Health

Keeping your body hydrated is crucial for good health and well-being. Research has concluded that hydration is key to cognition maintenance, managing weight, and reducing the risk of kidney stones.

We rely on water for crucial functions, including regulating body temperature, preventing infections, and more. The performance of almost every bodily function you can imagine depends on how hydrated we are in some form.

Our bodies are made up of around 60% water, which we constantly lose through sweating, breathing, and urinating. According to The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, men drink 3.7 liters of water per day and women around 2.7 liters per day.

Although it should be one of our top daily priorities, many of us do not consume enough fluids each day. This article will discuss identifying when you’re dehydrated and four ways to stay hydrated.

Causes of Dehydration

Here are some of the common ways your body can lose more fluids than you consume:

• Profuse sweating during exercise or other vigorous activity
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Not drinking enough water

Symptoms of Dehydration

Common signs of dehydration in adults include:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Dry mouth
• Loss of appetite
• Muscle cramps
• Constipation
• Dark urine
• Dizziness, weakness, and light-headedness
• Swollen feet

4 Ways to Stay Hydrated

Keep Drinking Water

Don’t just wait until you feel thirsty; drink water regularly throughout the day, especially on hot days or when engaging in vigorous physical activity. Many of us forget about drinking water. Luckily, many apps are available to send you “drink water” reminders. Or you could set up several daily alarms on your phone.

Drink Electrolyte Beverages

Crucial minerals such as potassium, chloride, and magnesium (“electrolytes”) are usually lost when you sweat. To help compensate, you can drink beverages with enhanced electrolyte content like sports drinks.

Eat Hydrating Food

You can also obtain fluids through the food you eat. Fruits and vegetables have especially high-water content and contribute to your hydration goals. Try eating fruits with the most water content, like watermelon, strawberries, and cantaloupe.

Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol

Alcoholic or caffeinated beverages can dehydrate you. If you do choose to consume them, drink plenty of water alongside them, especially with alcohol. It’s a diuretic, meaning that it causes your body to lose fluids from the blood. Therefore, it’s essential to replace what’s lost.

Staying Hydrated

Water is essential to support our bodily functions. If you’re not drinking enough water on any given day, you’ll likely lose more fluids than you consume, leaving your body dehydrated. Ways to stay hydrated include drinking plenty of water throughout your day and eating fruits and vegetables to top up your intake.

Your body will always let you know when you’re not hydrated enough. Dark urine is an easy way to tell, so keep an eye out for that and any other common signs.

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Many men and women alike aspire to have a toned, flat tummy. Countless washboard-ab enthusiasts endure grueling training for endless hours to achieve this goal. Others religiously follow extreme diets to whittle their waist. Still, others spend tons of money for a “magic pill” that promises to make their belly vanish.

Maybe you’ve wondered whether it is possible to actually tame belly fat. Surprisingly, there are several simple ways to trim your midsection with minimal effort – and it doesn’t take a “magic pill.”

Increase Fluids

Perhaps your stomach tends to protrude even when you’ve been eating less. It may surprise you to know that the bulge you loathe is not belly fat. You may be bloated, which is the result of a slow digestive system. This sluggishness may mean there are not enough fluids in the body.

When you are well hydrated, fiber pulls liquid into your lower intestine, and you’re less likely to be constipated or have uncomfortable bloating.

The suggested daily adult fluid intake is 11.5 cups for women and 15 1/2 cups for men. Many have trouble keeping up with daily fluid recommendations, but your daily intake can come from sources other than water. Food and other beverages contain water, and they are included in the recommended fluid amounts.

Of course, water is the ideal fluid for several reasons.

Plain water is free from calories and sugar, both of which can add inches to your midsection. Water also detoxifies the system and boosts your metabolism. Adults should drink half their body weight of water in ounces each day.

But don’t count on a glass of wine for hydration. Alcohol has a dehydrating effect. It drains fluid from your body and does not count toward your daily fluid intake.

In addition to what you drink, how you eat affects what your stomach looks and feels like.

