DEHYDRATION: MORE DANGEROUS THAN YOU THINK

 
Approximately 75% of the human body is composed of water. It is essential for trillions of functions in the body. Water is needed to clean the body of toxins, maintain body temperature, transport nutrients, aid digestion, metabolize body fat, and lubricate & cushion your organs. Water is the most important nutrient in your body. It's recommended that you drink 8 cups of water a day, but you may need more or less depending on several factors, such as: exercise, environment, pregnancy, breast-feeding, or health conditions.

Symptoms of Dehydration

 At first, the most obvious sign of dehydration will be thirst. If the water loss increases, however, there can be other symptoms, such as:

• dry mouth 
• lack of energy
• nausea & vomiting
• heart palpatations
• light headedness
• weakness
• increased urination

Alcohol, Caffeine and Dehydration

 We've all heard that coffee is a diuretic and may lead to dehydration. While this may be true, there are many other drinks highly consumed that can also cause dehydration. Certain soft drinks, sports drinks and types of juices contain sugar, caffeine, alcohol, or artificial sweeteners that may lead to dehydration. If you drink any of these drinks, you should make sure to replace to any fluids you lose through urination.

Dehydration & Kidney Failure

If you become severely dehydrated, you are at risk for kidney failure. The kidney's remove waste and toxins from the body. If your not drinking enough water, waste and toxins start to build up in your body. This will ultimately result in the kidney's not functioning properly.

Tips To Stay Hydrated

1) Drink Water Frequently

Instead of drinking your daily intake of water all at once, drink it throughout the day. Try to drink a cup of water every hour or so, this way you'll stay hydrated and won't put a strain on your organs by drinking it all at once.

2) Eat Foods High In Water Content

You don't only have to drink your water, you can eat it too. Foods such as, pineapples, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, celery, blueberries, raspberries, and many other foods are very high in water content.

3) Eat Hydrophilic Foods

Hydrophilic foods are foods that retain water. They help you to stay hydrated. Some examples of hyrdophilic foods  are:

• chia seeds
• aloe
• kelp
• baked potato 
• broccoli
• oats 
• lemons
• mustard seeds
• figs
• apricots
• dates
• green beans 
• apples
• pears
•  plum
• cherries

4) Be Prepared

Wherever you go, make sure that you always have water with you. Whether it's in you car, your work, or even your purse. You can even set an alarm on your watch or phone to remind you to drink.

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SELENIUM, IODINE, & THE THYROID: MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU THINK

Iodine, you may have heard that it's important for your thyroid, but it has many other important functions in the body as well. Iodine is an essential mineral and if you don't get enough of it could cause many negative health effects, such as:

Hypothyroidism:
This condition is also known as having an underactive thyroid. This is when your thyroid cannot produce enough thyroid hormone. Then, body processes begin to slow down.

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism:

• Fatigue
• Depression
• Modest weight gain
• Cold intolerance
• Tiredness
• Dry, course hair
• Constipation
• Dry skin
• Muscle cramps
• Increased cholesterol levels
• Decreased concentration 
• Aches and pains
• Leg swelling

Goiter:

A goiter is an enlarged thyroid gland. This can be caused from getting too little hormone(hypothyroidism) or too much hormone(hyperthyroidism).

Why Iodine Is Important

Iodine could very well be just as important as oxygen for the body. Even though the thyroid is a small gland in our bodies, it's responsible for a major amount of functions in the body. The thyroid is a gland that's responsible for all the hormone activity in the body. Iodine could play a pretty big role in keeping you from getting cancer. About two thirds of all breast cancers are fed and stimulated by the hormone estrogen

Iodine and breast cancer


Iodine is important to the health of women's breast tissue. When there's low iodine in the breast tissue it can cause breast cancer. The longer there's a deficiency in iodine, the greater the risk of breast cancer.


Connection Between Iodine and Selenium

Selenium is just as important as iodine in the body. It is a mineral that is critically important to the function of the thyroid gland. Selenium does many things in the body.  Selenium helps to convert T4 into T3 hormones in the body, it also helps to keep your white blood cells up. Iodine and Selenium work hand in hand, so make sure your getting enough of both.

 Tips To Keep Your Thyroid Healthy

• Supplement Selenium         
• Exercise
• Eat Fresh & Organic Food
• Eat Iodine & Tyrosine Rich Foods
• Eat Vitamin-B Rich Foods 

Foods That Help The Thyroid

• whole grains
• nuts & seeds
• turnip greens
• pine nuts 
• peanut butter
• sesame seeds 
• dark chocolate
• winter squash 
• carrots 
• tomatoes
• mangoes
• sweet potatoes
• olives
• dried herbs
• lettuce
• cantaloupe
• dried apricots
• brazil nuts
• bran

Sources:

 photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naama/23086990/">naama</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

http://www.naturalnews.com/038207_DuPont_students_seed_money.html
 http://www.thyroidresearchjournal.com/content/4/1/14
 http://drlwilson.com/Articles/IODINE.htm
 http://www.theleeclinic.com/blog/the-importance-of-iodine/

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POISONED BY PLASTIC: WHAT'S REALLY IN YOUR WATER BOTTLE

 You may think drinking plenty of water from water bottles is great for your health, but actually it could be doing more harm than good. There are many hidden facts about water bottles that you may not know about. Such as water source, purification, and test results.
According to The World Bank, the water bottle market is at $800 billion dollars. Although people think they are drinking fresh, pure water, there have been more than 100 recalls because of contamination issues.

