#318 Wellness Tips for Kids During the School Year with Dr. Lisa Koche

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Click Below to Listen:
      Wellness Tips for Kids During the School Year

Dr. Lisa Koche is triple boarded in Internal Medicine, Bariatrics, and Anti-Aging and Regenerative medicine.

Ever since her own exposure to the medical field due to childhood leukemia and heart failure from chemo, she has been focused on finding the CAUSE of issues instead of treating the symptoms. She attended Emory Medical School and completed her internal medicine residency at USF in Tampa. She started her practice focusing on preventing cardiovascular diseases and obesity. That experience led to further training in alternative medicine, hormones, and nutrition. She is the medical director and founder of Spectra Wellness Solutions, a comprehensive clinic focusing on all aspects needed for total body healing including the ketogenic diet, hormone replacement therapies, and enhancing mitochondrial function. She has a team of gifted healers that work together to create individualized treatment plans. She has several signature programs for optimal performance including the Ignite program featured in her first book, GET LIT.

Dr. Koche has lectured nationally, and has been featured on numerous television and radio segments.

https://spectrawellness.com/

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#317 Itching To Get Outside During COVID? Try Nordic Pole Walking

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      Itching to Go Outside During COVID? Try Nordic Pole Walking

Lorne David Opler, M.Ed. CSCS, is an Adjunct Professor in Nutrition at Seneca College in Toronto and holds a Master’s Degree in Health Education and Health Promotion from the University of Texas at Austin.  He is a certified personal trainer,  public speaker and fitness writer with articles appearing in the Washington Post, Muscle and Fitness magazine and through ACE- the American Council on Exercise.    His areas of interest include exercise and mental health, exercise for older adults and exercise for people with disabilities.

www.trainerlorne.com.

 

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#316 The Ancient Power of Ayurveda

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      The Ancient Power of Ayurveda

Judith E. Pentz, MD, has practiced as an integrative psychiatrist for twenty-eight years in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she is an assistant professor and attending child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist at the University of New Mexico. In fall 2015, her essay, “Botanicals for Depression,” was published in the textbook, Integrative Therapies for Depression: Redefining Models for Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention.

https://drpentz.com/

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#315 The Benefits of Music Therapy

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      The Benefits of Music Therapy

Dr. Sandi Curtis is an internationally-trained music therapist with more than 30 years’ experience in clinical practice, education, and research. She specializes in working with women and children survivors of male violence, and her research and practice is focused both on helping survivors recover and on bringing about social change to eliminate the violence. While teaching at universities full-time, Dr. Curtis worked in part-time private practice in music therapy with women, teens and children at shelters, rape crisis centers and victim’s’ services centers across Canada and the U.S. She has organized a number of Candlelight Vigils and Take Back the Night events in Georgia, Ontario, and Quebec. She also received the 2006 Social Justice Person Award from the City of Windsor, Ontario, in recognition of “tireless efforts to end violence against women.”

Learn more about Dr. Curtis at SandiCurtis.com.

 

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The Possibilities of Structured Water Part 3 Water Series

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We’ve talked about how water is a part of every biological process, and how the quality of water differs depending on where it comes from and how it’s filtered or purified. Pure glacial melt or mountain spring water taken directly from the source is the best type of water you could drink as long as it’s free of contaminants such as toxic metals and air pollutants.

If you want watch the highlights video version and read the rest later, click here for the video!

One of the unique properties of unadulterated mountain spring water or glacial melt water is that it naturally retains a hexagonal shape of water microclusters — six molecules of H2O bonded into a hexagonal ring structure called “Structured or Hexagonal Water.” It also contains mineral ions which strengthen the hexagonal bond between these water molecules and allows for faster absorption when they come in contact with cellular membranes. Mineral ions support an alkaline environment which optimizes the biology and function of all living things — including cellular hydration and metabolism. More on that in a moment.

Unfortunately, most of us do not have access to abundant levels of clean glacial water. Instead our potable water comes through municipal city water AKA tap water. Before it ends up in our homes, this water flows from our local body of water into wastewater treatment plants and travels through city filtration systems via long plastic or metal pipes.

