If warm weather gives you the urge to explore, camp or take on a trail by foot or bike be prepared with a Natural First Aid Tout-Along-Kit.

Do you have a natural first aid kit? Of course, it does not take the place of a visit to the doctor but it can be the quickest way to start the healing process, especially if you are out in the middle of nowhere. 

We do not look for accidents, but sometimes we may not see that bee or that tree root, barbeque flare up or splinter when we are out having fun. A little preparation ahead of time could be the best medicine. 
For athletes and those taking up the trails, a small light weight remedy kit is not out of the question. You can purchase a small zippered pouch or a zip lock baggie will also do the trick to hold your 5 must-have Natural First Aid Tout-Along-Kit components.

1. Rescue remedy is a small bottle containing a combination of flower essence Bethlehem, rockrose, cherry plum, impatiens and clematis that reduces the emotions associated with trauma such as fear and shock after an injury.  Place a few drops under your tongue right after an injury and you may continue this regime every 20 minutes until you feel you have recovered. Rescue remedy can also be taken if you are feeling nervous or overwhelmed. Rescue remedy is also great for your furry companion. 

2. Tea tree oil is the perfect topical remedy for its antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. It is great dabbed on bug bites to alleviate the sting and helps to reduce associated inflammation as well as cleaning cuts, abrasions, scrapes and for cleaning a wound in preparation of removing a splinter. Tea tree oil is also effective on poison ivy and rashes. Look for 100% tea tree oil. 

3. Emergen-C comes in convenient packages that you can easily fit in your Natural First Aid Tout-Along-Kit. The packet contains 1,000 mg of vitamin C, 24 nutrients, B vitamins, antioxidants and electrolytes. If you feel yourself becoming exhausted, or have had too much sun, open a packet and add to your water bottle. It is that simple. Vitamin C is also a natural antihistamine. If you have an allergic reaction to Mother Nature or a bug bite/sting or develop a rash, Vitamin C, is your answer. Emergen-C is offering a free samples  
 
4. Burt’s Bees Poison Ivy Soap relieves itching and irritation associated with poison ivy, poison oak and sumac the bar is probably too big for your small pack so take a small sliver or chunk just in case. In a pinch, pour water over the rash and then immediately apply soap. Burt Bees Poison Ivy Soap contains the herb Jewelweed to help relieve itching and irritation and can stop the absorption of urushiol oil into the skin if applied before the oil can seep in.

5. Ward off mosquitoes, chiggers and other pesky insects do away with N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide and other hormone disruptors and cancer causing chemicals and go natural with Buzz Away insect repellent towelettes from Quantum Health. If your dog is out and about with you, Buzz away can be sprayed lightly on their coat. For their face, wipe on your hands first then lightly apply. Buzz Away Extreme has been reported by pet owners to ward off fleas. What a great companion for your furry companion. You can also get a free sample by calling 800.448.1448 there is also a $1.50 coupon off of any Buzz Away product. 

A couple of other remedies to have on hand that will not take up much room are homeopathic remedies such as 
Apis mellifica 30c which is great for bug bites and stings. Place pellets under your tongue. You can take every hour until symptoms subside. Arnica Montana 30c taken under the tongue is great for any injury, bug bite, rash etc. It stimulates your immune system to begin the healing process. 
Add in a couple of bandages, gauze, tweezers, safety pins and wooden matches and your Natural First Aid Tout-Along-Kit is complete for minor emergencies, nuisances and mishaps. 

 It is advisable to have a more sophisticated First Aid kit in your car in addition to the above mentioned list including:  

Calendula (Calendula Officinalis) comes in gel and cream. The gel works wonders on sunburns and the cream works well on minor cuts and scrapes. Calendula is a plant and the bright yellow and orange blossoms have astringent, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. In a pinch, if there is no water, Calendula will do to keep small wounds and scrapes from bacteria infesting the wound site. 

Arnica gel or cream (Arnica Montana) is a homeopathic remedy for sore muscles, sprains, strains and bruises. Arnica has anti-inflammatory and circulation-stimulating properties which reduce swelling and provide pain relief and speeds up healing by increasing blood flow to the impacted area. 