What Your Really Drinking

Research has shown that dangerous compounds can seep from the plastic into your water. Third-party testing revealed traces of chemicals, fluoride, bacteria, and endocrine disruptors like BPA and PETE(PET).
BPA is a synthetic chemical that hinder's the body’s natural hormonal messaging system. Research has also shown that reusing plastic bottles increases the chance that chemicals will leach out of the bottle.

Just How Harmful Are These Chemicals?

BPA, also known as bisphenol A is a chemical compound that can mimic estrogen levels in the body. Tests have shown that this chemical can encourage human breast cancer cell growth. It may also lead to heart disease, diabetes, and liver problems.
 BPA has also been shown to cause thyroid problems by not allowing the thyroid hormone, T3, to reach the DNA 1. This can cause what you call hypothyroidism.

BPA May Also Be Called:

• Lexan
• Polycarbonate
• Polysulfone

How to Minimize Exposure:

• Avoid plastic bottles, containers, and liners.
• Do not microwave in plastic bowls
• Get a water distiller
• Drink water out of stainless steel or glass jars

Little known facts about bottled water:

• Every 27 hours Americans drink enough water bottles to circle the entire equator with plastic bottles stacked end to end.
• While plastic bottles can be recycled, the majority are not. Moreover, plastic never actually degrades; it just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. In some parts of the ocean, plastic outweighs plankton by a six-to-one ratio (Moore 2001).
• Close to half of all bottled water is sourced from municipal tap water (BMC 2010, Food and Water Watch 2010).

Credits:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/5233546650/

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VEGAN SWEET POTATO PIE

    
                         Quick & Easy Vegan Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Crust:

1/2 cup of pecans

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 tbsp of molasses

Filling:

2 sweet potatoes

1 tsp of cinnamon

1/2 tsp of salt

1/2 cup of cane sugar

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 cup almond milk 

Preparation of Crust:

Blend all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. When the crust is crumbly, pour it into a large plate or baking dish. Then, spread the crust throughout the whole dish.

Preparation of Filling:

Heat the sweet potatoes for approximately 30-40 minutes until they are soft. Blend all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Then, pour it on top of the crust. Freeze for approximately 3 hours.

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IMPORTANCE OF PARENTS SPENDING TIME WITH THEIR KIDS

Let's face it, we're all living in a fast paced environment. Jobs that require much time, things to do, places to go. But does that mean parents can't spend time with their kids? Of course not! Well, that shouldn't be the case anyway. Living in the world is hard enough as it is nowadays. Kids of all ages need parents that care about them. Especially teens. The teen years are some of the hardest years anyone has to go through, believe me, I know. I'm still going through what's probably going to be one of the hardest times in my life right now. Teenagers are afraid. Afraid of making the wrong decisions, afraid of facing the future. This is a crazy time, mentally, emotionally, hormonally. Teens need their parents there as much as they need nutrition. Yea, it may seem like they're trying to push their parents away, but inside they really need their parents there for them.

They need their parents guidance and encouragement, their love and support. They want their parents to tell them how special they are to them and actually mean it, and not just by saying it actually SHOWING it. Family time can strengthen your family relationships, create a stronger bond with your children, and boost their self esteem. I mean, if you care about your children, finding the time to spend with them is worth it, don't you think?

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IMPORTANCE OF LOVE IN LIFE

LOVE, we all know the word, but what does it really mean? Why is it important? LOVE is a universal language. Whether it's attatchment or attraction towards something or someone, everyone and everything on this earth can feel it. LOVE is such a strong feeling, it's said to make the world go round. This powerful emotion is built into us and connects us to other living beings in this world. Without love, life would be empty. LOVE is everything. The most common reason we fear is losing something we love. You live to love, because without it, what's the point?

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FAMOUS VEGANS & VEGETARIANS - YOU'LL BE SUPRISED!

There are many vegan celebrities. Many of which i bet you have no idea are vegan. I personally admire these celebrities and am glad they made the decision to go vegan or vegetarian and make a huge impact in the world. Not only are these famous celebrities making a huge impact, most of them are speaking out about it!

VEGAN & VEGETARIAN CELEBRITIES:

1) ELLEN DEGENERES: Why did Ellen go vegan? That's the question your proboably wondering about. Well, she learned about factory farming & cruelty to animals. Ellen realized that wha twas on her plate were living things with feelings. She also read books like, "Diet for a New America" & viewed documentaries such as "Earthlings" & "Meet Your Meat."  


2) ALICIA SILVERSTONE:   Animal rights and environmental activist, this great example of  a great role model said "she was an animal lover who was eating animals." Alicia has become very influential and a great example to others on how to live a healthy & happy vegan lifestyle. With her book and the many talks she's given and continues to give encouragement to others.

3) JOAQUIN PHOENIX: Joaquin comes from a family of strict vegetarians. He is a great example, he speaks out against animal abuse!  

4) ALYSSA MILANO:  A longtime PETA supporter and avid vegetarian.

5) Emily Deschanel: Vegan & speaks about improving the planet with a vegan lifestyle.

6) BOB HARLEY: Vegan with his own book about his vegan lifestyle, healthy eating tips, and crusade against animal farms.


7) Russell Brand: This actor-comedian  is now taking on a vegan lifestyle after watching a documentary called, "Forks Over Knives".  Although he has just recentley turned vegan, Russel Brand has been a vegetarian since the age of 14.


8) Bill Clinton: became a vegan and lost over 20 pounds.

9) Bryan Adams:went vegan at age 28 because of his strong belief in animal rights.


10)Jason Mraz: Self-proclaimed raw vegan.


11) Lea Michele: Vegan and works closely with PETA.


12) Olivia Wilde: Vegan and created her own website called, "Wilde Things".


13) Steve-O: Vegan since the year 2008.


14) Tobey Maguire: He is a longtime vegan.

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