Truth In Hydration

Health benefits, cures, myths, and truths about drinking water.

Is Drinking Lemon Water Really An Effective Way to Shed Off Those Extra Pounds?

Losing weight is not easy, believe me, been there done tha! I practically tried everything, from the Atkins Diet, Danish Diet, Acai Berry Diet and so on. But unfortunately I can’t keep up with any of them. I’ll lose weight and then gain them again after sometime. A friend of mine told me about the lemon water diet. At first, I was really skeptical since with all the dieting I did, so far nothing worked yet. But out of curiosity, I started researching about lemon water for weight loss and here is what I found out.

The effectiveness of drinking lemon water to lose weight is still a subject of debate, but many claim that it really works. How true is this? Though lemon may be a simple fruit, it is packed with vitamins that assist in regulating the body’s metabolism and also helps lower sugar absorption. Lemons contain significant amount of citric acid, so, when you drink a glass of lemon water in the morning you are already introducing a healthy digestive aid into your body which will interact with the existing enzymes and acids in your stomach resulting to a trouble-free digestion.

Another great thing about lemons is that they help greatly in calcium absorption. Studies have showed that lemon water or lemon juice intensifies acidity in the digestive system. The heightened level of acid in the body increases calcium absorption from the foods you consume. Calcium is then stored in the fat cells which boost the body’s ability to burn fat, thus resulting to weight loss.

To know whether drinking lemon water is an effective way to lose weight or not, you should give it a try and see what happens. But if you are really serious about shedding off those extra pounds, I suggest that you stick with the tried and tested combo —– exercise and diet. Though it may take a while to see results, if you really want to achieve that fit body, you need to sacrifice a little. As they say ‘no pain no gain’, the same is true when losing weight.

 

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October 26, 2011 at 7:04 am Comments (0)

The Effects Of Tap Water On Your Teeth And Choosing A Suitable Dental Plan

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that dental treatments are going to be expensive, but as with any cost you’re faced against, there are ways and means to reduce to the minimum amount that not only suits your need but is friendly to your wallet, too.

Dental plans offer people around the world a chance to get high-quality treatment without the shock of having to pay it all in one go. Monthly or annual plans allow you to save up and pay it off in one lump sum or spread over 12 months, which means that people can have dental treatment and not put it off. This would mean that people can have better oral hygiene, not be shy of smiling and showing their teeth and feeling more confident about themselves.

Some dental insurance plans would cover either both private and NHS clinics or just NHS dental practices, and with a huge range of plans, there is bound to have something suitable for everyone and every budget. Although there might be limits to the total cost of the treatment, with a good chunk of it being paid by the insurance company, thanks to your monthly payments, you might only have a small fee to pay as it goes over the limit. If your treatment is non-urgent, then you can spread it over a few months to tip into the following year’s treatment.

Obviously, it goes without saying that you should read the terms and conditions of each dental plan you look at. Think of what you have had done in the past, what you might need and following the advice of a reputable dentist, what they’d recommend in the future. This can help you decide what plan to go for. Also, you can add dental emergencies to the policy, which is something no one wants but would be beneficial if you ever needed to have an emergency root canal or extraction.

Some premiums allow cash back, some allow you to choose your dentist or a range of dentists, while others need you to file claim forms and wait a few months for reimbursement. Find out what plan suits your financial situation as well as your personal situation to avoid any problems throughout the year. Dental implants and sports injuries are generally not covered but they can be added to a policy in some circumstances. It’s best to check to see how lenient an insurance company is with those aspects.

Although there is an annual cap on the treatment total, and usually insurers only pay up to 75% of the fee, the policy takes the sting of what is almost always a large dental bill. Some dentists who have signed up for a capitation scheme allow patients to pay after the treatments, usually a month or two after, which helps people be able to fill in a claim form and stump up the remainder of the cash. From general maintenance and check-ups to X-rays and extractions, it depends on what type of treatment you want to cover yourself for and what your oral health means to you for you to decide on a relevant dental insurance plan.

October 25, 2011 at 4:13 pm Comments (0)

Water As A Cure For All Kinds of Ailments

Water cure was originally developed as a form of therapy during the 18th century in England. Doctor Richard Russell was given the credit for this because he was the one who first prescribed treating sicknesses with bathing and drinking of seawater. At present, drinking enough water is known to bring a lot of benefits to the people but the problem now lies on the water supply and contamination which could harm individuals.