Sun screen sounds crazy but you never know when your car might break down or you are out under cloudy weather and suddenly the sun is beaming down on you. Look for natural sunscreens that do not contain parbens, oxybenzene, retinyl palmitate and other nasty cancer causing agents and hormone disruptors. For a more complete report click here and get the scoop on which sunscreens are safe. Two sunscreens I use are Alba Botanica, and Nature’s Gate. They work well,come in different strengths and do not leave your skin coated or sticky like some natural sunscreens. 

Activated Charcoal should be in every first aid kit unless you live in Texas where it is illegal to sell. (Come on, charcoal?) This remedy is good for people and pets. Activated charcoal is used by the alternative and allopathic for elimination of toxins such as aspirin aconite, amitriptyline hydrochloride, amphetamine, arsenic, barbiturates, camphor, chlordane, chlorpromazine, cocaine, darvon, diazepam, digitalis, doxepin, elavil, gasoline, kerosene, penicillin, pesticides, radioactive substances. Charcoal is also effective for soaking up parasites and bacteria associated with food poisoning. It is also good as a poultice for poisonous spiders, snake bites and bug bites.  However, check with your health care practitioner first. 

Silver sol by NeoFera can be taken internally or applied as a topical anti-microbial tool and can be used for a wide array of infectious conditions. It is good for asthma, burns, cuts, rashes, earaches, eye infections, food poison, insect bites, sunburn and many other conditions. Please see NeoFera's website for the complete story. 

Silver Sol is a bit different than Colloidal silver which is a liquid suspension of microscopic particles of silver-4.  Silver particles become suspended in purified water by subjecting them to tremendous amounts of electrical energy. Silver Sol uses a recently-patented6 technology producing an engineered nano-particle of silver. The specific resonance, concentration and extremely smaller particle size—in the range of 0.05 to 0.1 nanometers (with a resultant exponential increase in surface area)—provide the ability to kill pathogens by catalytic action. For more information visit KillerSilver.com for the complete picture and if you are thinking about ordering now they are having a huge sale in preparation for the up coming flu season. I know is it has worked for me. 

Always carry a couple of large glass water bottles (to avoid xenoestrogens and BPA from leaching into the water from plastic bottles during temperature changes)  in case you run out or need to wash a cut or scrape. 

Be prepared! These are just a few of the many natural remedies available. If you want to include a complete medical first aid kit visit The Red Cross First Aid Contents and down load there printable PDF Form.

Be sure to place bandages, matches and other materials that may be harmed by liquid in water proof storage containers or a zip lock baggie. Place everything in a cooler and keep a couple of frozen small ice packs that you change daily to keep natural ingredients from becoming rancid or inactive from excessive heat during the summer months. The ice packs naturally become useful in case of injury. 

Happy safe summer to you all..Get out there and enjoy being prepared! 

I would love to hear from you and what your “must-haves” are for your personal First Aid Tout-Along-Kit.

Joe Glenn of NeoFera stopped by the Karen and Joey Show and left us both impressed. 

Whether you are a runner or a body builder you are an athlete. Athletes require quality protein, essential fats and complex carbohydrates from grains, fruits and vegetables. Or, at least that is what most experts recommend. But what if you are gluten intolerant or sensitive to wheat? Then what, right? Are you sick of all the athlete magazines and books catering to the average population?

We are bombarded with refined carbohydrates on a daily basis, and most of it is hidden in our prepared food products. We have become addicted to carbohydrates and trying to go a day without them is like a smoker going without a cigarette-total misery!

Why do we need carbohydrates anyway? We get our energy from them and they power every part of our body including the brain which needs them most. There are two types of carbohydrates (or carbs) that service our body; starch from root vegetables pasta and rice, and sugar.  Sugar digests quickly and becomes instant energy for the body, but it is not always a usable source. Starches on the other hand, break down to sugar but at a slower pace, allowing our body to continue to use the source of energy for longer periods. 

There are also two types of carbohydrates, complex and refined. Complex carbohydrates are your whole grains like brown rice, nuts, seeds, vegetables like yams and celery root. Refined carbohydrates are all the “evil-no-no’s” that you hear so much about. Essentially any white flour; white rice, white pasta, white bread, and all of your bakery items and so on are refined carbohydrates.

How does one cut back on carbohydrates?

