Water, Your Metabolism and Weight Loss

Dear Readers,
I hope you will read the following article, written by Donovan Baldwin, with interest, as his subject is relevant to our theme. I invite you to enjoy this well written piece:

Anybody who reads my articles on health and weight loss knows that my number one recommendation is to get more exercise and try to eat healthy.
Most people have long known that eating healthy includes drinking enough water. Most people also understand and would probably agree that they probably don’t drink enough water.
What most people don’t know is that drinking enough water, staying hydrated, can be an important part of a weight loss program in several ways.

First of all, water helps with almost all the activities of the body at a cellular level including the distribution of nutrients and elimination of waste. Even if we simply accept that if we are healthier we are more likely to do things relative to weight loss, increasing our water consumption is already one step in our favor.

Another factor is that when thirsty, our bodies can send signals that are misinterpreted as hunger. Many a midnight refrigerator raider is actually in need of a glass of water when they eat what’s left of the apple pie. Not only are they consuming extra calories and depriving their bodies of the water necessary for health, but they are perpetuating a condition of chronic dehydration.

In fact, it has been estimated that up to 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated and dehydration can SLOW DOWN METABOLISM!
If you add these small items to the facts that remaining properly hydrated can improve mental acuity, lubricate joints, thus easing back and joint pain, and is believed to decrease the risk of certain cancers, you can see why drinking enough water is important.
However, how much IS enough?

Obviously, the actual amount may vary from individual to individual, and you may already be getting a fair share of the total amount you need. Also, such things as activity, climate, and altitude may effect your individual need, Here are a few guidelines:

1. Divide your body weight by two and drink that many ounces per day.
2. When you exercise, or if you live in an arid area, try to get an extra amount each day. Add a pint for dry climates, and eight ounces for each 20 minutes of exercise.
3. Coffee, tea, and sodas actually are diuretics and will contribute to dehydration. If you must drink them, drink an equal amount of water.
4. Do not try to substitute juices for water. While there is nothing basically wrong with juice, and it is in fact normally a healthy drink, it also contains calories. Water doesn’t.
5. Unless you are engaged in really intense exercise, stick with water. Sports drinks also contain calories and unless you are a professional athlete or are training for a marathon you will probably not need to replace the electrolytes by means of a calorie and carbohydrate loaded drink. Water will do just fine.

As good and important as water is, as necessary to health as it is, as much as it can help with your weight loss program, it is still only a helper in that aspect. The key ingredients needed to lose weight and increase your metabolic rate will still be exercise and eating healthy.

About the Author
Donovan Baldwin is a Texas writer and a University of West Florida alumnus. He is a member of Mensa and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. In his career, he has held many managerial and supervisory positions. However, his main pleasures have long been writing, nature, and fitness. In the last few years, he has been able to combine these pleasures by writing poetry and articles on subjects such as health, fitness, yoga, the environment, happiness, self improvement, healthy eating, and weight loss. He has a collection of articles on health, fitness, diet, and weight loss at http://nodiet4me.com/articledirectory/ .

Mix 2 tbsp. honey, 2 tbsp. vinegar and 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard. Then heat 2 tbsp. vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat, add honey mixture and 1/2 cup broken pecans,stir, remove from heat and pour over fresh cut greens. Serve with crusty whole grain bread and enjoy!

 1. citrus fruits
2. leafy green vegetables
3. strawberries
4. potatoes
5. broccoli
6. cabbage and green peppers
Beta-Carotene sources can be found in
1.carrots
2. sweet potatoes
3. tomatoes
4.Fruits- Cantaloupe, peaches and apricots.

Vitamin E is fat soluble and a very powerful antioxidant that is promoted for many uses not the least of which is anti-aging and can be found in nuts, whole grains, vegetable oil, fish-liver oil and green leafy vegetables.

For a quick condiment this summer incorporating some of the antioxidant rich foods discussed, try this simply delicious and ridiculously easy combination:

6 medium tomatoes

1 medium onion diced

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

2-4 serrano or jalapeno peppers minced pinch of garlic powder pinch of salt Combine all ingredients and let stand, cover and refrigerate leftovers.

 *optional additions- diced cucumber, squeeze of lime.

But here is where we really have to educate ourselves, learning the difference between good fat and bad. Not all fats are the same. Examples of good fats can be found in such foods as avocados,nuts,cold-pressed canola oil or extra virgin olive oil, which are rich in enzymes and oxygen. Fats that are highly processed, on the other hand,found in foods such as french fries, deep fried egg rolls or other greasy foods are deficient in enzymes and oxygen has been depleted.They cannot be easily digested or readily broken down and used for energy. Instead, they are stored as body fat. For this reason the fat actually sticks together, forming clumps that clog the arteries.Saturated fats that cannot be digested can actually remain in your system and produce toxins that can increase the risk of cancer or diabetes and lead to many other serious health problems including heart attack ,stroke and premature aging just to name a few.

So, we know that fat is important in our diets. The trick is to cut down on the bad guys, because it may be unrealistic in today’s environment to eliminate all processed foods, but fat is an important area where we can maintain control by choosing wisely when we are out of our homes and using the good guys when preparing meals at home.

Every day is Mother’s Day

Today marks another official Mother’s day in the U.S. But all around the globe Mother’s are honored on different dates,representing every calendar month.I really enjoyed reading and researching this subject and wanted to share a few highlights.For all those who are fortunate enough to have their moms with them and for those that only have cherished memories, remember, a mother’s love is forever and mother’s day should be celebrated every day.

