is to not take diabetes for granted and act as soon as possible once problems are identified. Yet most important of all is to heed the essentials of good nutrition and commit to a lifetime of better dietary and lifestyle practices before early stages of this disease develop. This is especially important to implement for our young adults and children.
People with type II diabetes typically have a normal functioning pancreas and their bodies can adequately produce insulin which is the hormone that responds to our intake of sugars. When we eat a source of carbohydrate like bread or sugar, it gets digested and turned to glucose which goes into the blood. Our pancreas responds by pumping out some insulin which delivers the glucose into our cells for use. When our bodies are subject to excessively high levels of sugars and simple carbohydrates too frequently throughout the day, our cells develop ‘insulin resistance’. This is the first stage of diabetic change where our cells are not tolerant of insulin’s attempt to deliver glucose inside the cell.
As this lifestyle continues, the sugar and high insulin levels in the blood eventually create the condition of diabetes. Think of it like the cells have given up and have closed their doors for good when insulin comes knocking – “Nope sorry, I’m full.” Too much sugar and insulin floating around in the blood then makes us very sick and in extreme case can even be fatal.
To treat this condition, the best course is to restore the cells’ normal ‘insulin sensitivity’. There are a number of measures to take that can promote restoring this balance. Renewing cellular metabolism is extremely important and has been successfully accomplished in many individuals with some specific nutritional products. Along with providing optimal metabolic renewal, these products work to re-set normal cell response. Of course, the most important underlying change that needs to be made is with one’s diet. Reducing and bringing back to balance the proper dietary intake is paramount to diabetes management and prevention.
I can’t emphasize enough how a better understanding of the body’s nutritional needs is necessary to making an effective and lasting change. As much as 40% of the calories of the average American daily diet are in excess from simple refined carbohydrates and sugars. While most patients I consult tell me they feel they eat “well”, it often surprises them when I can demonstrate how far off balance their diets really are. There are many elements to properly restoring and maintaining healthy metabolism but it’s never too late to start.
We’re here to provide accurate assessment, education and a plan of action to start you on a path of better health. If you have diabetes, or are concerned about your symptoms or your family and children, please call us right away!
Sufficient Zinc Intake Protects DNA
In a recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from the Linus Pauling Institute report that reducing dietary zinc is associated with increased breakage of peripheral blood cell DNA strands, while restoring zinc to normal levels reduces breakage. The ability of zinc to increase DNA repair, in addition to its role as an antioxidant, may be responsible for its protective effect.
For the current study, 9 men received zinc-depleted diets for 42 days. DNA strand breaks increased by an average of 57% by the end of the period, indicating that six weeks of reduced zinc intake significantly increases DNA damage in peripheral blood cells. These increases proved to be reversible by restoring adequate zinc intake.
“Overall, these data suggest that dietary zinc status affects DNA damage in peripheral blood cells and that adequate zinc status may be essential to maintain DNA integrity in humans,” the authors write.
This is just one of countless studies that show how natural resources are essential to our optimal health. However, this is not cause for a sudden change in nutrient supplementation. If you are concerned about how your nutritional intake may be affecting you health, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Wilson right away!
Autistic Children May Benefit from B Vitamins
A recent clinical trial suggests that supplementation with the B vitamins methylcobalamin and folinic acid may benefit autistic children.* Scientists believe that metabolic abnormalities underlie some neurobehavioral conditions such as autism, and that targeted nutrients may be therapeutic. What that means is that one of the most common fundamental problems with brain disorders that are expressed through behavioral problems is with the child’s metabolism. Investigators at Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute treated 40 autistic children for three months with methylcobalamin (a form of vitamin B12 that is active in the central nervous system) and folinic acid, which has vitamin activity equivalent to folic acid.
At the study’s onset, autistic subjects had significantly different levels of biomarkers associated with oxidative stress and detoxification capacity, compared with healthy control subjects. After treatment, these biomarkers improved significantly, although not to the level seen in unaffected control children. Glutathione levels (one of the body’s most powerful natural antioxidants and detoxifiers) also increased significantly among autistic subjects.
“The significant improvements suggest that targeted nutritional intervention with methylcobalamin and folinic acid may be of clinical benefit in some children who have autism.” Researchers concluded.
This is just one of countless studies that show how natural resources are essential to optimal health. However, this is not cause for a sudden change in nutrient supplementation. If you are concerned about your child’s nutritional intake, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Wilson right away!
*Am J Clin Nutr 2009 Jan;89(1):425-30.
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