Slow Down

You might eat fast because you have a ton of things going on at one time. Or you enjoy mindlessly chowing down on snacks as you watch a movie, but this could also be why you have gas and bloating. When you eat fast, you swallow air along with the carbs. Slow the pace when you eat to savor your meal and flatten your abs.

Minimal Sodium

There is another pretty easy way to shave off inches from your waist. Say no thanks to salt (or at least use it sparingly).

Sodium makes the body retain water. If you’ve eaten a lot of salt, you might see swelling in your hands and feet. Water retention also swells the stomach.

Additionally, get into the habit of reading the sodium count on food labels. Eating a few of your favorite salty foods can put you the 2300mg of sodium recommended for your daily diet.

Instead, adopt a low-sodium diet. Try cooking with salt-free seasonings like garlic, herbs, and onion powder. Choose food with low or no salt when you eat away from home. You will look and feel better.

Protein

Most fitness gurus swear by protein because it is a miracle worker that keeps you full. When you eat foods high in protein, you stay full longer are less likely to eat. Some food and drinks with healthy levels of protein include:

• Milk
• Cottage Cheese
• Lentils
• Avocados
• Shrimp

Don’t be afraid to try out new healthy foods with high protein content. You may come across a new favorite and replace the sugary and greasy treats for good. Your stomach will thank you.

Two kinds of fiber can help reduce distention in the midsection and give you that flat tummy of your dreams:

Fiber 1 and 2

Fiber is one of the top belly bloat busters. It gets and keeps your digestive system moving along by relieving constipation.

The two types of fiber are gel-like soluble and bulky insoluble. They work as a team to pull water into the colon, which speeds up elimination. Some food, like oatmeal, is an excellent source of fiber because it contains both types of fiber.

Blast That Belly Fat

If you are serious about getting and keeping a flat stomach, you have to change your lifestyle. This may mean advanced meal planning and determination to stay on track.

To make things easier on yourself, stock up food that supports your commitment. Load your refrigerator with good choices such as fresh vegetables and Greek yogurt. Stay clear of refined carbs like white bread and pasta.

Lastly, don’t rule out exercise. Get your body moving every day. You will not only lose weight, but your overall health will look as good as your new six-pack!

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Blood type is something we don’t get to choose. We are born with it, and many of us don’t think about it much. In fact, many people don’t even know their blood type. It’s never been more important to learn about, as scientists have recently discovered that our blood type may increase our risk of developing numerous diseases, some of which can be life-threatening.

Read on to learn which blood types are more at risk of which diseases.

COVID-19

According to research published in The Annals of Internal Medicine in March 2021, some blood types are more or less at risk of infection from coronavirus than others.

The research showed that people with type O blood are 12% less likely to contract COVID-19. They also have a 13% lower risk of experiencing severe symptoms or dying if they do test positive.

Another study conducted by Harvard University and Oklahoma Blood Institute found that people with type A blood are more likely to contract COVID-19. It is believed that the virus’s spike proteins attach to this type’s blood cells more easily due to their surface shape.

Cancer

A study published in BMC Cancer in May 2021 explored the connection between certain blood types and cancer risk. The scientists compared people with AB and O blood types. The results showed people with AB blood are 34% more likely to contract esophageal cancer.

When it comes to stomach cancer, the results indicated that people with type AB had a 44% higher risk, while people with type A are 37% more likely than others.

Cardiovascular Disease

The presence of the ABO gene means you’re at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, and all non-O blood types have it. This gene makes red blood cells stickier, which presents a problem for optimal blood flow.

Research indicates that people with A or B blood types have a 51% higher risk of developing blood clots in their veins and a 47% higher risk of blood clots in their lungs.

Dementia

Some blood types put you at higher risk of dementia. A study published in Neurology researched all blood types and their relation to dementia. The results were astonishing: People with AB blood type are 82% more likely to develop memory and thinking problems that could lead to dementia.

The potential culprit for this is factor VII. It’s a protein our livers produce that helps the blood clotting process. Elevated levels of factor VII are connected to the onset of dementia, and people with the AB blood type have much higher levels of this protein than others.

