Nine things you need to know about water

by Leah Hennen

For most people, not eight glasses. In 2002 Heinz Valtin, M.D., a kidney specialist and a professor emeritus at Dartmouth Medical School, spent nearly a year searching for evidence to back up the "eight glasses a day" dictum - and came up dry. "We didn't find a single scientific report supporting the recommendation," Valtin says.

How much should you drink?

"It depends on your size and activity level," says Kristin Reimers, a registered dietitian and the associate director of the Centre for Human Nutrition, in Omaha. You can tell if you're getting enough by "looking at the colour of your urine. A light lemon colour means you're well hydrated." Even easier, just follow your thirst. "Our bodies do an excellent job of telling us when we need water," Valtin says. "No need to force it."

Do other beverages count?

Yes. Juice, milk, soda, and other liquids also help keep you hydrated. Even caffeinated beverages - long blamed for siphoning fluid from our bodies - seem to count. In a study conducted by the Center for Human Nutrition in 2000, subjects were given plain water or a combination of water and non-caffeinated soda, caffeinated soda, or coffee.

No matter what they drank, they all stayed equally hydrated. Food is another ample source of liquid. Fruits and vegetables can be up to 95 per cent water. All told, nutritionists estimate that we get two to four cups of water a day from food.

Is it possible to drink too much?

Possible, but not probable. Overhydration gets a lot of press, but it's usually the result of marathon runners who "water load," fraternity pledges who are force-fed liquids, or partyers who have taken Ecstasy, which can spur extreme thirst while suppressing signals of satiety.

In a healthy, moderately active person, Heinz Valtin, M.D., a kidney specialist and a professor emeritus at Dartmouth Medical School, says, "the body's water-balance system is so sensitive and accurate that water intoxication is highly unlikely."

How safe is tap water?

Generally, it's very safe. But that doesn't mean you should be complacent. The quality of water varies depending on its source, treatment, and delivery system, as well as the plumbing it flows through, so you'd be wise to learn about what's coming out of your tap.

Should you test your water?

Even if the report is reassuring, you might want to test your water for lead and arsenic, both of which are potentially harmful to your or your children's health.

If you're worried about unregulated contaminants - if there's a factory upstream, for instance, or someone in your household has a weak immune system- you might want to test for microorganisms and other pollutants.

Do you need to use a filter?

If you learn that your water has lead, arsenic, or other contaminants, yes. And if you're concerned about your water quality for any reason, you should buy one. Filtering tap water is affordable and can remove everything from potentially dangerous chemicals and microbes to foul-tasting additives.

Is bottled water better?

Probably not. "Bottled water isn't necessarily any better, purer, or safer than city tap water" and has some unique problems of its own, says Erik Olson, the author of NRDC study that tested more than 100 brands of bottled water over four years.

Despite the name or the picture on the label, there's no guarantee that bottled water comes from a snow-dusted Alpine peak or a gurgling forest spring. Some groups, including the Consumers Union and the NRDC, estimate that at least a quarter of bottled water is simply tap water that may or may not receive additional treatment.

If the label says, "From a municipal source" or "From a community water system," it's plain old tap water. If you prefer bottled water, choose a well known brand.

Does temperature matter?

It makes no difference to your body whether you sip cold or warm beverages - both are equally well absorbed. In one study, scientists at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, in Brazil, gave cold, warm, and hot water to athletes before and during a strenuous workout. They found the temperature of the water had no effect on the subjects' endurance or hydration levels.

But don't use hot water straight from the tap, as it pulls more lead from pipes than cold does. And let the water run for at least 60 seconds, Steven Patch, Ph.D., an authority on drinking-water safety and the director of the Environmental Quality Institute at the University of North Carolina in Asheville, advises - lead levels are highest in water that's been sitting in pipes.

Wash your bottle in hot, soapy water or in a dishwasher, or buy a bottle meant for constant use that's sturdy and easy to clean. Place bottled water in a cool, dark place, since heat and light can damage the containers. Treated and stored appropriately, water can do the job it's designed for: keeping your body healthy.

Coping with Menopause

A woman's hormones are most on edge before menopause, not during menopause. Doctors say that menopause actually only lasts one day. It's defined as the single day, 12 months after a woman's last menstrual cycle. Doctors say, symptoms often referred to as menopause are actually perimenopause.

Those symptoms can begin as much as 10 years before menopause. The most obvious symptoms are normally trouble sleeping and irritability.

Menopause diet tips

Natural perimenopause treatments don't just cover supplements - a menopause diet can really contribute to symptom relief. From mood swings, to hot flushes and depression, find out more here.

There are any number of supplements and treatments advertised as the answer to a menopausal woman's prayers. You could spend a lot of time and money trying them all. Some do work but the best way to help menopausal symptoms is to eat a balanced diet.

WHAT should I eat?

Try and include something from each food group to get your diet balanced. Aim to eat grains, carbohydrates, proteins (and protein alternatives), dairy products, fats and a lot of fruit and vegetables. Try to take it easy on fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Aim to eat three meals a day - especially if you have been in the habit of skipping breakfast. Have a small, nutritious snack between meals, to keep your energy levels up. To keep your weight at a healthy level, check your portion sizes - eat on a smaller plate if it helps! Have an occasional treat - you're only human and it will keep you focused on your new eating plan...but keep them occasional!

FOOD to manage symptoms

You may be experiencing hot flushes, swings in your mood and be putting on weight. These can all be helped by eating right. Let's look at what you can do to help these symptoms.

