Enzymes, Part Two: Digestion

(Read Part One here).

It’s a few days after Thanksgiving, and you’re hungry. You make yourself a simple turkey sandwich with the leftovers. Bread, turkey, lettuce, maybe a little mayo or mustard. You sit down and take a bite…

Before the turkey sandwich even hits your lips, your digestive enzymes start working. Just the thought of a juicy, leftover-turkey sandwich begins to activate the enzymes in your saliva, called amylase. Amylase is contained in everyone’s saliva and is the first enzyme utilized in digestion. It breaks down carbohydrates while you chew. The more you chew your food, the easier it will be to digest your meal, because you are allowing the amylase to get a good start on digestion before the food even hits your stomach. Occasionally you may take a bite and swallow it with only a few chews. This bite will be difficult to digest because the amylase did not get a chance to begin the process in your mouth.

You may notice that when you eat a cracker or a slice of bread and chew it thoroughly, it begins to taste sweet. This is because the amylase in your saliva is breaking down the carbohydrates into their component sugars inside of your mouth. Try it! If you taste the sweetness, you know you are chewing your food thoroughly, which is a good thing.

Now back to your turkey sandwich…

Your bite travels down your esophagus into your stomach. It lands in the hydrochloric acid that should be in everyone’s stomach (Why? Read about it here). Your stomach releases protease enzymes that, along with the hydrochloric acid and your stomach muscles, further break down the protein from your bite of turkey sandwich. Lipase is another enzyme found here that works to break down fats. If you have plant enzymes in your stomach (from a fresh veggie or from an enzyme supplement you’ve taken before your meal), these will also begin breaking down that bite of turkey sandwich. All of these enzymes work hard to break down your food for about an hour before the food travels on to your small intestine.

Once inside your 20-25 foot small intestine (it lies right behind your belly button), additional enzymes are enlisted to further aid in digestion. Your intestine lining and your pancreas will excrete some enzymes that begin to work on that turkey sandwich. If you have digestive issues such as yeast, food allergies or inflammation, the enzymes in your small intestine can be affected and you may start to experience discomfort (gas, bloating, cramping, etc.) at this point in the digestion process.

Once the small intestine enzymes complete the breakdown of your food, the nutrients are absorbed into your body. This includes vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Anything that is undigested will then enter your large intestine (which is actually shorter at only 5 feet long, but is much wider than the small intestine). Here, water is removed from the undigested food, turning it into solid waste. This solid waste is then excreted appropriately.

Without sufficient enzymes in each step of this process, you will experience digestion problems. Pain or discomfort after a meal could mean you do not have proper enzymes to break down your food, or a healthy stomach or intestinal environment in which these enzymes can work. This is where supplementation comes in. For some people it is helpful and even necessary to take enzyme supplements with each meal.

So next time you dig into a turkey sandwich or juicy burger, chew slowly and thoroughly. It could be the difference between a stomach stuck doing somersaults and a stomach that is calm, full and satisfied!

Can't you just see the amylase enzymes activating in Teddy's mouth as he is about to bite into this bacon cheeseburger??!!

Enzymes: An Introduction

Next week I am going to talk a little bit about enzymes and the critical role they play in our overall health. Today I just want to introduce these things that occur by the thousands inside of us.

Enzymes act as catalysts for every chemical reaction inside our bodies. This includes everything involved in digestion and metabolism. Enzymes can be reused many times - they cause a reaction and allow a desired output to be created from a specific input. However, the enzyme remains unchanged in the process. Enzymes make reaction rates millions of times faster, allowing us to continue digesting food, eliminating toxins and wastes and creating energy on a daily basis. A body with no enzymes cannot survive.