Blood type AB is rare; only about 4% of people in the U.S. have it.

Bleeding Disorders

Scientists at Karolinska Institute in Sweden investigated how bleeding disorders relate to different blood types and determined the highest risk. The results showed people with type A blood are more likely to develop blood clots. Additionally, those with O-type blood have increased chances of developing bleeding disorders, such as gastric and duodenal ulcers.

The results also indicate women with type O blood are more likely to develop high blood pressure during pregnancy.

Some Blood Types Put You at a Higher Risk of Diseases

Although we can’t control or change our blood type, we can choose how to act regarding our increased risk of certain diseases. By adopting a healthy lifestyle, eating right, and exercising, we can stack the odds in our favor, at least to some degree.

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The liver removes toxic substances from our bodies, which is why keeping it healthy is essential. Although liver damage is most commonly connected with excessive alcohol consumption, scientists have discovered another type of drink that could harm it.

Keep reading to learn what drink may be the worst for your liver.

The Framingham Heart Study

This study began in the Boston area in 1948 and has educated the public on how lifestyle choices affect our health ever since.

Recently, researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine published an update regarding consuming a particular drink that could damage our liver. This study involved 1,636 descendants of the participants from the original Framingham Heart Study cohort.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The researchers explored how often the participants consume sugar-sweetened drinks and whether they could be linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

NAFLD is a term that marks the build-up of fat in the liver. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), 24% of Americans have it.

Per the NIH, people with NAFLD usually don’t experience liver complications, but they become more prone to heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions.

The results of the study showed that people who frequently consume sugar-sweetened beverages are two and a half times more likely to develop NAFLD. “Frequent consumption” means the participants drank these beverages more than once a week.

Those that occasionally consumed these drinks (around once per month) also had significantly increased liver fat compared to non-consumers.

Cut Back on Sugary Drinks

If you want to keep your liver healthy (and you most definitely should), cutting back on sugary drinks is vital. In addition, avoid excess alcohol consumption, don’t use unnecessary medications, and consume liver-friendly foods.

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Many people can tell when there’s about to be a weather change when they experience joint pain. It’s common to blame the change in weather as the cause of a joint-pain flare-up, and doctors believe people experience more joint pain on cold and rainy days. However, research connecting the two isn’t clear.

This article will discuss the correlation between cold weather and joint pain and what can be done to relieve it.

What Causes Joint Pain on Cold Rainy Days?

Stormy weather causes a drop in barometric pressure. When your body detects this change, it could make your muscles, tendons, and soft tissues expand and contract. Unfortunately, this contraction and expansion around your joints can irritate your nerves and cause joint pain. Low temperatures can also cause stiffness by making the fluid inside your joints thicker.

Humidity, precipitation, and temperature are also at play. This makes understanding exactly what it is about the weather that causes some people to experience joint pain even trickier for scientists.

How to Manage Weather-Related Joint Pain?

Here are some ways in which you can help to alleviate your joint pain on colder days:

Keep Warm

Whenever the temperature drops, do whatever you can to keep warm. Take warm baths or showers and wear layers during the day (including warm socks and gloves). Crank up your heating and use an electric blanket.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Keep active to maintain a healthy weight. The heavier you are, the more pressure is applied to your knees. Perform exercise that is gentle on your joints, like swimming and yoga. This will help you to develop bone and muscle strength. If you want to exercise outside, ensure you warm up properly with some gentle stretches.

Paraffin Bath

Consider trying a paraffin bath. It’s a small machine used to melt paraffin wax. The idea is to let the wax harden on your skin by dipping your hands and feet in it. Your achy joints may be soothed when your body absorbs the heat.

Take Care of Yourself

Ensure you take care of your overall health with good nutrition and plenty of sleep.

Rainy Day Joint Pain

Joint pain is common whenever the pressure drops outside. So far, scientists have found that once our bodies detect this change, they react by expanding and contracting the tissue surrounding our joints. Luckily, there are ways to relieve the pain and without taking medication. These include keeping warm and maintaining a healthy weight.