Athletes require higher amounts of energy from their food in order for their body to maintain lean muscle mass and to allow for the repair and rejuvenation of all of their cells so that their muscles and organs work properly. If you are sensitive to certain carbohydrates, you too can still get superior nutrition.

If you are out at a restaurant look for simple foods such as poultry or fish. Ask for brown rice, steamed or grilled vegetables, along with a side salad with the salad dressing on the side. Salad dressings are for the most part laden with sugars, high fructose corn syrup and sometimes wheat to thicken. Ask for olive oil and any type of vinegar except for white (it’s a synthetic made from wood, great for cleaning with, not for eating). If you really want a pasta dish, bring your own pasta. Most restaurants will accommodate this small request. If you are gluten intolerant, be sure to speak with the manager and ensure they use a clean pot with fresh boiled water. Some restaurants will accommodate but cook your pasta in water that just had wheat pasta in it. If the restaurant cannot accommodate, move on. There are plenty of owners out there that would love your business, especially repeat business. My favourite restaurant in Toronto was not only accommodating, they ended up carrying a whole line of gluten free pastas for all of their guests.

Lunch time can be hard at a restaurant because it is usually sandwiches. Get creative! Either bring your own high fibre, high protein Kamut, Spelt or sprouted Ezekiel bread or pita. Or if you are unprepared, most sandwiches can be served without the bun or bread! Order a side salad and raw vegetables and skip the chips and french-fries.  You can also make great lettuce wraps as well. Ask for large leafs of romaine lettuce and wrap your sandwich.

Pump up the fruit and vegetables. Both contain vital vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids that are needed to maintain a healthy body, athlete or not. They provide fuel and fibre and take longer to break down in the system, generating a good source of energy. Fruits and vegetables that are low on the glycemic index such as berries, apples and leafy green vegetable will convert slowly to sugar over several hours maintaining insulin levels and reducing carbohydrate cravings.

Eat your carbohydrates before 5:00 pm, ideally carbohydrates are better served with a high quality protein for breakfast to provide energy from your night’s sleep to drive glucose into the brain and make you alert. If you are working out or training, good quality carbohydrates will provide you with energy to get through and also provide the energy necessary for muscle recovery post workout. If you are eating carbohydrates after 5:00 pm, they may be stored as fat. When we enter the evening hours, our body starts to slow down and prepare for rest. Carbohydrates are for energy to keep us going. At night we are not using as much energy therefore excess energy is stored as fat. If you find you are hungry at night eat lean protein that your body will be able to break down and utilize for repair, and growth of your cells.

There are many alternative grains to suite your nutritional needs and are far superior to the over processed wheat kernel. Utilizing alternative grains will help alleviate the symptoms associated with wheat or gluten grains such as wheat, oats, rye, barley kamut, and spelt.

Wheat sensitive individuals are those that can still tolerate gluten, but not wheat. There are many different grains to choose from. The most popular grain in the USA is Spelt; which is an ancient hybrid of a tetraploid wheat. It is basically unhampered by the grain industry and contains significantly more fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals than it’s refined cousin which has been genetically modified and stripped of most of its nutrient value. It is easily substituted in whole wheat recipes. Spelt bread tastes like whole wheat or brown bread. You can also get spelt pasta as well. Look for pasta made with whole grain spelt. Spelt flour substitutes well in recipes calling for whole wheat flour.

Kamut is much like Spelt, but is more popular in Canada and European countries. It is from the genus Triticum wheat family and is considered an ancient grain as well. It is also higher in protein and fibre than wheat and is a good source of minerals such as zinc and antioxidant selenium, amino acids and is higher in lipids thus producing sustainable energy for athletes. Look for whole grain Kamut bread and pasta. Kamut also substitutes well in recipes calling for whole wheat flour.

