Should we be drinking like fish?
It’s a simple answer, and you won’t even need to keep checking the back of your underpants!
Feel the natural cycle of your body (and the cosmic energy of the universe BRO!) and just knock it back when you are thirsty.
Put it this way, drinking to the exact ‘recommendations’ of medical sources, 1.6; 2 litres (female; male) [NHS 2013] won’t hold true between Ronnie the pensioner and Terry the bodybuilder.
An exact figure would weigh up; water taken up from food/beverages versus water lost from climate, energy expenditure, diet osmolarity, body mass and individual thermoregulation variants.
But your body does this for you with a thing called THIRST! The problem of dehydration often comes when we don’t pay attention to those signals, especially in hot weather.
So it can be helpful to make sure you drink a certain amount per day, especially if you’re busy, but too much water will simply result in more excretion within the hour.
Coming soon: How to hydrate for your marathon (drinking like a fish part 2)
70% of migraines canactually be prevented by balancing lifestyle factors such as:
Other environmental triggers include; bright lights, over exertion, travel and weather changes. Or basically all of the above when flying from Gatwick!
Here’s the best bit! Migraines actually initiate 2-3 days before their symptoms manifest therefore sensitivity to consuming dark chocolate, cheese and red wine is usually an effect not a cause!
Be careful with your medication, migraine sufferers are susceptible to develop medication overuse headaches (MOH) which will eventually give you headaches when there isn’t one.
Alex Horne Chiropractic, not just a pain in the neck. For more info please get in touch.
*Migraine onset has been linked to a delicate balance of blood sugar levels so food intake is very important.
NB: Information gleaned from the fantastic seminar at the National Migraine Centre, Clerkenwell. Thanks guys!
Until at least April, it is hard to get enough vitamin D, so here are some tips on how to supplement:
1.The most effective vitamin source is D3. D2 (often prescribed) will do, but isn’t as effective*.
2.Supplements of D3 are absorbed just as easily into the body as from dietary sources or from the sun*.
3.Cod liver oil contains lots of vitamin D, but take care not to over suplement due to high vitamin A levels*.
4.The average person can safely supplement with 5000iu´s*.
5.10,000 iU´s is the average persons maximum daily dose and shouldnt be exceeded*.
6.A study found supplementing with 4000iU´s of vitamin D was enough to bring a significant majority of adults out of vitamin D deficiency**.
7.Sun beds provide sufficient UVB radiation (required for vitamin D production in skin) even in short sessions*.
8.Not all D3 supplements are vegetarian friendly.
9.A vitamin D supplement is around 65 times cheaper than a boring 6 day budget holiday to Majorca and lasts around 2 times longer!*** That’s roughly 130 times more cost effective, and no drinking their dodgey water what don’t taste like what it oughta!
***Based on 100 doses/supplement and 6 days of casual sunlight making up for 49 days without sufficient sun exposure thanks to fat soluble vitamin D storage (study).
8 Vitamin D facts make Londoners want to supplement!
1. Vitamin D controls over 1000 body processes (including immune function, bone density and anti-ageing). (1,2)
2. 50% of UK adults are vitamin D deficient. (3)
3. Vitamin D production is optimal at midday, so the shorter your shadow, the more you make (relative to your height of course). (4)
4. In summer, two or three 20-30 minute exposures of mid-day sunlight/week is enough in the UK. (3)
5. You make less vitamin D from the sun the greater;
your skin is pigmented (if could take 15mins for fair skin, compared to 2 hours for dark)
your age
your BMI
your distance from the equator (3,5)
6. Clouds, sunscreen and air pollution all decrease vitamin D production from the sun. Glass completely blocks it! (4)
7. Between October and April, 90% of the UK don’t produce enough vitamin D from sun exposure, so must rely on diet. (3)
8. Few foods contain substantial vitamin D, oily fish, beef liver and egg yolks. (3,5)
Look out for the next article, how to supplement your vitamin D!
Alex Horne Chiropractic – Where the sun is always shining (from directly overhead). Don’t miss our special offer!
1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3166406/
2) http://www.foundmyfitness.com
3) Pearce SH, Cheetham TD; Diagnosis and management of vitamin D deficiency. BMJ. 2010 Jan 11;340:b5664. doi: 10.1136/bmj.b5664
4) http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/…/how-do-i-get-the-vitamin-…/
5) Vitamin D clinical guideline, NHS North of Tyne (2011)
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