Issue 3.1.19 Inflammation and Water - The Connection, 2 of 3

  Since my life’s work focuses on inflammation, let’s now find out the effects of Dehydration on INFLAMMATION…

When inflammation occurs, chemicals from the body's white blood cells are released into the blood or the affected tissues to protect your body from foreign substances. This release of chemicals increases the blood flow to the area of injury or infection and may result in redness and warmth. My research shows that there are primarily 11 ways you may be Unknowingly Causing or Accelerating Inflammation:

1. You're not drinking enough water.

When cells are deprived of this essential nutrient, cellular function slows down, nutrients are not delivered adequately, metabolism slows, and this can affect every organ in the body from your heart to your skin. A lack of adequate water intake can result in serious health conditions along with fatigue, foggy thinking, headaches, depression, joint pain, hunger, cravings, weight gain and much more. Wholistic principles recommend you drink a minimum of half your body weight in ounces of water daily…EXAMPLE: If you weigh 180 lb. you need a minimum of 90 oz. of water daily. If you drink anything with caffeine, keep in mind that each cup (8 oz.) “sucks” two cups of water out of your body so you need to compensate by adding more water.

2. You're eating the wrong type of grains.

Choose whole gluten-free and low or no carb grains that have not been stripped of their fiber and nutrients. In contrast, grains that are refined and on the ingredient list labeled as ‘wheat’ or ‘wheat flour’ create an inflammatory response identical to sugar. Instead choose whole grains such as organic brown or black rice, teff, amaranth, or quinoa (which is the highest in protein and no carbs). In our “Anti-Inflammation Advantage” Cooking Institute, we only use flours that are very low, or no carb content made from Quinoa, Coconut, Almond - Hazelnut, Teff, Flax meal, Sunflower- Pumpkin seed flour, and some Plantain...click to continue reading...

3. You're drinking diet drinks or using artificial sweeteners.

Diet sodas contain artificial, laboratory-made sweeteners that can lead to an increased insulin response that can, and usually do, trigger weight gain, type 2 diabetes and other inflammatory health conditions. Make a lateral shift: choose sparkling water flavored with fruit or cucumbers or drinks sweetened with natural stevia.

4. You're eating processed foods.

Processed foods are inflammatory and one of the reasons many people are overweight and/or victims of disorders and diseases. Every country that has adopted the highly processed diet becomes unhealthy. Processed foods such as fast foods and junk foods are created to be financially highly rewarding and many contain additives to encourage over-consumption.

5. You're regularly eating sugar.

Sugar is the number one inflammatory “food.” Sugar and its cousin, high fructose corn syrup, are two of the many sweet culprits that can have serious inflammatory health consequences including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and premature aging skin.

6. You're missing cultured foods.

Cultured foods such as sugar-free yogurt or sauerkraut promote an abundance of healthy gut bacteria that fight inflammation. Cultured foods also boost your immunity and help you lose weight.

7. You aren't getting enough leafy greens.

Dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, kale, broccoli, chard, and collards) are packed with anti-inflammatory nutrients that reverse inflammation in the body.

8. You're getting too little Omega-3 fats (and too many Omega 6 Fats)

Omega 3 fats help to effectively reverse inflammation – there is an imbalance between omega 3 fats and omega 6 fats in the average diet. Both types of fat are essential for optimal health and can only be found in our diet and through all-natural omega supplements.

However, most people should aim for MORE Omega 3 and less Omega 6. Foods that pack in Omega 3’s include wild salmon, sardines, walnuts, flax seeds, and fish oil supplements.

9. You're using the wrong cooking oils.

Swap out inflammatory cooking oils such as vegetable oil, canola oil, soy oil or corn oil. They have a very high omega-6 content and very low omega-3 content, which encourages inflammation. Instead, use anti-inflammatory oils such as olive oil at low temperatures, macadamia and coconut oil, or avocado oil.

10. You're not moving.

Not regularly moving your body can create inflammation or accelerate existing inflammation. Exercising promotes healthy cellular function and reduces inflammation markers. Almost any type of workout that raises your heart rate counts, such as continuous walking, playing tennis, mowing the lawn, or even gardening.

