Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Winter Hydration
Even with the weather getting cooler, water needs to continue to be an important part of the daily practice. During the winter months it is very easy to become dehydrated.
If you’re not careful, it’s very easy to become dehydrated in the winter particularly if you’re engaged in sports like snowshoeing, backcountry skiing or mountaineering. Under these conditions, it’s not enough to be on the lookout for yellow pee; you need to hydrate before exertion and regularly during all outdoor activities.
Dehydration is accelerated in cold weather or at higher altitudes because the air we breath is drier. Normally, people lose between one to two quarts of water a day via evaporation from the lungs. When we breathe, our bodies humidify dry air and heat it up to our body’s temperature, which is why your exhalations look like fog in cold weather.
In cold weather, your body has to work harder to humidify the air you breathe and to warm it up, meaning that you need to drink more water and eat more if you are outdoors. A good rule of thumb is to drink at least 4 quarts a day, but many people will drink twice that under high exertion levels or over 10,000 feet of altitude.
It’s easy to skip hydration breaks during winter activities because you are less likely to feel thirsty. But the consequences are much higher, as dehydration can accelerate hypothermia, frostbite or fatigue.Therefore, you need to pace yourself accordingly and drink and eat at frequent intervals to keep up with the demands of your body. Make it a practice to always carry a watch with you outdoors, and make a habit to drink and eat at regular intervals.
The body's initial signs and symptoms of dehydration are:
* Thirst
* Decreased urine output. The urine will become concentrated and more yellow in color.
* Fatigue
* Headache
* Dry nasal passages
* Dry, cracked lips dry mouth the eyes stop making tears sweating may stop muscle cramps nausea and vomiting lightheadedness (especially when standing). weakness will occur as the brain and other body organs receive less blood.
* Coma and organ failure will occur if the dehydration remains untreated.
* Irritability & confusion in the elderly should also be heeded immediately.
Here are some easy remedies and ways to prevent dehydration:
1. As is often the case in medicine, prevention is the important first step in the treatment of dehydration.
2. Fluid replacement is the treatment for dehydration. This can include: water, juice, soups and clear broths, Popsicles, Jell-O, ice cream, milk, puddings, decaffeinated beverages, Kool-Aid, nutritional drink supplements (Ensure, Boost, Sustacal, Resource and instant breakfast drinks), and replacement fluids that may contain electrolytes (Pedialyte, Gatorade, Powerade, etc.)
3. Reduce or eliminate dehydrating beverages such as coffee, tea and soft drinks (unless decaffeinated). But even decaffeinated drinks can contribute to dehydration. Beware of alcohol intake too. Alcoholic beverages increase risk of dehydration because the body requires additional water to metabolize alcohol and it also acts as a diuretic.
4. If you drink the unhealthy beverages, you need to add even more water to you daily total. The dehydration caused by those drinks must be compensated for by increasing the water.
5. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Most have a high water content.
6. Drink water all day long in small amounts. It is not good to suddenly gulp down 64 ounces of water. You can fill a 24-32 ounce tumbler in the morning, refill it by late morning and refill again for the afternoon. Consume that by 5 PM. Most people need to start limiting fluids 1-3 hours before bedtime.
7. Individuals with vomiting and diarrhea can try to alter their diet and use medications to control symptoms to minimize water loss. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be used to control fever.
8. If an individual becomes confused or lethargic; if there is persistent, uncontrolled fever, vomiting, or diarrhea; or if there are any other specific concerns, then medical care should be accessed. Call 911 for any patient with altered mental status - confusion, lethargy, or coma.
Remember that the lack of a sense of thirst is not a reliable indicator of the need for water. You need water long before you feel thirsty.
If you’re not careful, it’s very easy to become dehydrated in the winter particularly if you’re engaged in sports like snowshoeing, backcountry skiing or mountaineering. Under these conditions, it’s not enough to be on the lookout for yellow pee; you need to hydrate before exertion and regularly during all outdoor activities.
Dehydration is accelerated in cold weather or at higher altitudes because the air we breath is drier. Normally, people lose between one to two quarts of water a day via evaporation from the lungs. When we breathe, our bodies humidify dry air and heat it up to our body’s temperature, which is why your exhalations look like fog in cold weather.