Enzymes can be made inside of our bodies and also found in the foods we eat. I am sure you have heard of the "raw food diet".  Those who follow a raw food diet do so, in part, to obtain optimal amounts of enzymes from the food they eat.  While enzymes occur naturally in raw foods, they are killed when that food is cooked or processed. When we don't receive enough enzymes from our food to catalyze the reactions inside our bodies, we draw these necessary enzymes from our organs which can then become unbalanced. When our enzyme supplies are low and enzymes are not functioning properly, we may experience digestive issues, increased fat deposits, poor circulation, cardiovascular problems, and other health disturbances. A deadly illness can be caused by the malfunction of just one of your body's 3,000 enzymes.

Some raw foods, such as all nuts and seeds and some lentils, peas and beans, contain not only enzymes but also things called enzyme inhibitors. Enzyme inhibitors neutralize some of the enzymes our bodies produce. These foods contain enzyme inhibitors to prevent them from sprouting prematurely. If you experience some stomach discomfort when you eat nuts and seeds, this may be why. There are ways to deactivate these enzyme inhibitors prior to consuming these foods, which can really aid in digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Since it is not realistic for most of us to consume only raw foods, many people supplement their enzymes daily. There are different kinds of enzyme supplements available, and they are used by some people with each meal to aid in digestion, and by others to treat diseases like cancer and arthritis.


Enjoy your weekends and try to consume some raw foods with each snack or meal! Monday I will elaborate on the digestive enzymes and exactly how they work inside of us.

Exercise Before You Eat

Happy Thanksgiving! If you are checking in with PWN today, you are officially one of my most devoted readers!

My challenge for you today is to get some exercise before you sit down to enjoy the many tastes of Thanksgiving dinner. I read somewhere that the average Thanksgiving meal is between 2,000 and 4,500 calories (without the booze!). Obviously no one is required to “eat themself into an oblivion” (in the words of my dad - and his dad, Grampie Ed). But realistically, unless you are planning on running a marathon today, you will not burn off the meal no matter how much exercise you get. But I don’t really think about it that way anyway.

I have always noticed a relationship between exercise and my enjoyment of a good meal. For some reason food just tastes better after a workout, and any guilt you may feel for indulging in that slice of pumpkin apple pie melts away.

Exercise not only increases your heart rate and allows you to burn calories and fat, but it is also a mood enhancer. When you exercise, endorphin and serotonin levels in your brain increase. Endorphins are mood-regulating chemicals that reduce pain and stress and can induce euphoria (also known as “runner’s high”; learn more about it in this outstanding book written by my brother and sis!). Serotonin is another brain chemical that is linked to mood. For the brain to have a stabilized mood, serotonin must be present. Depression is often linked to a lack of serotonin in the brain.

I prefer to exercise outside, especially in the winter! The cold Minnesota air (which is where I usually am for Thanksgiving) is refreshing and the combination of snow and sunshine is stunningly beautiful. There is a reason Ed and I decided to get married in Minnesota in January! But inside works too. Run in your city’s annual Turkey Trot. Go for a family walk. Many gyms hold one or two morning yoga classes on Thanksgiving for people like you who are not willing to dismiss exercise just because it’s a holiday. If you have snow, take your kids sledding. If you’re in Florida, go for a walk on the beach.

This year the LaFaves are going to play a game of touch football on my Nana’s front lawn overlooking the beautiful, frozen Lake Carlos. Huge improvement from 15 years ago when my dad, whistle in hand, had my cousins and me running laps in the backyard for our Thanksgiving Day exercise (post-meal!).

Milk: Which Kind is Best?

I love milk. I think it’s because when I was a kid, we had a milk machine. You know, one of these:

We use to tell our little friends that there was a real live cow in there, and they’d watch wide-eyed as we lifted the lever and filled up a cold, bubbly glass of fresh milk.

Too bad you can’t actually get milk machines with real cows, because based on what I’ve been learning recently, raw milk is the way to go.

The best kind of raw milk is taken from grass-fed cows, cooled, and bottled. Some forms come from grain-fed cows, but grass-fed is ideal. Raw milk is not processed or treated in any way.