Hot Flashes

Along with night sweats, these are probably the menopause symptoms that women hate most. Waking up several times at night in a pool of sweat is not fun. Hot flashes can make you feel unwell, be embarrassing at work, make it difficult to get to sleep, and can drive you nuts.

Try and identify what triggers your hot flashes. For many women, these are coffee, tea, alcohol and spicy food. Try and reduce your intake of these. Increasing the amount of water you drink can really help. Aim for at least 8 glasses each day - it's great for your skin too!

Try to eat foods containing phytoestrogens. These are plant estrogen-like compounds that can help a lot of your symptoms. You'll find them in beans, legumes, seaweed, yams, apples, potatoes and carrots. Soy is a high source of them.

Caution: if you are a breast cancer survivor and your tumor was estrogen positive, I'm afraid you'll have to give the phytoestrogens a miss. Ironically, tamoxifen given to estrogen positive breast cancer ladies can cause horrible hot flushes. But anything containing estrogen must be avoided.

Mood swings

During menopause, hormones fluctuate and this can cause mood swings and even depression. People who are depressed often have a low level of serotonin in their brain. Eating carbohydrates can help to bring up your serotonin levels and ease the depression. Go for bagels, whole grain breads and cereals. And Omega 3 essential fatty acids such as those found in salmon, are great for alleviating depression.

Weight gain

As estrogen levels go down during the menopause, fat in the body redistributes itself, unfortunately settling around the stomach. Muscle mass also decreases, which slows down your metabolism and can result in your weight going up. Cut down your fat intake and aim to avoid saturated fats.

Broil and grill food instead of frying and if you do fry, use a little olive oil. If you are retaining water, drinking water will help to flush out your system and may help to increase your metabolism. And nothing boosts your metabolism like exercise!

After menopause, women are more at risk from heart disease. Eat oily fish, rich in Omega-3, to help your circulation. Reduce saturated fats and swap processed flour for whole grain. To guard against thinning bones, aim to have between 1200 and 1500mg of calcium each day. Eat low fat yogurt, cheese, sardines and leafy green vegetables. Go easy on caffeine, as it can prevent the body from properly absorbing calcium.

Oral hygiene

Have you ever heard of the disease called Focal Infection? Well, it won't surprise me if you have no idea what I am talking about. However, what you should know, and this is very important, is that you stand the risk of contracting a deadly disease that can kill very fast, if you do not have a good oral hygiene and teeth care. For goodness sake keep a regular appointment with both your doctor and dentist.

Focal infection can be easily overlooked, which is why it's usually very fatal, because the disease can develop in your teeth, gums or the tonsil and be seen as ordinary oral problem if you do not let your dentist look into your mouth regularly.

According to Dr Price, people who have had their teeth root canal treated could develop focal infection. So you can see why it is very important to keep a regular appointment with both your physician and dentist who are trained to recognize signs of focal infection.

Though it could be said that focal infection is not pandemic, but according to Dr Martin H. Fischer, "Focal infection started in a tooth is obviously no trivial matter! From it are destined to flow into the periphery (other gland, organs and tissues) what amounts to unexpected and acute orchronic invalidism at the best, at the worse, death."

Wow, so who wants to be associated with so much Doctor talk when you can prevent focal infection by simply ensuring proper oral hygiene and teeth care? All the oral and teeth care hygiene stuff you need can be found both at the corner shop and online at ridiculously cheap prices, and you can also locate the best dentists in your area online, and keep regular appointments that will prolong your life.

Make oral hygiene and teeth care your daily habit brushing at least twice and flossing once a day for a long sickness free life.

Heart patients: Ignore 'kind' warnings

Heart attack, the most scary pain that comes from one's heart will strongly attack one's emotions too. Though a person has escaped from that strong feeling, he or she cannot forget the trauma of that near-death experience for life.

Not only you but also your family members and friends will take care of you and your diet and will advice you to refrain from that and this. This constant 'kind' warnings and orders would make you feel more unhealthy and the fear, anger denial, anxiety and depression would persistently attack your emotions.

According to a recent study done by the Mayo Clinic Women's Health Source (MCWHS), heart attack survivors with depression are three times more likely to die of a future heart attack or other heart problems.

"Significant number of heart patients suffer from emotional problems or depression due to fear triggered by the nature of the disease", says Dr. Gotabhaya Ranasinghe, Consultant Cardiologist of the Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital.

He said that those who got heart attacks should not worry too much and emotional recovery from heart attack is essential to improve the health of the heart patients.

"According to the study the patients who develop depression after a heart attack are more likely to require hospital care within a year for a heart-related problem than heart attack survivors who aren't depressed".

Dr. Ranasinghe said that proper follow-up care would improve the situation of heart patients. He said that the important factor was to follow the doctor's advice to continue with medication.

Meanwhile, the study by the MCWHS said that depression, fear and anger are common reactions after a person has had a heart attack, but doctors' follow-up care can ease depression and fear in patients.

Here are some tips to help heart attack patients with their emotional recovery:

* Discuss your feelings openly and honestly with your doctor, family members and friends;

* If you think you may be depressed, seek treatment;

* Talk to your doctor about joining cardiac rehabilitation programmes, many of which offer counselling and support groups;

* Get regular exercise as directed by your doctor as exercise not only boosts heart health, it may also help relieve anxiety and depression;

* Try to resume the activities and hobbies you enjoyed before the heart attack so as to keep you in a positive mood.

SS