Depending on where you live, your tap water can be contaminated with trace levels of environmental pollutants such pesticides and toxic metals, as well as pharmaceuticals, personal care products and endocrine disrupting chemicals. It’s also treated with antimicrobial agents such as chlorine or monochloramine — an absolutely necessary step to kill off pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites considering that waste water from toilets is retreated and ends up in local waterways where it is repurposed as irrigation and drinking water.

These toxicants accumulate to increase our bodies’ overall toxic load,  burdening and depleting mitochondria that’s essential for energy and cellular function. The end result of mitochondrial toxicity is damage to the gut mucosal barrier, which disrupts our microbiome balance, affects cognitive function, challenges the immune system, reduces cardiovascular and pulmonary function, and blocks our detoxification systems.

Tap water purification to remove all microbes and toxicants is a necessity of modern urban living. I’ve personally used a reverse osmosis purification system for 25 years, and now keep a countertop RO unit in both my home and RV.

But today, I no longer drink RO water. I’ve taken my water optimization one step further to nourish my family and my body with higher quality alkaline water that’s magnetically charged and replete with essential trace minerals, just like what our ancestors consumed.

It’s pure “living” water, or hexagonally structured water. Let me explain.

Ways to Create Structured Water and the Importance of Mineralization

Tiny dissolved minerals like magnesium, sodium, potassium and calcium increase the alkalinity of water which also aids in a host of physical benefits. As mentioned earlier, mineral ions tighten the bonds between water molecules, and improve the hexagonal shape of water clusters.

Generally speaking— pure water (H2O), the universal solvent has a neutral pH (potential of Hydrogen) of 7. It’s neither acidic nor alkaline. The pH scale ranges from 0 -14, acidity to alkalinity, depending on how many hydrogen ions are available to donate within the substance. The more hydrogen available, the higher the acidity, and the lower the pH number. Mountain spring water is alkaline with a pH above 7, closer to 8 – 9 due to its TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) of high mineral content and lower levels of hydrogen ions.

Conversely, distilled or reverse osmosis water, which is stripped of its minerals, has a pH below 7, more like 5.25 to 6.75 due to its higher hydrogen content and lack of minerals. Although RO water is clean purified water free of heavy metals, fluoride, microbes and environmental pollutants, acidity is a byproduct of the purification process and it is considered “unstructured water.”

Therefore, the existence of structure-making minerals is essential to creating hexagonal or structured water. But this is just half of the story. To make optimal levels of structured water for consumption, you need one more component. Let’s dig further.

Another way to improve the production of structured water is by dropping the water temperature to a supercooled state. This form of liquid is much colder than the typical freezing point of water, much lower than 0.0 C, so this is not a consumable option! But one can influence the hexagonal shape of water clusters by incorporating strong energetic fields (magnetically or ionized electrically) as stated by the late award-winning Korean scientist, Dr. Mu Shik Jhon.

In his world renown book, The Water Puzzle And The Hexagonal Key: Scientific Evidence of Hexagonal Water and it’s Positive Influence on Health!, Dr. Jhon revealed that hexagonally structured water produced magnetically is more suitable for human consumption than an ionized or electrolyzed form of structured water. Although one can make structured water through ionization, the stability of the hexagonal water is short-lived, and the water must be consumed in a very short period of time.

Studies also show that magnetically enhanced structured water has increased concentration levels of dissolved oxygen. In summary, to make hexagonally structured water for human consumption, first you need clean, mineralized water, and then you need to find a way to magnetize it!

How Does Structured Hexagonal Water Help the Body?

Beyond the absence of toxins and contaminants, by mineralizing and structuring water, we elevate its health benefits. The health of our body begins with the health of our cells, and a vast number of physical problems begin at the cellular level.

Structured water is shown to hydrate the body with 13 times the efficiency of regular water. It penetrates the cell membrane so quickly, it can immediately get to work assisting with the range of physical processes necessary to continually renew and rejuvenate our health.

Supplying the body with mineralized, structured water can improve:

  • Brain and body energy levels
  • Detoxification and lymphatic drainage
  • Blood circulation and inflammation
  • Cell turnover and tissue repair
  • Skin hydration and youthful appearance
  • Nutrient absorption and premature aging
  • pH balancing and alkalizing
  • Sleep and temperature regulation
  • Digestion and bowel movements
  • Immune System function
  • Weight management
  • Concentration and memory

The body is over 60% water! When you optimize the water, you optimize everything it supports, and you optimize the state of your own life and future.