The type of milk you and I buy in the grocery store is processed cow’s milk. It is pasteurized and homogenized. Pasteurization uses heat to slow the growth of bacteria. The USDA standardizes and controls pasteurization methods. Homogenization is a treatment used to break up fat globules, preventing the cream from separating in the milk. It also spreads the bacteria and white blood cells killed off in pasteurization throughout the milk.

So why is raw milk healthier for us than processed milk? The key word that should have raised a red flag is “processed”.

The pasteurization of milk not only helps control bacteria, but it also kills many important nutrients. For example, lactase is an enzyme, or catalyst, needed for our bodies to digest lactose (milk sugar). Pasteurized milk kills all lactase, which is why so many people have trouble digesting milk and are therefore lactose intolerant. If you are lactose intolerant, give raw milk a try. You will be surprised at how much easier it is to digest! Pasteurization kills some of the vitamin C in milk and makes most of the calcium insoluble, meaning your body cannot benefit from it. And although pasteurization can kill some of the bad bacteria, there is also good bacteria being killed. Our bodies need this bacteria for digestion and absorption, and to help fight off bad bacteria that enters the body.

Homogenization artificially modifies dairy fats to the point of not being beneficial to us anymore. Without milk fats, our bodies cannot absorb and utilize the vitamins and mineral found in milk. In addition, milk fats cause our stomachs to release a hormone that not only helps with digestion (by releasing more digestive enzymes), but also tells us when we are full.

Raw milk has many other healthful qualities as well. It contains all essential proteins that our body needs for life but cannot produce on its own (ie we have to get them from our food). In addition, raw milk has both water and fat soluble vitamins and many important minerals.

To find out if and where you can find raw milk in your city, click here.

I know what you are thinking. This all sounds great, but what about those of us that can’t get raw milk? What should we be drinking?

While I do recommend raw cow’s milk over anything else, I also realize it is difficult to obtain due to strict food regulations. So if you don’t live on or near a farm, here’s what I think:

• Buy organic or local, no exceptions (some local dairies match or even exceed organic standards, like Royal Crest Dairy in CO)

• Kids will really benefit from the fats in milk, so I would give them whole milk

• Adults also benefit from milk fat and can drink whole milk or 2% milk

Some adults prefer skim or 1% because they want to watch their fat intake. Before I started nutrition school, Ed and I would rotate between the two. But now I am researching raw milk distributors in our area and in the meantime, I will switch us to 2% or whole milk. I do think that if you are drinking milk that is not raw, you should consume it in moderation and be aware of how it is affecting your body. This is also very important in kids, as they often experience difficulties digesting milk. There are many good arguments for why pasteurized, homogenized milk is detrimental to your health. However, I think that in moderation it is fine to include in an adult diet.

Oh, and if you’re not into cow’s milk altogether, I recommend choosing almond milk over soy milk… check out my Facebook page for a good article on soy and why you should consume it in moderation.

And that milk machine I was talking about earlier? It really did exist! My parents weren't crazy... it actually just came with the house we moved into. But it did lead to a love of milk for all my siblings and me. I mean, I even dressed as Tim the Milkman for Halloween in 4th grade!

Butter: Keeping it Real

Wow, guest blogger Jessica's post on bees and raw honey yesterday was a hit! Thanks again Jessica! And based on the response, we all hope you come back soon! If you missed it, be sure to read it here.

And now on to butter...

Before you begin your two-day campout in the kitchen to prepare the Thanksgiving feast, you may want to hear what I have to say about butter. And believe me, you will like what you hear.

Butter is a health food! Yes, you heard me correctly. A health food. Butter contains large amounts of vitamin A (more than carrots!) as well as vitamins E, K and D. It is also rich in trace minerals such as selenium (a powerful antioxidant) and iodine. And as we all know, butter has fats. Some of these fats are short- and medium-chain fatty acids that remain fairly stable when heated, so are safe to use when cooking or baking. Fats in butter are used as energy for our heart, brain and digestive tract; act as anti-carcinogens (reduce occurrence of severity of cancer cells in our bodies); to stimulate immune systems and act as antimicrobials; and protect against gastrointestinal infections (especially in children and the elderly, which is one reason kids should drink whole milk).