The Efficacy of Water Therapy in Healing Diseases

Research by Dr. Batnmanghelidj revealed that unintentional dehydration could lead to chronic pain, stress and other degenerative diseases. He claimed that there is no specific disease that can be cured by water therapy, but it is a fact that when a person drinks eight to ten glasses of water daily, he or she would have better health.

Water is free and it is readily available in many parts of the world, and it seems impossible to regulate the claims that this liquid substance indeed heals diseases. If we are to assume that dehydration generates some adverse effects on one’s health, we can only consider water as an indirect cure to that specific ailment.

Benefits of Drinking Plenty of Water

We may not have the means to verify the health claims of those who were “cured” by water but we can recognize that drinking sufficient amounts of water is a good start to have a healthy body because it ensures that

- metabolism is improved,

- nutrients from the digestive tract will be properly transported all throughout the body,

- and the kidney is kept well-functioning

Water therapy also brings back the glow on the skin, shine on the hair and sparkle on the eyes of a person. It also makes a person fell good inside and out like finding out that those plastic surgery prices are going  much lower than you expected. Although you will find yourself urinating more frequently when you drink lots of water, you will be relieved to know that this is just a normal reaction of your body to get rid of toxins and other wastes inside.

Keep Hydrated to Prevent Electrolyte Imbalance

Salt and other electrolytes are needed to maintain water in the body. By this, we do not mean just any other salt but healthy sea or mineral salt mixed in drinking water to aid dehydration. While on salt water cure, try to avoid eating salty foods.

Conclusion

Indeed, water has a lot of good things to offer to us. Aside from making our bodies healthy, it also sweeps wastes out of our system. As a saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure”, so start to make drinking water a healthy habit!

 

 

 

 

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October 25, 2011 at 3:32 pm Comments (0)

The Controversy Surrounding Fluoridated Tap Water

What is Water Fluoridation Controversy?

This controversy originated from the moral, ethical and safety issues surrounding the public water supply fluoridation. Some groups assert that water fluoridation must not be implemented because of ethical issues and it may bring serious health problems to people who drink the water. The opposition has started in the 1940s, and up until now, the debate has not yet ended.

How Does Water Fluoridation Take Place?

Water is fluoridated by using 0.6 to 1.2 milligrams of fluoride ion per liter, and this is done for the purpose of fighting tooth decay among the people. The water is then supplied to the households which will then be used by the residents. However, several groups have registered their concerns about the possible adverse effects of this practice to human health.

What are the Bad effects of Water Fluoridation?

According to the opposition, here are some of the harmful effects of drinking fluoridated water:

  • Since fluoride goes to everybody in the community where the water supply has been fluoridated, the dosage cannot be controlled and people can get the substance from many other sources.
  • Fluoride is a substance that will only accumulate in the body.
  • There is no health agency designated to monitor the levels of fluoride or its side effects in the body.
  • The role of fluoridation in solving tooth decay is highly doubted.
  • Children can become severely exposed to fluoride. Even bottle-fed babies are exposed to the substance.
  • Dental fluorosis results from water fluoridation and fluoride may damage the brain and decrease the level of IQ.
  • Fluoride may affect the pineal gland, thyroid function, and may cause arthritic symptoms.

Since most people are now aware about polemic water fluoridation, you can obtain safe drinking water without or with just little fluoride through the following:

  • Distillation filtration is the most common way to purify water.
  • Reverse osmosis filtration is a process used in purifying several bottled water. However, this is generally unaffordable for personal use.
  • Activated alumina de-fluoridation filter

Here are some additional tips to lessen your exposure to fluoride:

  • Reading labels on bottled beverages to minimize fluoride intake
  • Refraining from drinking red or black tea
  • Using un-fluoridated toothpaste
  • Avoiding red or black rock salt or any products containing fluoride

It will be helpful to know more about fluoride and how it affects the body when ingested in higher levels. Doing so will help you better protect your family and address the issue surrounding the undying controversy about the health hazard brought about by drinking fluoridated water.

 

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October 11, 2011 at 3:28 pm Comments (0)