Creating Structured Water From Your Own Home

So how exactly can we achieve this superior water if we’re not living somewhere that gives us access to pure glacial runoff?

Vitalizer Plus technology has given us the ability to create it right from our kitchen countertop. All you need is clean, purified water — either bottled drinking water, distilled water or RO water (the company emphasizes not using tap or mineral water).

Within minutes you can make structured water in your own home through its patented magnetic action and vortex water spinning system.The Vitalizer Plus REPLACES the beneficial mineral content that’s removed in the water purification process and restructures the molecular architecture of your water. You will create the same intricate hexagonal design found in naturally occurring spring and glacier water and witness the vast benefits of optimizing and accelerating your hydration.

Structured water is the best possible water for drinking, cooking, nutrition and every aspect of your family’s overall wellness. It’s also great for animals and plants! If you’re ready to create the best possible water for your body and lifestyle, take a look at the Vitalizer Plus.

I want everyone to experience the health benefits of pure, alkaline, magnetically energized, hexagonally structured water, so I’ve partnered up with the manufacturer of Vitalizer Plus and is offering this appliance at a significantly reduced rate that’s only available to my private health community.

Use promo code: HEXWATER 

The Vitalizer Plus has never been sold on Amazon, Ebay or elsewhere at this price.

Click here for more information and don’t forget to use the promo code: HEXWATER to get your full savings.

In our next installment, we’ll talk more about the Vitalizer Plus, and include an exceptional offer on a state-of-the-art Reverse Osmosis unit for anyone that doesn’t already own a water purification unit. Get ready to discover the many advantages that come from purified, energized, great-tasting structured water made right in your own home!

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#314 Doulas, Midwives, and Advocating for Maternal Equity

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Doulas, Midwives and Advocating for Maternal Equity with Latham Thomas

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      Doulas, Midwives, and Advocating for Maternal Equity

Named one of Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul 100, Celebrity wellness and lifestyle guru, Latham Thomas supports women in embracing optimal wellness and spiritual growth as a pathway to empowerment. Latham is leading a revolution in radical self-care, guiding women everywhere to “mother themselves first.”  A celebrity doula and maternal wellness maven, Latham is the founder of Mama Glow a global women’s health and education brand serving women along the childbearing continuum. Mama Glow supports women and families during the fertility period, pregnancy, birth as well as during postpartum offering hand-holding through their bespoke doula services. Mama Glow also offers a globally recognized doula immersion program, attended by women from all corners of the USA and 6 continents. With training hubs in NYC, LA, Miami and Paris, they educate doula-trainees from around the world to become the next generation of birth workers that will transform the modern health care system for women and babies. She is a fierce advocate for birth equity and works to bridge policy gaps in maternal health. Latham is the co-founder of The Continuum Conference, a gathering of 300+ women centering the experience of fertility, pregnancy and new motherhood. Latham is a graduate of Columbia University and author of book two best-selling books; “Own Your Glow: A Soulful Guide to Luminous Living” (out in paperback through Hay House on June 16) and “Crowning The Queen Within and Mama Glow: A Hip Guide to Your Fabulous Abundant Pregnancy.”  Latham released her first meditation album with Sounds True, BEDITATIONS: Guided Meditations for Rest and Renewal. Cultivating her wellness practice over nearly a decade she has served as a doula and lifestyle guru for celebrity clients including: Alicia Keys, Anne Hathaway, Ashley Graham, DJ Khaled, Rebecca Minkoff, Doutzen Kroes, Tamera Mowry, Gabrielle Union, Debra Lee, Venus Williams, Adrienne Bosh and more. She has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Vogue, The Breakfast Club, Fast Company, Wall Street Journal Magazine, FORBES, SELF, Essence and more. She is the proud mother of 16-year-old DJ prodigy, producer and entrepreneur, DJ Fulano.

https://mamaglow.com/

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#313 Toxins Everyone Should Be Tested For with Dr. Joe Nieusma

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Toxins Everyone Should be Tested For with Dr. Nieusman

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      Toxins Everyone Should Be Tested For

Dr. Joe Nieusma is our fearless CEO/Chief Toxicologist here at Superior Toxicology & Wellness, an international scientific consulting firm that he founded. Dr. Nieusma is also a co-founder for TwinOxide North America, a company working to improve water quality in all aspects of life from municipal treatment plants to livestock operations. TwinOxide removes all carcinogens from treated water and is the right thing to do.