Some people buy margarine thinking they are doing themselves a favor by reducing fat and calories. Margarine was originally used in the mid-1800s as an affordable way to feed the lower class. Margarine, the supposedly “heart-healthy” choice, is made from vegetable oils (mainly soy and cottonseed) using high heat and high pressure. Heating leads to destruction of basic nutrients in foods. Nickel, a toxic heavy metal, is added to solidify the margarine. Colorings and deodorants are added to change the final product from gray to yellow and to eliminate the rancid smell that comes with heating vegetable oils. Margarine is hydrogenated, which produces harmful trans-fatty acids. The polyunsaturated fats in margarine are more susceptible to oxidation and high levels of free radicals, and due to their chemical composition are more likely than the fats in real butter to be stored as body fat.

Many people forget that butter is a natural, whole food. We are repeatedly encouraged to stay away from processed foods, and this includes margarine. Some of you may use other buttery spreads, like Smart Balance. These tend to be a mix of different processed oils, and while they may contain fewer fats than butter, they are definitely not a natural, whole food. The hardened state of buttery spreads is indicative of the amount of processing needed to make a mixture of oils turn into a tub of spread. Many of them claim to use flaxseed oil, but fail to mention that the processing of the oil kills off its omega-3s. Many of us are deficient in omega-3s because of these processing methods. The high levels of omega-6s in buttery spreads (without omega-3s to complement them) can cause inflammation in our bodies.

When buying butter, try to choose raw butter from grass-fed cows as it is closest to its original form and contains the enzymes and healthy bacteria that would otherwise be killed off during pasteurization. Raw butter from grass-fed cows will be bright yellow or orangey in color, due to the beta-carotene from the grass. Note that not all butters labeled “organic” are raw or from grass-fed cows. If raw butter is unavailable to you, some good grass-fed cow brands to try are KerryGold (sold at Trader Joe’s!) or Organic Valley Limited Edition Pasture Butter. And if you cannot find butter that is raw and/or from grass-fed cows, organic butter is a good third choice.

So go ahead, throw some real butter into those pumpkin apple pies! They’ll taste better and you’ll be doing everyone at your dinner table a favor!

Tomorrow I will talk about milk. Like butter, milk contains the most nutrients when consumed raw. I’ll explain why, and also provide some alternatives if raw milk is not readily available to you.

Guest Blogger: Jessica on Honey

Please welcome Jessica to PWN today. A fellow health food enthusiast, Jessica is also a tennis champ, finance whiz, avid biker, and bee guru. Over the past month you've listened to me bash agave nectar and promote raw honey. Well, Jessica is going to explain exactly why raw honey should be your sweetener of choice. And as you'll see, she has a hidden talent: writing. As promised at the end of Friday's blog post, you will laugh today. So here she is!

From Jessica...

I like to refer to it as "sweet liquid ambrosia", but you probably know this gift from nature by its common name, honey. I can't exactly imagine how humans first decided to harvest honey (as a thickly covered hive of stinging insects seems to be a bit of a deterrent), but its use has been documented throughout history, with evidence of beekeeping in ancient Chinese, Roman, and Egyptian cultures. With all of honey's nutritional and beautifying properties, no wonder Cleopatra was such a hottie.

What gives honey such powerful qualities? It all starts with how it is made.... (it helps if you hear the next paragraph narrated in Sigourney Weaver's Planet Earth voice):

Honey begins when the bee takes off on its foraging flight. Buzzing to and from each blooming flower, it collects precious nectar. The nectar mixes with the enzymes in the bee’s saliva, an alchemal process that breaks down the complex sugars into simple sugars. The bee then carries it back to the hive where the industrious house bees store it in the walls and fan their wings to reduce the moisture content, rendering it hygroscopic, meaning it is so dry it will pull in moisture from the atmosphere. This is why harvested honey must be stored in sealed containers, and why baked goods made with honey rather than sugar will stay moist longer.