In cold weather, your body has to work harder to humidify the air you breathe and to warm it up, meaning that you need to drink more water and eat more if you are outdoors. A good rule of thumb is to drink at least 4 quarts a day, but many people will drink twice that under high exertion levels or over 10,000 feet of altitude.
It’s easy to skip hydration breaks during winter activities because you are less likely to feel thirsty. But the consequences are much higher, as dehydration can accelerate hypothermia, frostbite or fatigue.Therefore, you need to pace yourself accordingly and drink and eat at frequent intervals to keep up with the demands of your body. Make it a practice to always carry a watch with you outdoors, and make a habit to drink and eat at regular intervals.
The body's initial signs and symptoms of dehydration are:
* Thirst
* Decreased urine output. The urine will become concentrated and more yellow in color.
* Fatigue
* Headache
* Dry nasal passages
* Dry, cracked lips dry mouth the eyes stop making tears sweating may stop muscle cramps nausea and vomiting lightheadedness (especially when standing). weakness will occur as the brain and other body organs receive less blood.
* Coma and organ failure will occur if the dehydration remains untreated.
* Irritability & confusion in the elderly should also be heeded immediately.
Here are some easy remedies and ways to prevent dehydration:
1. As is often the case in medicine, prevention is the important first step in the treatment of dehydration.
2. Fluid replacement is the treatment for dehydration. This can include: water, juice, soups and clear broths, Popsicles, Jell-O, ice cream, milk, puddings, decaffeinated beverages, Kool-Aid, nutritional drink supplements (Ensure, Boost, Sustacal, Resource and instant breakfast drinks), and replacement fluids that may contain electrolytes (Pedialyte, Gatorade, Powerade, etc.)
3. Reduce or eliminate dehydrating beverages such as coffee, tea and soft drinks (unless decaffeinated). But even decaffeinated drinks can contribute to dehydration. Beware of alcohol intake too. Alcoholic beverages increase risk of dehydration because the body requires additional water to metabolize alcohol and it also acts as a diuretic.
4. If you drink the unhealthy beverages, you need to add even more water to you daily total. The dehydration caused by those drinks must be compensated for by increasing the water.
5. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Most have a high water content.
6. Drink water all day long in small amounts. It is not good to suddenly gulp down 64 ounces of water. You can fill a 24-32 ounce tumbler in the morning, refill it by late morning and refill again for the afternoon. Consume that by 5 PM. Most people need to start limiting fluids 1-3 hours before bedtime.
7. Individuals with vomiting and diarrhea can try to alter their diet and use medications to control symptoms to minimize water loss. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be used to control fever.
8. If an individual becomes confused or lethargic; if there is persistent, uncontrolled fever, vomiting, or diarrhea; or if there are any other specific concerns, then medical care should be accessed. Call 911 for any patient with altered mental status - confusion, lethargy, or coma.
Remember that the lack of a sense of thirst is not a reliable indicator of the need for water. You need water long before you feel thirsty.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
How Bodywork Helps Muscle Function
Considering that muscle makes up seventy to eight-five percent of the body’s weight, it’s no wonder that most people think of bodywork as “muscle-work.” A better understanding of muscles should help you to appreciate further how important regular massage is to your muscles—and to your overall health!
How do muscles work?
A simple answer is that muscles are composed of long, slender fibers that are capable of three things: they can shorten, lengthen or lock into place. Ideally, they function properly. When they don’t, you begin to experience tightness, or feel stiff, achy or sore.
When you consider that your muscles’ duties include maintaining structural stability and being responsible for virtually every movement of the body, from the minute regulation of an artery to extensive motions, it’s a wonder how efficiently they perform!
What causes muscular difficulties?
Although we tend to think of a sore or strained muscle as an individual problem, all of your musculature is interconnected. This means that when you perceive a painful spot, other areas are involved to some degree. The most recognized causes for muscle problems include overuse or underuse, lack of proper nutrition and/or oxygen, build-up of toxins, and imbalances.
Imbalances are caused when a group of muscles includes certain muscles that currently are mismatched with their partners. For example, if you bend your arm and then straighten it, your biceps do much of the work to accomplish the first motion, while your triceps take on the job of straightening. If the biceps are proportionally stronger than the triceps (or vice versa), you have an imbalance that can cause you some distress.