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Obesity comes with numerous side effects, some more obvious than others. Besides making your clothes seem smaller, obesity can damage your organs and become a risk factor for many diseases. Scientists have discovered obesity side effects many aren’t aware of.

Read on to find out more about them.

Developing Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes

Obesity can increase your chances of getting diabetes. That’s because being obese can cause elevated A1C, something used to diagnose diabetes and monitor blood sugar level management. The result shows your average blood sugar levels in the last few months. If you’re obese, losing weight will reduce the risk of diabetes and its side effects.

More Pericardial Fat

Excess body fat is undoubtedly an aesthetic concern for many. However, what’s inside is even more relevant. Built-up fat around your heart, i.e., pericardial fat, is a major risk factor for heart failure. A recent study showed the risk of women experiencing heart failure doubles if they have pericardial fat. For men, this risk is 50% higher.

Increased Visceral Fat

Visceral or belly fat surrounds your internal organs and can interfere with their proper function. According to one study, visceral fat releases inflammatory agents, fatty acids, and hormones that contribute to increased cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose, etc.

Jeopardizing Brain Health

Many aren’t aware of the strong connection between obesity and our brain’s health. A study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology showed that obese people have an increased risk of developing dementia.

Moreover, another study emphasized obesity could be a risk factor for depression.

Be Persistent in Battling Obesity

Beating obesity takes time and effort, but it’s a massive step towards getting your physical and mental health in order. By eating healthy, drinking enough fluids, and exercising regularly, you’ll feel much better. Changing your lifestyle will decrease the risk of diseases and increase your self-esteem and overall quality of life.

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Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for our health and mental well-being. Everybody likes waking up feeling energized and ready to conquer the day. Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as it seems. Many people don’t get enough sleep because they often wake up in the middle of the night.

Scientists have identified the habits that cause you to wake at night. Read on to learn more about them and what you can do to resolve any problems.

Drinking Alcohol Before Going to Bed

Consuming alcohol before going to bed delays the beginning of the REM stage and increases sleep fragmentation. Moreover, the alcohol draws the water out of your body, so you may wake up needing to rehydrate.

Sleep Apnea

People with sleep apnea often wake up during the night gasping or feeling unable to breathe. The disruptions in the airflow lead to chronic fatigue and could also be a sign of underlying conditions. If someone pointed out that you snore loudly or have an irregular breathing pattern while sleeping, you should visit your doctor.

Pain

Experiencing physical pain often leads to interrupted sleep. In this case, pain management is the best solution. Furthermore, ensure you’re sleeping on a comfortable mattress.

Too Much Fluid Before Bedtime

Staying hydrated is essential for maintaining our health. However, drinking too much water or any other liquid before going to bed won’t benefit your sleeping time. Instead, you may wake up at night because you need to urinate. Try limiting your fluid intake close to bedtime.

Sleep Like a Log Until Morning

Going to bed early and getting enough sleep is vital for our bodies. But it’s also essential to think about our habits prior to bedtime. What we do before we go to bed can determine the sleep quality and ensure we get a full night’s sleep.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 30% of American adults reported feeling joint pain. If your hips often hurt, you may not know that many common factors cause hip pain and can even lead to hip collapse.

Let’s look at a few of these common threats:

Alcohol Consumption

Excessive alcohol consumption damages your blood vessels and interrupts blood flow to your hips, eroding them. Additionally, alcohol increases your risk of diseases, impacts your cognition, and injures your organs. If you want to prevent further trouble, it’s best to limit your weekly alcohol consumption.

Steroids

Many people use steroids to control diseases and disorders such as asthma, arthritis, or inflammation. Unfortunately, using steroids comes with a side effect: it affects the blood supply to the hips. Although there are alternatives to using steroids, many don’t find them as efficient. These patients may require a hip replacement if the damage becomes irreparable.

Diabetes

One of the side effects of diabetes is decreased circulation. Due to damaged and fragile blood vessels, hips may not receive enough nutrients. If this continues for an extended period, hips will become weakened and can eventually collapse. To prevent this, regularly check your blood sugar levels and pay attention to your diet.