There are many varietals of honey available. Bees will work the nectar within a two-mile radius of the hive so each batch of honey will have slightly different flavor nuances. I like a light alfalfa honey in my morning tea whereas a darker wildflower honey is a richer, more of an after dinner honey. No, I don't have a honey rack next to my wine rack. But that's only because I can't find anywhere that sells them.

Darker honeys will have a higher concentration of antioxidants, but the most important thing to remember when purchasing honey is that it be raw and unfiltered. Honey that has been heated and pasteurized will lose most of its beneficial antioxidants. As in most cases organic is best, but I would rather buy from my local farmers market over a South American honey that has been labeled organic. Enforcement of such labeling is inconsistent, and unless the bees are being interrogated... well I have my doubts.

I use honey as a panacea for any problem, and despite the doubt that clouds my friends’ eyes when I try to talk them into smearing it on their sunburns, it truly does have some amazing natural healing properties. It is antibacterial and antiviral, and will virtually never go bad. It can be used to treat burns, cuts, sore throats, and acne. It can be a cough suppressant, an athletic performance enhancer (makes a great gift for A-Rod!), or a hangover cure. Honey's humectant properties make it a key moisturizing ingredient in many naturally formulated beauty treatments.

Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy honey:

Honey + almond butter. This is a hotter matchup than Brad and Angelina. Spread on toast, celery, cardboard... it doesn't matter as long as you have this combo it will work. I'm so passionate about this flavor medley that I'd like to stalk down everyone eating PB&J sandwiches and slap them out of their hands before they take the first bite. (Unless of course it was a child, then I'd gently extract the sandwich from their sticky fingers and hastily tell them to say no to drugs.) I just don't know why you'd ever go back to PB&J once you've tasted this.

Honey + grapefruit. Allows you to eat grapefruit with no chance of the sour face.

Honey + goat cheese + any cracker/bread medium. Small time investment, huge deliciousness payout.

Honey + plain yogurt. A much better alternative to sugar laden flavored yogurts, which will spike your blood sugar significantly higher than honey will. I found it surprising how little honey I had to use to attain the sweetness I desired.

Honey can also be used in recipes in place of sugar. The rule of thumb is 2/3 c honey for every 1 c sugar. Since honey is liquid you will want to slightly reduce your overall liquid content by about 1/4 c for every cup of honey. The sugars in honey will also carmelize more quickly so reduce your baking temperature by about 20-30 degrees.

Honey should not be given to infants under 12 months, but should absolutely be given to sick adults acting like infants.

Thank you to Ann, who is sweet as Tupelo honey for letting me ramble on about bees and honey on a forum where people can't visibly walk away from me.

...did I mention she's funny?

Thanks Jessica! You're the best. Please come back soon!

Banana Pumpkin Pear Muffins

Even though it’s been happening around the 15^th of every month since March, it still catches me by surprise. The doorbell rings, I rush to see who it is, and find a box. A box beautifully packaged and full of something delicious: fruit. Yes, Ed and I are members of the Harry & David Fruit-of-the-Month Club, thanks to a very generous wedding gift from our friends Ben and Abby!

Now, unlike the Beer-of-the-Month Club microbrews or Stonewall Kitchen-of-the-Month Club sauces and muffin mixes (both also wonderful wedding gifts!), with fruit we have to use it quickly before it becomes overripe. So each month I am faced with a new challenge. I’ve done pineapple skewers for a bbq we hosted; apple pie and apple crisp and homemade applesauce; we even had papaya smoothies once for a week straight!

November brought pears. And I love pears, because they are high in vitamin C and vitamin C is not only an antioxidant, but it also stimulates white blood cells to fight off infection and it kills bacteria. Pears are considered a hypoallergenic fruit and are a safe choice for infants. They are also a good source of fiber, copper and vitamin K.