Dr. Nieusma is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Vitro Biopharma, a firm that brings new stem-cell related products for diabetes research to scientific, pharmaceutical, and ultimately medical markets.  Dr. Nieusma is also on the editorial staff for the peer-reviewed scientific journal, Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods, published by Informa Healthcare.

Dr. Nieusma was a Senior Toxicologist for Affygility Solutions from October 2005 to February 2018. Affygility is a company providing strategic environmental health and safety solutions to life science companies.  Dr. Nieusma left Affygility to focus on Superior Toxicology & Wellness, as well as TwinOxide-Colorado. Dr. Nieusma was an Industrial Toxicologist for Sandoz (formerly Geneva Pharmaceuticals) from May of 1998 to April of 2004. He left Sandoz to open Superior Toxicology & Wellness. Dr. Nieusma has participated as an editorial board member for Micromedex, Inc. since May of 2001 primarily to provide toxicological evaluation of potential new products and databases as needed.  Dr. Nieusma has participated in research for a human health risk assessment involving over 100 chemicals of interest from a US Naval incinerator in Osaka, Japan. Dr. Nieusma worked for Dow Chemical in the Biotransformation group from September 1989 until July 1991.

Dr. Nieusma earned his B.S. from Central Michigan University with a major in pre-med biology and a minor in chemistry.  He went on to earn a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Colorado, School of Pharmacy and the Molecular Toxicology and Environmental Health Sciences Program.  The title of his dissertation research is “Stereochemical aspects of 1,3-Butadiene Metabolism and Toxicity”. His research characterized the very different pattern of metabolism and toxicity mainly due to the orientation of various side chains around chiral carbons of a small molecule hydrocarbon with multiple double bonds.

Dr. Nieusma has been actively involved in toxicology research for the past 30 years with six published manuscripts. The majority of his work, especially in the pharmaceutical industry and consulting, has been conducted in an industrial setting and published only within the company or to a client. These potent compound classification reports for pharmaceutical agents were written to assess occupational hazards that may exist during the manufacturing process for a drug.

Dr. Nieusma has completed over 1500 drug monographs which highlighted potency, pharmacokinetics, acute adverse effects, chronic adverse effects, irritant properties, sensitizing properties, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, requirements for medical attention in an exposure, cumulative effects and developmental or reproductive effects of these pharmaceutical agents. Dr. Nieusma is involved in the determination of causation when there are reported effects possibly due to drug exposure in a worker population.  Through his experience, professional judgment and knowledge of the drug, he formulates an opinion as to whether a certain effect is possibly due to exposure to a pharmaceutical agent in question. These opinions have been utilized for deciding who was responsible for treatment of the injured worker, and whether a drug exposure was intentional by an employee or accidental in the course of work performed for the company.

Routinely in the pharmaceutical industry, preparations of various drugs will become contaminated with foreign debris or degradation products from the chemical ingredients and Dr. Nieusma writes a justification for the presence of these entities and provide the toxicological background to show that they would be harmless and pose little to no risk to the end user. Frequently, these justifications are based on a structure-activity relationship analysis comparison of similar chemicals. On a regular basis Dr. Nieusma is asked to review specific jobs in specific environments with multiple potential exposures to drugs, chemicals, and excipients for potential reproductive hazards of occupational exposure.

Dr. Nieusma has worked with private clients to review their medical records and help them to eliminate unnecessary prescription drugs from their profile. Through a detailed history of symptoms as described by the client/patient or family members, combined with an analysis of the medical history, he recommends changes and ultimately eliminations to their current drug therapies to improve the quality of life of the patient by reducing or eliminating unnecessary drug side effects.