If you are gluten sensitive (and wheat sensitive athletes can benefit from this list as well) there are grains that have beneficial nutrient properties so that you can still maintain energy, growth and rejuvenation for your body. Quinoa  (pronounced Keen-wah)  has both soluble dietary fiber and in-soluble dietary fiber. It has been cultivated in South American Andes since 3,000 B.C. and is actually not a grain. Quinoa is the seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant. The seed holds it structure much like a grain and can be used in place of couscous or any other small Durham wheat pasta.  Quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a good source of vitamin E and B vitamins. It also contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids and is exceptionally high in lysine, cystine and methionine. Amino Acids are the building blocks of every function in the human body. Quinoa has become quite popular and there are several types of pasta made of quinoa; be sure to read the ingredients because it is usually mixed with other grains like rice and corn.  You can also find crackers and cereals made from quinoa. Quinoa is a great substitute to oatmeal. It makes a great breakfast cereal and a great pudding as well. A quick recipe is 1 cup Quinoa and 2 cups of broth and bring to a boil then simmer 10 minutes. Use this in place of rice. It is quicker than rice and higher in protein. Mix with nuts, seeds or beans and you have a perfect meal.  Get to know wheat and gluten free Quinoa.  

Buckwheat does not have any wheat or relations to wheat. It is actually a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb and sorrel. Buckwheat is a good source of manganese magnesium and fiber and contains rutin and quercitin and is a fantastic source of protein, containing all eight essential amino acids, including lysine. Buckwheat is also perfect for the gluten sensitive person.

Teff originated in Ethiopia between 4000 and 1000 BC. And is widely cultivated and used in Ethiopia, India and parts of  Australia to this day. his makes teff nutrient dense as the bran and germ are the most nutritious parts of any grain. Teff (pronounced teef) is an actual grain and is high calcium, phosphorous, iron, copper, aluminum, barium, and thiamin and has an excellent amino acid composition, with lysine levels higher than wheat or barley. Teff is high in protein, carbohydrates, and fiber. Teff is perfect for gluten sensitive individuals as well. Teff is more expensive than other grains and is harder to find than the other grains mentioned, but worth the hunt. You can always order online through Bob’s Red Mill or ask your health food store to order some for you.
There are many other grains that are suitable for wheat sensitivities and gluten free diets, but the grains mentioned are whole grains that have not been processed or refined and have beneficial nutrients that will aid in athletic performance and decrease the symptoms associated with carbohydrate sensitivities. There are key supplements that can aid in weaning you off of refined carbohydrates and lesson your symptoms. Chromium is a mineral that is required in trace amounts and enhances the action of insulin which is critical to storage of carbohydrate, fat and protein. Although wheat has this vital nutrient, however through the refining process it is lost. Chromium is naturally found in Broccoli, garlic, turkey breast, apples, bananas and green beans. If you have eaten mostly refined carbohydrates and little vegetable intake, there may be a need for short term supplementation. Especially if you are working out and not getting any results in the abdomen section where excess glucose is stored. Probiotics are live organisms that are found in the human body as well as plants and dirt. Our immune system is made up of good gut bacteria. When the good bacteria are flourishing, they are able to keep the opportunist bacteria at bay that may cause unnecessary ailments and cravings. When bad bacteria are able to flourish and grow, they require sugar to proliferate and grow. When they feel threatened they wil send out a chemical reaction that makes you crave starches and sugars so that they can feed and continue to populate. Sometimes this is the main reason why so many are addicted to carbohydrates. Some of you may be saying, I only eat mostly fruit. That is also a sugar! And if you are eating more fruit than vegetables, you are under microorganism control! You need to find a good quality source of acidophilus bifidus with a probrietary probiotic blend of at least 5 billion cfu of L. acidophilus; B. bifidum; L. casei; L. rhamnosus (L. reuteri; B. breve; B. longum; S. thermophilus. Let’s get one thing straight: YOGURT WILL NOT CUT IT! Unless you are making your own, most yogurts are commercial cups of sugar, flavour enhancers and colouring. The label may claim live cultures, and yes there are, but by the time you get to it, the culture have eaten the sugar in the cup and are rendered useless to your gut and you would need to eat a truck load to get the benefits of a good quality probiotic supplement. Taking a probiotic supplement will displace the bad guys allowing the good bacteria to take control, build your gut immunity and lower your cravings for carbohydrates as well as alleviate some of the symptoms you may be having. It is easier to kick the carb habit with probiotics and chromium. Whether you are an athlete or not we need carbohydrates on a daily basis. We do however have the choice to quality complex carbohydrates or refined. If you are building muscle, training or just working out, you do require more quality carbohydrates than the average sedentary couch potato. Don’t become a hostage to carb cravings and the endless cycle that goes with it. Get carb smart and make a choice. 