I have had two small pie pumpkins sitting on my living room mantle for a couple of weeks, just begging to be baked. So I came up with this recipe myself, and it turned out very nicely. I used some ingredients that may not be readily available in your kitchen cabinets, so feel free to use the (alternative) ingredient instead.

Recipe

1 ½ cups almonds, ground to a meal in food processor (1 ½ cups any type of flour product)

1 ½ cups steel cut oats, ground to a flour in food processor (1 ½ cups any type of oats, unground is fine too)

1 cup spelt flour (1 cup any type of flour, or flax seed meal would work well too)

1 tsp grated ginger (can leave out if you don’t have it)

1 ¼ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

A few dashes of sea salt

1 ripe banana

2 pears, chopped

1 cup pureed fresh pumpkin (canned works well too)

1 egg

1 tbsp butter (optional)

1 tbsp unsulphured blackstrap molasses (1 tbsp raw honey)

¼ cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins. Puree chopped pears and ripe banana in a food processor, blender or by hand. Ed gives this step a big thumbs up.

In large bowl, combine almond meal, oats, spelt flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.

In separate bowl combine molasses, egg, butter, pumpkin, banana, pears, and milk.
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well. If batter is too dry or too wet, adjust with milk or flour accordingly.

Spoon into muffin tin and bake for 14-18 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Makes 18 muffins.

What is blackstrap molasses? I figured you’d ask.

Blackstrap molasses is the liquid byproduct

from the sugar refining process. It is one of

the few sweeteners that is actually good for you,

in that it boosts iron stores, is a good source of

calcium, and is full of the minerals copper,

magnesium, potassium and manganese. It does

contain sucrose so if you have blood sugar

problems you may want to avoid it.

These muffins are full of nutrients and make a great breakfast or snack. Ed and I had them this morning along with a mostly-veggie smoothie. And I’ll even let you in on a little secret: I added some chocolate chips to the last 6 muffins… and who can turn down muffins with chocolate chips???

Allison, if you’re reading this, yes, I saved you and Teddy some.

And before we officially enter the weekend, let me leave you with a few clues about Monday’s post, which could quite possibly be the best yet at Pierce Whole Nutrition:

1. I did not write it.

2. It’s funny. Very, very funny.

3. It will make you buzz over to your local market to buy the freshest raw honey available.

I am very excited about Monday’s guest blogger and you should be too. I promise she won’t let you down!

Water: Science, Medicine, Art (Part 2 of 2)

Yesterday I talked about why our bodies need so much water (if you missed it, read here). Today, I will explain the "art" of drinking water: how much, what type, and when?

Art

Daily water intake in ounces = your weight / 2

• Add 2-4 glasses per day if you live in a dry climate (that’s us, Coloradans)

• Add more before, during and after a workout (amount varies based on activity level)

• Add 2-4 glasses per day if you are feeling onset of cold or flu symptoms

• For every caffeinated or alcoholic beverage you drink add 1-2 glasses

What about other beverages?

Many people believe that drinking a cup of caffeinated tea or coffee counts as one of their glasses of water. That’s a myth! Caffeine and alcohol dehydrate the body in that it takes more than the amount of water in the beverage to pass it through the body. Therefore the body must dip into water reserves, which are usually saved for the brain. Dehydration in the brain can lead to serious consequences. On the days I have a latte or cup of green tea, I just make sure to drink an extra glass of water to stay hydrated.

Milk should be viewed as a food and should not be included in daily water intake. Juices can be very sugary and should be consumed in moderation. They also should not be included in daily water intake.

Minerals help with water regulation inside the body. Sodium helps balance water outside of cells, which is important for brain function. This is why people must replace salt in addition to water during and after exercise. Potassium, calcium, magnesium and zinc regulate water levels inside of cells. Without these minerals, your water may not be working effectively inside your body.

Types of Water to Consider

Tap Water: Contact your water supplier for a water quality report and compare to info on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or American Water Works Assn (AWWA) websites.