Dr. Nieusma is a member of the Society of Toxicology which requires nomination and membership is based on scientific expertise in the field.  Dr. Nieusma has served as a lecturer for the Toxicology and Occupational Health Course at the University of Colorado Graduate School, the American Industrial Hygiene Association and for the conference for “Environmental, Health and Safety for the Life Science Industry”. Dr. Nieusma’s qualifications are described in detail in his curriculum vitae which has been provided.

https://superiortoxicology.com/

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Types of Water — The Differences and Benefits Part 2 Water Series

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Water seems straightforward. But at the molecular level, differing water from differing sources contains differing chemical and energetic content. This content creates a variety of responses as it interacts with our cells, and the behavior of the molecules will affect the way our bodies integrate nutrients and catalyze reactions. Let’s take a look at the attributes and upsides of our primary water types.

If you want watch the highlights video version and read the rest later, click here for the video!  And here’s a link to the EPA document on how to protect the waterways that I reference in the video.

Tap Water

This is your literal run-of the-mill municipal water. Toilets, showers, dishwashers, kitchen sinks, laundry machines, sprinkler systems — the functional water we employ throughout the day. It’s considered drinkable in most regions of the United States, but also prone to a variety of additives and toxins such as chlorine, chloramines, fluoride, solvents, drug residues and heavy metals. This makes tap water a suboptimal source for ideal hydration and cell function, and it will often exacerbate issues related to fatigue and indigestion. 

In worst case scenarios, tap water can be outright dangerous. Despite legislative measures, contaminants and pathogens do make their way into the local water supply (Think: Flint, Michigan), and these substances may include anything from trace amounts of aluminum, gasoline additive MTBE, pesticides and lead — to life-threatening levels of waterborne legionella bacteria (remember the 2014 Legionnaires Outbreak?) 

Well Water 

Though sometimes a reliable source of drinking water, well water these days should always be purified. Since it comes out of the ground, you may not be ingesting the added chemicals present in other processed water but, on the other hand, because it’s unfiltered, you’ll want to test it for bacteria, nitrates and chemicals and run it through a proper filtration system. So many pollutants unfortunately leech their way into groundwater and contaminate what would otherwise be a more useful method of water retrieval. 

Well water often harbors a number of bacteria as well as parasites and, though the water status varies by site and location, its risks frequently supersede its benefits.   

Mineral Water

Mineral water is spring water with extra minerals added to it. This type of water is crowded with extra material — but the good kind! Magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium are trace substances in mineral water, but often want in higher supply. Mineral water is alkaline water and provides these natural components via the mineral spring it’s taken from, and tastes mildly saltier than other forms of water. 

As a downside, mineral water is minimally filtered so there’s also an occasional risk of undesirable substances like mercury or arsenic finding its way in, and people with certain health conditions such as heart or neurological disease may actually be better off with a purer source of drinking water.

Distilled water

The exact opposite of mineral water, distilled water contains nothing extra. It’s been boiled and condensed back into its liquid state removing ANY additional substances. The good news is, there’s nothing in there to harm your health. It’s 100% H2O, so a good choice for purified clean water, but it’s also devoid of minerals to alkalize cells and improve hydration power.

While distilled water can be a good choice for diluting concentrated liquids as well as for hydrating infants and toddlers with pristine pure water, keep in mind that it does attract charged metals easily so you’ll want to monitor how you store it and what material it comes in contact with. 

Avoid storing distilled water, or any liquids for that matter, in metal including stainless steel, brass, copper or aluminum containers, as well as plastic water bottles. The best types of water containers are glass bottles and jugs. 

With no solutes, distilled water is extremely clean but involves a boiling and re-condensing process which takes a lot of time and electrical or gas power, so it tends to be impractical to carry out in your own home — and the expense of buying it bottled can add up fast! Distilled water only comes in plastic bottles, another good reason to find a better source of purified drinking water to reduce plastic exposure and minimize environmental impact.

Filtered vs. Purified Water

Water can be filtered through two different methods to remove chemicals and contaminants.

Filtered water means water has been filtered through a carbon filtration process. A carbon filter system costs less than a reverse osmosis or distillation unit and uses a filter that contains layers of charcoal and other adsorbents that can remove most impurities including dirt, fungi, bacteria, and other microbes. 