Karen Langston is a Chief Body Reorganizer and Extreme Food Whisperer [email protected]
As seen on the Examiner.com By Jennifer Parker 

There are many tips to losing weight fast but the most important tips are those that you incorporate as a part of your lifestyle. A lifestyle choice means you are ready any time of the year to look your best in a bikini. These three tips will help shape shift your body and allow you to be ready for the beach any time.

Lose the protein bars

Have you stopped to read the ingredients of your protein bar? Then here is this week's home work; read the ingredients of your protein bar. Protein bars are a billion dollar industry and just about everyone has the perfect protein bar, energy bar, meal replacement bar and designer bar. What the heck is a designer bar any way? Is that a Californian thing? Protein bars, energy bars, meal replacement bars are basically expensive chocolate or candy bars. Here is what I want you to look for in the ingredient list: Soy protein, Agave syrup, aspartame, sucrose, and any other ingredient ending in ‘ose’ such as fructose, maltose, high fructose corn syrup, and so on.  If your bars contain one or more of these ingredients, put it back on the shelf and walk away slowly.  These bars may be working against your weight loss goals.

Soy is a North America nightmare! For the most part Soy is genetically modified causing allergies, which can increase weight, causes hormonal imbalances and lowers thyroid production which play an intricate role in our metabolism; lowered metabolism equals weight gain. 

Sugars are chemical ticking time bombs. Sugar in general aggravates the adrenals and kidneys, and robs the body of vital nutrients and hinders mineral absorption.

Synthetic sugars have the ability to wreak havoc on your metabolism and key organs that work to keep you slim. Aspartame is a synthetic form Amino acid phenylalanine.  Amino Acids work synergistically and when one is not working the others must compensate and none of them work effectively. Amino acids help with our mood, and our ability to sleep and feel rested. If we are depressed and not getting adequate sleep, our body sends out chemical messages to the brain to crave carbohydrates and sweets for a quick pick me up. This results in weight gain.

Agave is the new sugar and it is just that..sugar! Agave is actually higher in sugar than High Fructose Corn Syrup and the liver cannot process it properly.  All sugars listed above, cause insulin resistance, which shuts down fat burning production resulting in storage of fat-you guessed it right in the midsection. How appealing is your bulge going to look in a bikini?

What can I do ?

Avoid the munchies: pack baggie snacks. Fruit for the most part comes in its own package such s apples, pears, bananas.  Berries are low on the glycemic index and will not spike blood sugar levels and can easily be carried in a sturdy container. Baggie snacks of raw nuts and seeds with dried unsulphured and sulfite free cranberries, cherries and raisins will give you a natural more usable source of energy. Vegetable sticks, celery, carrots, peppers, jicama are easily to tote as well. In a pinch, an organic almond butter and honey sandwich on whole grain bread will provide you with energy to get you through your afternoon slump without the cravings.

Don’t let the heat stop you; buy a small cooler bag and a cooler block and Voila problem solved! There are no excuses if you truly want that hot bikini body!

Go raw!  Agape Nutrition Bars are clean nutrient dense whole raw foods packed with energy your body can utilize for energy instantly. If you use energy, the body cannot store it as fat. Carolyn Akens is a health coach, raw food educator, speaker, and chef and the creator of the Agape Nutrition Bars. Carolyn uses organic Barhi dates, yacon syrup, date paste, or Organic Agave Nectar, however it is a small role in the grand scheme of bio available nutrients. Agape Nutrition bars can be shipped anywhere in the United States.

2. Caffeine

If your morning starts with caffeine it is time to get off the java. Whether you start your day with a coffee, tea, energy drink or a good old fashioned cola (enough to make a nutritionist cringe) caffeine helps promote the bulge. Caffeine is the most widely over used stimulant in North America. Caffeine has many hats; it can irritate your adrenals, promote mood swings, and promote belly fat.

Caffeine has the ability to lower blood sugar levels too much, making insulin more resistant to the detection of sugar in the blood. This triggers chemical reactions for you to require more sugar to be able to release insulin thus increased hunger and cravings for sweets and refined carbohydrates. Since the body cannot utilize the excess sugar, it is stored as belly fat. Have you noticed that within 3-4 hours of consuming your caffeinated drink, you hunger for some kind of carbohydrate whether it is pasta, rice or sweets? There is a connection

What can I do?