Blood Disorders

People that suffer from blood disorders often experience issues with proper blood flow. As mentioned, unhealthy blood vessels mean the hips aren’t getting enough nutrients. When this happens, you’ll feel hip pain, and in the long run, the ball could collapse.

Consult Your Doctor

A healthy lifestyle and regular checkups are crucial for keeping your hips in good shape. If your hips are already weak or eroded, you can prevent collapse with stem cell treatments. Ask your doctor about this procedure.

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Since many of us sit all day when we work, it’s no wonder neck pain has become so common. A stiff neck typically means you can’t move your head properly, which drastically affects your quality of life. While several factors cause neck pain, there are also numerous ways to eliminate it.

Read on to learn more about the potential causes of neck pain and what you can do to relieve it.

What Causes Neck Pain?

Unfortunately, neck pain can appear if we pull a muscle, make a sudden movement, or sleep in a position that isn’t good for our neck. Also, sitting for extended periods and having bad posture could be culprits in neck pain.

Besides these, more severe conditions and injuries can “hide” behind neck pain, such as meningitis or whiplash.

How to Relieve Neck Pain?

The number one method for trying to relieve neck pain is doing gentle stretches. Move your head around slightly and focus on your breathing. If you feel any sharp pain, stop immediately, and try again later. If it’s easier, try using your hand to support your head when moving it. Another option is to tilt your head down towards your chest and slowly lift it.

Studies have shown stretching will loosen up tight and tense muscles and provide pain relief. Stretching is beneficial even if you don’t feel neck pain, especially if you sit a lot. If the pain is too severe and you can’t stretch at all, we recommend going to a doctor.

Keep Your Neck in Check

Although it may seem too easy, stretching is still the key to relieving neck pain. Remember to do it slowly and gently; otherwise, you could hurt your neck and cause even more pain. If you often feel severe neck pain, it’s best to consult a doctor. You may have posture issues or underlying conditions that need to be checked out by a professional.

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Research has found that some beverages, like pink grapefruit juice, may help to slow down the skin aging process. However, many others will contribute to speed it up – like alcohol. According to research, alcohol is the worst offender for skin aging due to its dehydration and inflammation effects.

In this article, we’ll discuss how dehydration and inflammation affect your skin and what types are alcohol cause the most damage.

Effects of Dehydration on Your Skin

In a nutshell, the loss of elasticity leads to sagging skin, wrinkles, dullness, dryness, and enlarged pores.

As we get older, the water in our body reduces, and we begin to feel less thirsty, making it easier for dehydration to kick in. Alcohol dehydrates your skin and deprives it of the nutrients and moisture it needs to keep your skin supple and radiant. Even worse, alcohol is a directive, meaning it draws water out of your body.

Dehydrated skin looks unhealthy and dry, in both skin color and texture.

Effects of Inflammation on Your Skin

Inflammation increases redness, blotchiness, acne, puffiness, and Rosacea.

Cocktails and wine especially are high in sugar. These types of alcohol can have an obvious effect on your skin if you’re consuming more than the recommended amount. Studies have shown that sugar in alcoholic drinks triggers the hormone IGF-1, which increases breakouts or acne with an overproduction of oil.

Alcohol, especially red wine, triggers and worsens Rosacea’s symptoms. As Rosacea is an inflammatory condition, drinking alcohol increases the chances of a flare-up. Alcohol will create inflammatory signals within the skin such as flushing and redness, as it opens the blood vessels and increases blood flow above normal levels.

What Alcohol to Avoid

Dark spirits like whiskeys, dark rum, brandy, scotch, and cognac contain congeners, which generally cause the worst hangovers. They have the highest alcohol content, also making them worst for your skin.

Instead, opt for clear spirits like vodka, tequila, gin, white rum, and sake. These types have the least amount of additives and are processed in the body quicker. They, thus, have the most negligible impact on damaging your skin.

Maintain Younger Looking Skin

The main reasons why alcohol ages your skin quicker are dehydration and inflammation. So, to help keep your skin looking youthful when drinking alcohol, drink plenty of water to counteract the effects and opt for clear spirits.

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