If you have tight muscles, say in your back shoulder area, this tension can have an effect on the opposing muscles in the upper chest area. In some cases, you may be more aware of the opposing muscles than the muscles that are actually causing the discomfort.
Muscles can develop a state of constant tension for various reasons, including stressful life situations and learned patterns we all evolve as we age. Each of us has developed muscular habits throughout our lives—the way we sit or stand, perform tasks, etc. Add to this the fact we store our anxiety in our muscles—particularly in the neck and shoulder area—and most of us have many areas in need of attention.
Each muscle that is chronically tense is a muscle that is constantly working, even though it’s not doing any actual work. These muscles create a continuing cycle that diminishes blood flow to the area, produces toxins, depletes energy from other areas, and causes discomfort and eventual disuse.
Muscles receive their instructions via nerve impulses. These nerve connections are vital to the health of the muscle tissue; if the nerve supply is lost, the muscle begins to atrophy. The chronically tense muscle cycle discussed previously contributes to the toxicity of the related nerve cells, irritating them and furthering the muscular contractions. If left uninterrupted, this vicious cycle can wreak havoc with your body’s healthy function.
The above information should make it very clear to you how beneficial massage can be to your overall health. As each affected muscular area is worked on, a more normal function can be returned. When you make the commitment to get regular bodywork sessions, you can expect to see far better results, as more time can be spent improving your overall condition, instead of having to focus on easing the pain of chronically tense muscles.
Do your best to make regular bodywork sessions a normal part of your life and enjoy better muscle function—and feel the difference! See you soon.
(Reference: Job’s Body by Deane Juhan)
How do muscles work?
A simple answer is that muscles are composed of long, slender fibers that are capable of three things: they can shorten, lengthen or lock into place. Ideally, they function properly. When they don’t, you begin to experience tightness, or feel stiff, achy or sore.
When you consider that your muscles’ duties include maintaining structural stability and being responsible for virtually every movement of the body, from the minute regulation of an artery to extensive motions, it’s a wonder how efficiently they perform!
What causes muscular difficulties?
Although we tend to think of a sore or strained muscle as an individual problem, all of your musculature is interconnected. This means that when you perceive a painful spot, other areas are involved to some degree. The most recognized causes for muscle problems include overuse or underuse, lack of proper nutrition and/or oxygen, build-up of toxins, and imbalances.
Imbalances are caused when a group of muscles includes certain muscles that currently are mismatched with their partners. For example, if you bend your arm and then straighten it, your biceps do much of the work to accomplish the first motion, while your triceps take on the job of straightening. If the biceps are proportionally stronger than the triceps (or vice versa), you have an imbalance that can cause you some distress.
If you have tight muscles, say in your back shoulder area, this tension can have an effect on the opposing muscles in the upper chest area. In some cases, you may be more aware of the opposing muscles than the muscles that are actually causing the discomfort.
Muscles can develop a state of constant tension for various reasons, including stressful life situations and learned patterns we all evolve as we age. Each of us has developed muscular habits throughout our lives—the way we sit or stand, perform tasks, etc. Add to this the fact we store our anxiety in our muscles—particularly in the neck and shoulder area—and most of us have many areas in need of attention.
Each muscle that is chronically tense is a muscle that is constantly working, even though it’s not doing any actual work. These muscles create a continuing cycle that diminishes blood flow to the area, produces toxins, depletes energy from other areas, and causes discomfort and eventual disuse.
Muscles receive their instructions via nerve impulses. These nerve connections are vital to the health of the muscle tissue; if the nerve supply is lost, the muscle begins to atrophy. The chronically tense muscle cycle discussed previously contributes to the toxicity of the related nerve cells, irritating them and furthering the muscular contractions. If left uninterrupted, this vicious cycle can wreak havoc with your body’s healthy function.
The above information should make it very clear to you how beneficial massage can be to your overall health. As each affected muscular area is worked on, a more normal function can be returned. When you make the commitment to get regular bodywork sessions, you can expect to see far better results, as more time can be spent improving your overall condition, instead of having to focus on easing the pain of chronically tense muscles.
Do your best to make regular bodywork sessions a normal part of your life and enjoy better muscle function—and feel the difference! See you soon.
(Reference: Job’s Body by Deane Juhan)
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