Bottled Water: Some brands are better than others. Try to avoid plastic containers whenever possible, due to the BPA chemicals that may disrupt hormones and be bad for your health. Although there are still studies going on about the actual affects of BPA on your health, high urinary levels of BPA have been associated with people with chronic disease such as diabetes and heart disease. So what type of container should you use? Right now many are saying stainless steel is best. Klean Kanteen is a brand you’ll find at many stores such as REI and Whole Foods. Klean Kanteen even makes a “sippy-cup” version for kids, with a special spill-free spout (check it out here).

Filtered Water: A water filter can remove things such as chemicals, pesticides, hormones, nitrates, heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride, bacteria and viruses. Research water filters online, at a health food store, or through your nutritionist or doctor. I just bought an Aquasana home water filter for our kitchen. It was recommended by my teacher at school because it is reasonably priced and still filters out chlorine, lead, THMs (disinfection byproducts formed when chlorine, which is used to treat drinking water, reacts with certain materials in the water), PCBs and VOCs (organic chemicals), MTBE (chemicals from leaky underground storage tanks and pipelines), crypto and cysts (parasites), bad taste and odor.

As for when...

Try to drink a glass or two right when you wake up each morning. You lose water in your sleep due to being covered with blankets and also through deep breathing. During a meal, and for about an hour afterwards, try to keep water to a minimum. Water dilutes the hydrochloric acid in your stomach, which can make digestion difficult (check out my HCL post here). And, of course, it's very important to hydrate before, during and after a workout.

I know this is a lot of information. Bottom line: Drink plenty of water each day, and make sure your family does too. If you can get a water filter, even a Brita over your faucet, you will improve the water quality significantly.

Water: Science, Medicine, Art (Part 1 of 2)

I know you hear it all the time.

Drink plenty of water!

8 glasses per day!

HYDRATE!

But do you really understand WHY? Because until I had my water unit at school, I did not. Dehydration is associated with many diseases, and I think if you have a better understanding of the role water plays in your body, you will be more likely to keep yourself hydrated. It all goes back to the same thing when it comes to nutrition... AWARENESS!!! Now let's get some awareness around water...

Science

Human Body: 75% Water

Fully Hydrated Blood: 94% Water

Brain: 85% Water

The body depends on water to carry out processes necessary for life, and is extremely sensitive to dehydration. Without water a human would die within a matter of days. When there is a water shortage inside the body, existing water is rationed to areas where it is needed most. Long-term dehydration begins to severely damage cells and can contribute to things such as allergies, migraines and cancer. Some of water’s key functions are listed below:

• Water molecules are added to nutrients during digestion to break them down and allow for absorption into the body

• Water dissolves waste products so they are properly flushed out of the body

• Water creates a healthy environment for neurotransmitters on our brain by creating energy for sodium and potassium to move freely along the nerves, thus ensuring we are alert and sharp

• Water helps regulate body temperature

• Water is the main lubricant in the body which allows it to protect organs in the chest and abdomen, protect joints where bones and ligaments and tendons rub, and allow for smooth passage of food in the digestive system

Medicine

Do you suffer from any of the following conditions?

• Stress

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Constipation
• Arthritis
• Back pain
• Heart disease
• Adult or child ADD
• Insomnia
• Fatigue

• Glaucoma
• Cancer
• PMS
• Hot flashes
• Impotence or loss of libido
• Obesity
• Morning sickness with pregnancy
• Memory loss
• Migraines

Short term or chronic dehydration is related to each of these conditions, plus others, to some degree. Chronic dehydration manifests itself through feelings of irritability, anxiety or depression; conditions such as allergies or asthma; and pains associated with things like heartburn, back pain, arthritis or migraines. Histamine is released inside our bodies when we are out of balance, which we experience through things like runny noses or allergies. This is our body signaling the need for more water.

• BABIES: A fetus relies on its mother’s water intake for growth. Its cells are continuously multiplying and need water. A mother’s chemical imbalance due to dehydration requires the fetus to cope with this imbalance, and can lead to damaged genes or cells.