However, the majority of carbon filtration systems only filter out particles up to 50 microns, and the most efficient only achieve .2 microns. This means it doesn’t take out heavy metals that are much smaller in size. They also tend to leave in fluoride, radioactive materials such as uranium, and the residues of medications, pesticides and solvents. 

Reverse Osmosis (RO) Purification System employs a partially permeable membrane to separate water ions and harmful substances removing up to 99.9% of undesirable contaminants including toxic metals and fluoride by filtering particles as small as .00010 micron. 

To give you an idea how small one micron is, it’s 1/1000 of a millimeter. An average strand of hair is 100 to 150 microns, pollen is 10 microns, bacteria can be as small as 1 micron, and viruses down to .001 micron.

The average size of heavy metals is .00015 microns, so small that it will absorb straight through the human cellular barrier– into your skin, eyes, nose, lungs and gut. This is why all humans have some level of toxic metals in our body, even newborns. 

Therefore, RO purification system is the most effective process to make the cleanest of water with minimal energy consumption. This system is what I use in my own home and RV. Keep in mind that once tap water goes through the RO process, it does ten to drop the pH due to the removal of minerals, but there is a remedy for the acidity which I’ll share later in the series!

Glacier and Natural Spring Water

In the hierarchy of water, true spring or glacier water is the ultimate for its ideal molecular composition. When this water is actually glass bottled from the best natural springs and glaciers, it contains the minerals we need, and exhibits a proper electric charge, with undetectable levels of chemicals or heavy metals. 

However, people who prioritize health and optimal hydration often grow frustrated that many springs tend to vary in their purity, and some of those name brand bottles can’t always be trusted. Additionally, buying your water supply in the form of bottled spring water is usually never financially feasible or environmentally appropriate.

Water experts have long looked for a way to take purified water and replace the hexagonal molecular structure interrupted by the reverse osmosis process. In the comforts of your own home, with a touch of a button, you can create delicious tasting, alkaline, structured water similar to unadulterated spring or glacier water for an affordable price.

In our next blog, The Possibilities of Structured Water, we’ll look closer at this form of structured, hexagonal water and its potential advantages in enhancing our lives by optimizing our physical systems and processes, beginning at the cellular level.

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#312 Hormones, Menopause and the Keto-Green Way

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Hormones, Menopause and Keto-Green Way

Click Below to Listen:
      The Psychology of Successful Aging

Dr. Anna Cabeca is an internationally-acclaimed menopause & sexual health expert, global speaker and pioneering promoter of women’s health. She is Emory University-trained and triple board-certified in gynecology and obstetrics, integrative medicine and anti-aging and regenerative medicine. She is the author of best selling book “The Hormone Fix,” a diet and holistic lifestyle program for menopausal women and the new release with the foreword written by Dr. David Perlmutter, “Keto-Green 16” designed for improving energy, hormones, and weight loss.

Dr. Anna has reached hundreds of thousands of women around the globe, inspiring them to reclaim their optimal health and realize they can journey through menopause and find more purpose and pleasure than they ever dreamed  possible.

https://drannacabeca.com/

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Why Is Water so Important to the Human Body? Part 1 Water Series

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Every organism on the planet needs water to regulate its every function — especially human beings. Keep in mind that every breath, thought, sensation, and muscle twitch relies on millions of tiny processes happening at a microscopic level. Let’s look at the major ways water works within our own bodies. 

Heat Regulation

Critical to every biological process is heat regulation. Energy expenditure puts out heat, and our bodies need a cooling mechanism to keep that heat in check. Because water requires a very particular level of heat to raise its temperature, it’s able to absorb a significant amount of excess heat that would otherwise cause enzymes to burn out and cease to properly function.

Your body cools itself by sweating. So of course the water that leaves your body when you sweat needs to be replaced. Drinking water throughout the day revives the body by allowing it to maintain its natural cooling process and by preventing dehydration — particularly important during the summer time when people are more prone to heat exhaustion and stroke.

Universal Solvent

Water is made out of two hydrogen atoms, and one oxygen atom. This chemical bond draws both positive and negative ions, so when water mixes with other substances, positive ions move toward the water’s oxygen atom, while negative ions move toward the hydrogen atoms. This setup allows water to break down a variety of compounds. Within our bodies, water dissolves many of the chemical material we need to survive — like the glucose in the food we eat. That content can then be moved throughout the body via our bloodstream and catalyzes all the crucial reactions our body executes to stay alive.