11. You're carrying excess weight.

Every fat cell, when over-stuffed with fat, produces compounds that promote a vicious cycle of weight gain and inflammation. Drop the excess weight and your inflammation will decrease as well.

The following are questions I’m often asked pertaining to hydration; my replies will hopefully shed some light on questions you have:

• I train at least three times a week, how long does it take to get hydrated before training? Just 45 minutes, says a recent study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning research. Challenging the popular notion that complete hydration requires you to drink yourself into a water-induced coma, this study shows that just 600ml (20.3 oz.) of water ingested 45 minutes prior to training is enough to take an athlete from mildly dehydrated to fully hydrated.
• After drinking water, how long does it take to get hydrated? Well, it depends…IF

You have an empty stomach, water will most likely enter your bloodstream and into your body within 5-10 minutes because it’s not busy digesting anything. A study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning reports that it usually takes 45 minutes to an hour to fully feel the benefit of re-hydration.

If you’re eating while drinking water your body is in digestive mode and it will take longer to hydrate because your stomach will prioritize digestion. On average then it can take from 2-4 hours to hydrate.  It is not suggested to drink water while eating because it also interferes with digestion.

• Is there a difference between hydrating and flushing your body?. You can drink water for a long time and be hydrated and your body will just force it out through urination. In order for your body to actually absorb and use the water for hydration, you need electrolytes to be at their best, so your cells can absorb it. This is why many athletes take electrolytes, especially those that include magnesium, to eliminate or prevent muscle cramps. That said, sufficient water is needed as the electrolytes and water work in synchronicity. The best electrolyte replacement, in my experience, is pure unaltered coconut water. NEVER drink sports drinks like Gatorade unless for an emergency because it works fast since it contains glucose (sugar) to help the body absorb it, but the hit you take from the sugar and high calorie count is health-depleting.
• When is it advised to seek medical care for dehydration? If your dehydration is serious, see a physician or emergency room for intravenous (IV) fluid replacement immediately – severe dehydration may require hospitalization. If you haven’t urinated in 8 hours, seek medical care immediately.
• Can you die from dehydration? YES. You can live for a long time without eating, but dehydration (lack of fluids) speed up the dying process. Unfortunately, those that lose their lives from dehydration do so because it’s not generally uncomfortable – once the initial feelings of thirst subside, there is an analgesic effect caused by the state of dehydration.
• Is death by dehydration painful? Studies show that for those terminally ill who choose to die, death by terminal dehydration is generally peaceful, and not associated with suffering when supplemented with adequate pain medication.

What Matters …

It doesn’t matter how long it takes for water to enter your bloodstream and hydrate your body. What does matter is that you’re mindful you need to stay hydrated, every day! Yes, dehydration is a sign you need to hydrate. However, it is NOT a good thing to let it get to that point; take-in fluids even if you feel your throat is not dry. AND…yes, we’re all busy and up to our eyeballs with daily commitments, that said, staying hydrated should always stay on top of your daily “to do” list…it’s not negotiable if you want to stay healthy!

And now, as promised, a special offer for subscribers of Your Health Detective…IF you’re ready to learn about simple recipes that can give you what I call The Anti-Inflammation Advantage…read carefully. After many months in the making and an added value to my subscribers, you can now Download your FREE 40+ page cookbook, The Anti-Inflammation Recipe Sampler at:

www.drgloriaskitchen.com/healthdetective/

ADDITIONALLY…mark your calendar for April 2019 when we launch our cooking videos and  I’ll be able to literally take you by the hand into Dr. Gloria’s Kitchen and lead you step-by-step through an entire library of anti-inflammatory meals that are easy to prepare and absolutely delicious!  In addition, the educational information included will help you understand the why’s and how’s of specific foods, nutrients and ingredients known to “ignite inflammation”…that’s where my commitment of “Health thru Education” comes in…it gives YOU the ADVANTAGE to take control of your health, Naturally…Stay tuned…