• KIDS & TEENS: Children and teenagers are constantly growing and producing new cells, requiring a large amount of water. The growth hormones drive thirst. If a child gets too much sugary juice or soda, there will not be enough water to initiate certain parts of development, which can lead to asthma, allergies and ADD. There is a direct relationship between a child’s alertness and the amount of water they drink.

• ADULTS: In adults, the growth hormone is not as dominant and the brain’s nerve centers take over in water regulation. Some thirst sensation is lost. With less water, our bodies must continuously decide where to ration the existing water to maintain some level of balance and health. Over time, physiological and chemical changes caused by constant dehydration can lead to any of the above conditions.

• ELDERLY: Elderly people almost completely lose their thirst sensation. Chronic dehydration causes their cells to wrinkle and makes them susceptible to serious or even deadly diseases. They do not know they are thirsty and therefore do not drink water.

So far so good? Is it starting to make sense? I hope so. Now go drink some H20. And check back tomorrow for the “Art” of water: how much, what kind, and when?

Immunity Boost

We are all looking for one right now, aren’t we? Many of you have asked about what foods or vitamins you should be taking this winter to help your immune system stay healthy and avoid those crazy flu viruses going around.

I truly believe that preventing sickness with nutrition works. Viruses love bodies that are out of balance, and things that disrupt this balance include too much caffeine, alcohol, artificial sugars or processed foods; continuous stress; lack of sleep; dehydration; and other harmful things we do to ourselves. Of course no one can have a perfect diet and lifestyle, but if we focus on some of the foods I list below, we can greatly reduce our susceptibility to the winter bugs.

Sweet Potatoes

High in beta-carotene, sweet potatoes are a great source of Vitamin A. The lining of our lungs and digestive systems depend on this antioxidant for proper function, and these are the front lines for protection against the flu and other viruses. Try this sweet potato recipe on my Facebook page to get your Vitamin A!

Kiwis

Kiwis are packed with Vitamin C. And we all know that Vitamin C helps keep our immune system tough and fighting. The biggest mistake people make with Vitamin C is they wait until they feel cold or flu symptoms before taking it. They'll start to get achy and sick and suddenly they are drinking 5 Emergen-C packs per day and taking Vitamin C supplements. Studies have actually shown that waiting to take Vitamin C until you have already caught a bug does not decrease the days you are sick at all. So focus on kiwis this season, along with other sources of Vitamin C like peppers, broccoli, orange juice, strawberries and leafy greens.

Onions & Garlic

Onions and garlic are actually considered some of the strongest cold and flu fighters. They are both antimicrobials and contain sulfur compounds that combat bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses. Garlic and onions also contain allicin, a compound that blocks the enzymes that help viruses spread.

Echinacea

Echinacea is an herb whose roots, leaves and flowers are all medicinal. You can find it in an herbal extract form or drink it as a tea. It is an immunity boost when taken regularly. If you drink the tea, adding honey will help enhance the benefits.

If you do happen to catch a cold or the flu this year, continue to focus on a healthy diet. Drinking Echinacea or ginger tea each day (if you can, drink 5 or more cups per day) will help your body fight off an infection. Ginger is anti-inflammatory which can ease throat pain. In addition, it helps warm the body, which is needed to fight infection.

Eucalyptus, sage and thyme are also all good herbs to try when you are not feeling 100%. Eucalyptus and thyme are both full of antibacterial compounds. They relieve congestion nicely. Sage can be made into a tea to help clear sinuses.

Of course washing your hands and drinking TONS of water are both of the utmost importance. I will talk more about water this week, but it is vital for overall health. I realize that sometimes you are desperate and need to take whatever medication you can get your hands on to feel better and function for the day. However, try some of these things and you may be surprised at how effective they are. And not only that, but they are all completely natural and supportive of a body in balance, so they will not contribute to any further health problems you may have.