Kick the caffeine habit with green tea. Green tea actually contains thermogenic properties that can help you to burn fat and lose inches.  Teeccino is an herbal caffeine free tea and infused with about 80 milligrams of potassium which sends oxygen to your brain causing an energy boost and this will help you get through your workouts and through your day. Increased energy means no afternoon slumps which mean no carbohydrate and sweet cravings!  You can actually make your iced blended Teeccino drinks as well as Frappa-you know! They are yummy and won’t add to your waist line like all of those expensive drinks from the popular coffee shops. Just think with your luscious curves and the money you save from not buying those calorie laden drinks, you will be able to purchase another hot bikini for the beach.

Also, we need to increase our intake of water.  Water can fill you up and allow for metabolism and hormones to work properly which allows for proper metabolism. Here is a trick if you want to keep slim, drink a full 8 oz glass of ice cold water exactly 20 minutes before your meal. Your body will shut off digestion to allow for your body temperature to come back up to 98 F or 37 C. During this time, your stomach will expand already tricking your brain into thinking it has started to receive food. The body reaches the appropriate temperature, the water then exits the stomach, you start eating and you find that you will not consume as much food and lessen the calorie load.

3. Your healthy foods are making you fat!

We need food every day. What may be good for one person may not be good for another.Food allergies and sensitivities can make you feel bloated and fat, even if it is good for you.  Allergies and sensitivities are our physiological and biological chemical reactions with food and our environment through eating and inhalation and skin absorption.  Our body has the ability to differentiate between what works for the body and what is a foreign invader. Good foods like almonds, eggs, apples or any other food may be a culprit. 

Your intestines have microvillia that allow for nutrients to pass into the blood stream, and distributed to where they are needed in the body. Through stress, improper diet, medications, over the counter remedies and a polluted environment, the microvillia become cracked and fissured allowing undigested food into the blood stream, which sends an army of IgG antibodies to attack and create immune globulins to coat the foreign invaders to allow for macrophages to break and clear it from the blood stream. You continuously eat the same foods, causing an overwhelmed immune system, and you are left holding on to false fat, bloated and tired. These are classic food sensitivity reactions.  Within 72 hours of pulling food sensitivities out of your diet, the bloating dissipates and your body starts to function properly and lets go of the false fat.  Some people will lose an instant 5-7 pounds in one week from having a food sensitivity test done and knowing what foods to avoid for that killer bikini body.

 There are many components to losing weight and feeling great. These 3 tips will get you started on your path to shape-shifting your body and not only getting it ready for the beach, but allow for the subtle lifestyle change that will allow you to be ready for that little bikini number anytime of the year.

Karen Langston is a Chief Body Reorganizer and Extreme Food Whisperer Coaching clients to solve the underlying cause to achieve their weight loss goals. You can reach her at [email protected] or 623 252.HEAL (4325)


 

We bathe in it, swim in it, get some of our food from it and, most importantly, we drink it. Our beautiful planet is comprised of 70% of water.  We literately cannot live without it and, in fact, we cannot live more than one week without it.  
Water, our most primal and restorative commodity is a healing, comforting and spiritual energy drink.  We love water! We are drawn to oceans for clarity; we bathe in hot springs to alleviate illness and to restore health.  We play in it, and travel great distances to spend our leisure time around it. We build homes around water and pay significantly more to be able to gaze out a window and be soothed by its beauty.

Despite our knowledge of the benefits of water and its abundance, many of us are dehydrated and don’t know it! According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, author of Your Body’s Many Cries For Water, the body is 25% solid matter, the rest is water. 85% of brain tissue and muscle is water, the liver is 82% water and the bones are 22% water. A mere 5% drop in water levels in the body causes 25 – 30% loss of energy. Mild dehydration can cause metabolism to slow down by 3%. A 2% drop in fluid levels can cause fuzzy, short-term memory. A 15% drop is enough to cause death!  