The roots of the modern celebration, like so many other traditions,had a different focus. In 1870 Julia Ward Howe wrote a mother’s day proclamation calling for peace and disarmament, but failed to receive formal recognition of a mother’s day for peace.Howe’s inspiration came from a young West Virginia homemaker organized groups of women in 1858, throughout the Civil War(oxymoron) to improve sanitary conditions and mend broken relationships caused by the war.The crusade to found mother’s day was finally accomplished 50 years later by the woman’s daughter and the first Mother’s Day celebration took place in Grafton, West Virginia, May 10, 1908. President Woodrow Wilson declared Mother’s Day a national holiday in 1914 to give the nation an opportunity to fly the flag in honor of mother’s whose son’s had died in war. But 9 years later commercialization had taken over and to date is the most commercially successful holiday in the U.S.

You’ll need:
cooking spray
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 (16 ounce) package frozen baby lima beans

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray.
Saute onions until soft and translucent.
Pour in chicken broth, and bring to a boil.
Add lima beans, and enough water just to cover.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, until beans are tender.
Enjoy this quick side and look for more ways to include this super vegetable into your healthy diet.

 Sweet Potatoes:

This root vegetable qualifies as an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), a very good source of vitamin C and manganese, and a good source of copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron.Recently the sweet potato received classification as an “antidiabetic” food. Sweet potato has been given this label because of some recent animal studies in which sweet potatoes helped stabilize blood sugar levels and lowered insulin resistance.There are more foods that help us maintain a healthy weight and fight fat, which can lead to serious disease. Consider adding some of these to your pantry,not all at once, but maybe rotating them from week to week. After all we have to look out for our budget health! Do your own research and make lists accordingly. If you have any space to grow your own vegetables and herbs, do it!

Suggestions:

Unsweetened Beverages:

Vegetable juice
Green tea
Fruit juices

Fresh unsalted Nuts and Seeds:

Flax seed
Sesame seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Almonds,walnuts

Fresh fruit from local markets

Vegetables such as:

Sweet potatoes
Broccoli
Spinach
Onion
Garlic
Tomatoes
Parsley/Cilantro
Bell Peppers

Herbs and Spices:

Ginger
Turmeric
Chives
Basil
Cinnamon
Black Pepper

Fish:(not seafood)

Salmon
Flounder
Sole

Dairy:

Yogurt
Egg whites
 

Teaching good eating habits early and keeping nutritious snacks and plenty of pure clean water in your refrigerator to quench thirst is helpful to all ages, but especially youngsters, as they will adopt a lot of habits later in life and associate certain foods and beverages as ordinary must have staples.

I don’t want to understate how difficult it may be to teach these good habits or follow them for ourselves, nonetheless, it is a worthwhile pursuit. Inevitably, there will be times we  will overindulge ourselves, but I’m not remotely suggesting that we not enjoy food, one of the greatest pleasures in life. Certainly food should not be treated as punishment/reward. Food and water are essential. Knowledge is empowerment. Let’s strive to continuously reinforce, for ourselves and our loved ones,the importance of eating for health, and getting enough activity and that will go a long way toward solving a lot of health and weight issues.

We will mainly focus on type2 diabetes,weight control,diabetic and dietetic cooking,prevention and control.The following is from Glaxo Smith Kline :

Pre-diabetes is a term used to describe people who are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They have blood sugar levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough to be called diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), 41 million Americans have pre-diabetes. Although people with pre-diabetes may have no symptoms, studies have shown that most people with pre-diabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. People with pre-diabetes are also at greater risk of heart disease and stroke.

The good news is that people with pre-diabetes can delay or prevent getting type 2 diabetes, and may even be able to return their blood sugar levels to normal.

Understand the numbers

There are two different tests your doctor can use to determine whether you have pre-diabetes: The fasting plasma glucose test and the oral glucose tolerance test:

• Someone who has a fasting blood glucose between 100 and 125 mg/dL is said to have “impaired fasting glucose.”
   
• Someone who has blood glucose levels between 140 and 199 mg/dL, two hours after taking an oral glucose tolerance test, is said to have “impaired glucose tolerance.”
   

If your doctor tells you that you have pre-diabetes, he or she may use either of these terms. Ask your doctor for your exact results.

Who is at risk for pre-diabetes?

Ask your doctor about getting tested for pre-diabetes if you are:

• Age 45 or older
   
• Overweight, younger than age 45 with one or more of the following risk factors:
   
  • Family history of diabetes
     
  • Not physically active
     
  • Low HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides
     
  • High blood pressure
     
  • Diabetes during pregnancy or gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
     
  • African American, American Indian, Hispanic American/Latino, or Asian American/Pacific Islander
     

If you take action to manage your blood sugar when you have pre-diabetes, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes. Also, new studies are under way to test the ability of some medicines to delay or prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.

Dealing with pre-diabetes

To treat pre-diabetes, your doctor will probably want you to lose some weight (5 to 10 percent of total body weight) through diet and moderate exercise, such as walking, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Even if you can’t reach your ideal body weight, a loss of just 10 to 15 pounds can make a difference.

If you have pre-diabetes, you’re at increased risk for heart disease or stroke, so your doctor may wish to treat or counsel you about cardiovascular risk factors, such as tobacco use, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.