Yes, it's true. I no longer drink plain water... and yet I am the most hydrated that I've been in my life.
We have been told for years that in order to stay hydrated, you must drink 8 glasses of water a day. I myself am guilty of telling people to drink "one ounce of water for very 2 lbs. of body weight." Unfortunately, what you often aren't getting from this water is minerals!
Yes, you need water, but you also need all sorts of minerals. Your current water processing and filtering systems have probably stripped away most of those minerals from your water. Think about the fluids in your body. They aren't made up of straight H2O. You have a complex mixture of all sorts of minerals.
If you are drinking just plain water (especially if you have a lot of it), you can dilute those mineral-rich fluids in your body. This makes your kidneys work way harder than they need to, and you may find yourself running to the bathroom constantly to pee off all of that excess fluid.
Adrenal Cocktails
This summer I started utilizing something called an Adrenal Cocktail. After running a Hair Trace Mineral Analysis (HTMA) test on myself, I found out that my potassium levels were incredibly low and was inspired to start utilizing adrenal cocktails.
There are several ways to make an Adrenal Cocktail, a mineral-rich drink that particularly focuses on supporting sodium and potassium levels. It also contains Vitamin C which helps in the utilization of these vitamins and provides bio-available copper.
My Adrenal Cocktail consists of:
- 1 Cup Coconut water
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 tsp salt
That's it! I mix it up in the morning and take it with me to work every day. I sip on it between breakfast & lunch and between lunch & dinner.
In addition to feeling like I am actually doing a better job of staying hydrated, I have also noticed improvement in my skin and my energy! Here are more Adrenal Cocktail Recipes.
What else do I drink? Gel Water
Another way to increase hydration in the body is through a substance called "Gel Water." In their book Quench, authors Cohen and Bria describe Gel Water, or living water, as a “newly identified phase of water that’s not quite liquid, vapor, or ice. (It is) identified by an extra hydrogen and oxygen atom, so the molecular structure is H3O2.”
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Most people think of grilling out in the summer, but the fall is a perfect time to heat up the grill. As the weather gets cooler it is more pleasant to cook outside and sit on the patio for a nice meal.
It doesn’t have to be time-consuming to have a great meal on the grill, in fact, simple is often better. Meat and veggies by themselves make a solid meal, but you can add grilled fruit for a yummy dessert.
Eating these simple, real foods - specifically the meats and the veggies - is a healthy easy option for a dinner everyone will love.
Here are my top grilling tips for you to enjoy this fall.
The Meat
Start planning your meal by choosing your meat. With most food, there is a large spectrum of quality. You may not be able to get the highest quality variety, so just do your best with the options available! Let’s see what to look for when buying your meat.
- Good - Meat that is not breaded with flour or breadcrumbs or loaded with sugary or processed sauces. (Note: The first ingredient in many BBQ sauces is high fructose corn syrup).
- Better - Meat from a healthy animal that had a chance to walk around and eat its natural diet while it was alive. If you are purchasing meat, look for words like pasture-raised, grass-fed (for beef), or wild caught (for fish).
- Best - Meat from a local farmer’s market where you can meet the farmer! When you talk with the farmer ask them how their animals are raised. If you like their answer, get the meat from them when you can!
Grill the meat and keep it simple! If you have good quality meat, the flavor will be great. You don't need to add much to it.
The Veggies
It's easy to get stuck in a rut of always buying the same veggies but trying some new ideas can really spice things up. When you eat a variety of veggies you tend to eat more of them. You can choose a few of the ones below to throw on the grill.
- Eggplant - Simply cut it into ½-inch patties.
- Asparagus - Bend the stock to snap off the thick base, leaving the pretty flowery end.
- Zucchini - Slice into ¼-⅓ inch slices.
- Onions - Just cut it in half and grill that way. You can also cut it smaller for kebabs!
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What comes to mind when you talk about healthy habits? Many people think about eating nutritious food, getting adequate movement, staying away from cigarettes, limiting alcohol, and possibly lowering stress levels.
These are all important habits, but there is one habit that most people simply are not aware of. It might surprise you, but “enjoying social connections” is an important health habit!
Research is showing that social connections have a major impact on both our mental and physical health. While the impact of social connections on emotional wellbeing may be expected, the extensive impact on physical health may come as a surprise.
Let’s take a look at this dynamic so that you can lean into the benefits of social connections.
Social Connections Impact of Physical Health
The American Association for the Advancement of Science published a study that found “a lack of social connection is a greater detriment to health than obesity, smoking and high blood pressure.”
A lack of social connections has also been linked to inflammation and hypertension. It may be shocking, but strong social connections actually improve your immune system and lead to a 50% increased chance of longevity. The benefits are surprising, but true.