Metabolism 

Take all the chemical reactions that go on inside of an organism — we refer to that summation as metabolism. Water is the chemical that contributes to these reactions and fuels ALL the processes that keep plants and animals alive from moment to moment.

In plants, water facilitates photosynthesis, the process plants use to turn sunlight into food. In animals, water facilitates respiration. Respiration brings oxygen into our cells which is then used to make ATP. ATP gets divided into ADP and phosphoric acid. This division releases the cellular energy that powers every reaction, and removes waste molecules from the body after the respiration cycle has finished.

This metabolic cycle is part of the process that naturally removes the build-up of toxins within our bodies — toxins that typically come in the form of cellular waste.

Detoxification 

The pile-up of cellular waste throughout the body de-optimizes the lifecycle of our cells. Cells rely on water to turn over regularly and efficiently, and to provide for the healing, growth, and recovery we need to live our best lives.

We can’t build muscle, lose fat, gain flexibility, or improve our skin if cellular waste weighs down our metabolism and slows the process. This is why many sports physiologists actually suggest drinking plain water rather than sports drinks that tout an abundance of electrolytes. Because electrolytes comprise much of our typical diet anyway, and we ingest these salt ions via vegetables and other nutrient-dense foods, it makes more sense to workout with pure water that can dilute and flush out the cellular waste our bodies need to remove.

The process of anaerobic respiration breaks down sugars and results in waste like:

  • Carbon dioxide 
  • Nitrite
  • Succinate
  • Sulfide
  • Methane
  • Acetate

Water helps to eliminate all of this.

Inner Environment

Through our bloodstream, water also acts as the insulation and conduit that delivers energy to all regions of our body, and keeps every organ system in operation. The unique ecology of our gut bacteria requires a continual supply of adequate water to break down and synthesize the nutrients we consume. And all of it must be sorted and allotted for use in energy, growth, maintenance, and healing.

Picture the complicated job of our digestive, urinary, and circulatory systems. These systems are tasked with breaking down every substance that enters our body, using it as energy, delivering it where it’s needed, and then expelling it as waste. How could our bodies achieve this without water as a processing agent? 

Water makes way for every bodily operation by clearing space for new cells and diluting the debris that needs to be flushed out in sweat or urine. Traces of heavy metals, for example, sometimes get stored in fat and must be cleared out to improve our functioning. This process of diluting and flushing works toward the health of every system — including the lymphatic system. Metabolic waste molecules impair our immunity when they build up to clog the lymphatic system and create a honey-like consistency that needs to be more fluid.

Weight Loss 

If you’re attempting to lose a few pounds, water intake is crucial. Water helps you suppress your appetite and metabolizes the fat you want to be breathed out and excreted a little at a time. If your kidneys aren’t operating with the correct amount of water, the liver steps up to do the job of eliminating toxins. The downside of this? If the liver is needed to fulfill the role of the kidneys, it’s not converting your fat into energy. Instead, your fat stays in place and continues to store itself.

Any aerobic or weight training program designed to shed body fat must be accompanied by plentiful water intake to maximize your success. When your system is working harder than its use to, you have to give it every advantage.

Disease Prevention

Because of water’s role in these many crucial processes, every doctor advocates property hydration as a defense against:

  • Chronic joint diseases
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Inflammation
  • Poor cartilage health
  • The visible signs of aging
  • Constipation
  • Diabetes 
  • Hypoglycemia 
  • Obesity 
  • Arthritis 
  • Kidney stones
  • Dry skin 
  • Wrinkles 
  • Cataracts
  • Glaucoma

You can see why water is such a critical component of our makeup, as it leads all of the biological interplay that allows us to exist. Just as the earth is an ecosystem reliant on water for its many cycles and dynamics, the human body is also its own complete ecosystem, and the right choices keep it healthy! 

In upcoming blogs, we will discuss the different kinds of drinking water on the market, and which provide the most benefit for our daily functioning and extended longevity. Stay tuned! I’ve got more valuable tips and techniques right around the corner!

Click here to watch a short intro video to kick off the water series!

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