Water is the avenue on which nutrients and wastes travel. It is required in abundance for the kidneys to regulate and for the bowel to eliminate. Insufficient amounts of water leads to health problems. The body is designed to use water to help pump volumes of blood throughout our arteries, helps chemical messengers communicate and to keep hormones working properly.
Water is essential to every function in the body. Water helps fluids carry electrical charges for cell communication. Fluid helps transport nutrients from the foods we eat to where it is needed in the body whether to an organ or to allow for our hormones to function properly. Water also takes the metabolic wastes, toxins and free radicals out of the body through the process of elimination by binding to molecules within the fluid. Water regulates temperature, keeps platelets from sticking, insulates and cushions our organs and glands from physical blows such as from sports and lubricates our joints and bones. Essentially, water has the ability to allow our body to repair, restore and heal.

If proper hydration can actually aid in wellness, why is it that we insist on a state of dehydration? Could there possibly be an emotional connection to water? Masaru Emoto, a Japanese researcher, has spent his life connecting the emotional energy of water and our physical well-being. Photographing and analyzing crystals of frozen water helped him prove that negative energy affects our chemical make-up and a simple prayer of healing can physically manipulate one’s metabolic structure to one of health and vitality.

If water can alleviate many physical ailments and can actually increase vitality, why do we stay in a dehydrated state? Emotionally there is a subconscious internal conflict of feeling “high and dry.”  Perhaps the aversion to water (or liquids in general) may be attributed to the feelings of lifelong imminent calamity stemming from a childhood perception of a dysfunctional family unit. Could it be that an unpredictable unstable family unit has left one feeling like they don’t have what it takes to handle the situation like a fish out of water? 

Physically in a dehydrated state, the body will close off some capillaries to allow for other organs to continue functioning optimally, thus reserving fluid. With a reduction in fluid, arteries will become smaller to avoid air pockets, movement of blood and blood pressure must go higher to push through the area. Limited fluid means blood also becomes thicker resulting in blood pressure having to rise even higher to move the thickened state along. While this is taking place, your body sends out signals of thirst. Sometimes, we interpret thirst as wanting cola, coffee or tea. Caffeine drinks are diuretics which mean they increase urine flow which further dehydrates the body. Feeling ignored, your body sends out stronger messages interpreted as fuzzy concentration, lethargy, headache and a general feeling of un-wellness which we interpret as needing some kind of over the counter medication to alleviate symptoms. Tuning in to your body’s requests would help one realize, “I need water”.  Emotionally and physically water is the flow of life and vitality!

How much water should you drink? Most experts say 6-8 glasses of water daily for the average person. The “average” person is based on a 150 lb male. We are not all 150 pounds, or male. Remember, we need fluid volume to pump our blood through our arteries. If you are significantly more that 150 lbs, will 6-8 glasses of water do?


Ideally, the amount is based on your body weight. So take your body weight (in pounds) divide by 2 and this represents the number of ounces you require for daily maintenance. So let’s use a 150lb person.


                                                               Example: 150 pounds ÷ 2 = 75 ounces,
                                                                     75 ÷ 8 = 9.4 8oz glasses per day

Clearly 6-8 glasses of water are not enough for a 150 lb person and if you weigh more than this you may not be taking in adequate amounts of water. Now, with that said, keep in mind it is based on your weight, so the less you weigh the less fluid volume is needed to pump blood through, the less water you require.

As I mentioned, the water calculation is based on maintenance. During summer months, especially in parts of Arizona or other desert regions where temperatures can soar, you will require even more water (experts say at the bare minimum 38 oz for everyone). During times of exercise you need to add 8 oz pre- and post-exercise as well as an additional 8 oz for every hour of exercise. Additionally, for every 8 oz caffeinated and alcoholic beverage you consume you need to add an additional 8 oz glass of water. Pregnancy and nursing requires more water as well.

Now I know some you are saying “water is boring, there is no taste!”  Spike your water with slices of lemon, lime or orange. Water and lemon actually helps to maintain your Ph balance, cleanses your blood and kick starts digestion and detoxifies your liver. All that from lemon and water!  Try adding crushed fresh herbs such as mint, rosemary, lemon grass or frozen fruit pieces like blueberries, strawberry, kiwi or watermelon; be creative!
Water is crucial to every physical and emotional function and activity on a daily basis.  So, drink up, keep it real and get hydrated!


Karen Langston is an Extreme Food Whisperer and Chief Body Reorganizer who helps clients get to the nutritional root of their health and fitness issues. You can find her swigging back H2O in Phoenix, Arizona
623 252-HEAL (4325) [email protected]