More research is needed to discover why social connections have such a dramatic impact on health, but the research is clear that social connections are extremely important if you want to live a long and healthy life.
What’s at the Core of Social Connection
So, what does it mean to be socially connected? Researcher and author Brene Brown defines connection “as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”
Feeling seen, heard, and understood is enough to feel connected to another person weather near or far. Some people find it easier to build connections with people who live locally. Getting together for dinner, coffee, a game, or a walk can be fun ways to build relationships with those around you.
Connections, however, can be built from a distance as well. It may take a little more work to connect with friends who you don’t see regularly, but these relationships can be cultivated through phone calls, a text, zoom calls, emails, and even an old fashion letter.
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We all want to live a fulfilling life, but the first step is finding out what drives you! Once we know what makes us come alive, we can truly start pursuing our dreams.
I am honored to share the story of discovering my passion in Overcoming Mediocrity, a book that came out earlier this year. Overcoming Mediocrity is a collection of stories from influential women who have overcome great odds to create their own lives of significance.
The book is designed to inspire you to find what brings you life and help you step into a life driven by your passion. Sometimes the road to living a fulfilling life is straightforward, but more often than not it is filled with bumps and turns along the way.
My story begins as a child when my family struggled with insulin issues. The series of events that followed eventually led me to find my passion in life.
Here is a little excerpt from my story…
“Growing up my grandpa was one of my favorite people. He was quite the jokester and was always trying to pull a fast one on me. My family went to his house on weekends, and he always made me feel like the most special girl in the world (other than my sister who I’d like to think was a close second).
One evening, as we were preparing dinner my grandfather started acting funny. He was pale and seemed shaky. His words were slurred and didn’t seem to make sense. I didn’t know why my grandpa, who was always so strong, was acting so strange. It was scary!
My grandma ran over to the refrigerator, grabbed the orange juice, and poured him a cup. A few minutes later, grandpa was back to his normal self.
“What happened?” I asked. I knew my grandpa was a type one diabetic, but I had never known what that meant.”
From here the universe led me to discover my passion. I hope you’ll enjoy reading the rest of my story, but even more than that, I hope you’ll let our stories inspire you to find your passion and live your best life!
Dr. Jamie
P.S. If you are interested in getting your own copy of Overcoming Mediocrity send me a quick message asking me to set one aside for you. We can schedule a time for you to pick it up in the office.
You may want to change your diet, but don’t feel like you can afford it. The cost of everything has gone up; isn’t healthy food even more expensive? Well, not necessarily.
If you have the motivation to start a healthier lifestyle by eating nutrient-dense foods, you may be surprised to find out that it can be affordable. It may take a bit of extra work, but you do have options.
Here are some tips to get you started eating healthy while keeping your grocery bill within your means.
Focus on the Basics
Shop for ingredients that can be used for many types of dishes.
You don’t need all the fancy spices. Salt, fresh garlic, and onion powder are a good start to flavoring your food. If you enjoy ethnic foods, you can get seasoning appropriate for those dishes, but stay away from the expensive spices you’ll only use for one dish.
You will also need some healthy fats. Olive oil, coconut oil, and butter can be used in most dishes. Choose your favorite and use them in everything you make. (Note: Olive oil is intended to be used at low temperatures and is not intended to be used in cooking.)
Next, get some fruits and vegetables. Frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh and can be used in many different dishes. Since they have a long shelf life there will be little food waste. Buying fruit in season and looking on the clearance rack will also keep the cost down.
You could stop there, but if you tolerate starches white potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other root vegetables are inexpensive options.
Buy in Bulk
Buying in bulk can help to keep the cost down. If you are able to invest in a quarter, half, or whole animal directly from a local farmer you can often save a lot of money.
While this is cheaper than buying quality meat in the store, it does take money upfront which can be a concern for many. If this is an issue for you, ask your family or friends to go in on it with you.
Dividing the meat with others requires less money upfront. It will also make it easier to store the meat in your freezer and lower food waste.
Choose Your Battles
It may not be possible for you to buy organic, grass-fed, free-range, local food. So, pick the most important things to focus on.
Some produce is important to buy organic, if possible, while it’s not as important for other varieties. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists to see where to focus.
Animal products are the same way. You don’t have to feel bad for buying non-grass-fed, non-organic lamb, eggs, and some cheeses. Even canned fish (salmon, skipjack tuna, sardines, and herring) are nutrient-dense foods that aren’t that expensive.
Get the highest quality you can afford, but it’s better to eat non-organic meat and eggs than processed foods. It’s better to eat a conventionally grown kiwi than it is to grab a bag of chips.
If you want to eat healthier, you don’t have to be perfect! Do want you can and know that you are doing your best. I’d love to hear what changes you are making and if you have any tips for saving money along the way.
Dr. Jamie