toxins-related stories
How Much Water Do I Need?
Your body is about 60 percent water, which is necessary to flush toxins out of your vital organs, carry nutrients to your cells and provide a moist environment for the ears, nose and throat.
But how much water do you need to consume on a daily basis? If you wait to drink until you are thirsty, you risk becoming dehydrated. That's because there are several normal bodily functions -- like sweating and urinating -- that cause the body to lose water.
How Much Water to Drink If You're Trying to Stay Hydrated
The average adult outputs 1.5 liters of urine per day. Therefore, if you drink two liters of water per day and consider the water that is contained in the foods you already eat, you'll be replacing the lost fluids. Most people should drink half their body weight in liquid ounces each day. For example, a person weighing 150 pounds should drink 75 ounces of water per day. Another popular view on water consumption is the "eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day" rule. Those who exercise or live in hot or humid environments will need to drink more water to replace additional fluid loss.
A simple trick to determine if you're getting enough water is to take a peek at your urine. If you "pee clear" then you're most likely properly hydrated!
How Much Water to Drink If You're Trying to Lose Weight
But how much water do you need to consume on a daily basis? If you wait to drink until you are thirsty, you risk becoming dehydrated. That's because there are several normal bodily functions -- like sweating and urinating -- that cause the body to lose water.
How Much Water to Drink If You're Trying to Stay Hydrated
The average adult outputs 1.5 liters of urine per day. Therefore, if you drink two liters of water per day and consider the water that is contained in the foods you already eat, you'll be replacing the lost fluids. Most people should drink half their body weight in liquid ounces each day. For example, a person weighing 150 pounds should drink 75 ounces of water per day. Another popular view on water consumption is the "eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day" rule. Those who exercise or live in hot or humid environments will need to drink more water to replace additional fluid loss.
A simple trick to determine if you're getting enough water is to take a peek at your urine. If you "pee clear" then you're most likely properly hydrated!
How Much Water to Drink If You're Trying to Lose Weight
In addition to helping carry out bodily functions, drinking water can make you feel fuller longer, helping you eat less -- and therefor help you lose weight. In fact, many weight-loss experts recommend drinking water or eating a broth-based soup while on a diet. If you're trying to lose weight, you'll be able to determine whether you're actually hungry or just thirsty after your glass of water or soup.
If you have a hard time drinking enough or unsure if you're getting the amount of water that you need in your diet, try carrying a refillable water bottle. If you shy away from water because you don't like the taste, add a slice of lemon, lime or cucumber to your water. Juices can also help combat dehydration, but be sure to watch out for calorie-filled sodas or other drinks.
More Diet and Fitness Questions Answered:
How Many Calories Do I Need to Eat Per Day?
How Do I Calculate My BMI? How Many Calories Did I Burn?
How Much Protein Do I Need?
2 Day Diet
Two Day Diet pills are a weight-loss supplement that claim to be "all-natural," offering users the chance to lose up to 15 pounds in one month. Also known as the Two Day Diet Japan Lingzhi Slimming capsules, these diet pills contain a number of foreign-sounding ingredients such as ebony, Lingzhi, sibutramine, fox nut, seman pruni, dioscoreae and tuckahoe.
Those using Two Day Diet pills are instructed to swallow one or two capsules before breakfast and are advised to drink plenty of water. The supplements are recommended to be used with a balanced eating and exercise plan.
According to the manufacturers, Two Day Diet pills can do several things: Speed up your metabolism, prevent your body from digesting fat, suppress your appetite, boost your energy and expel toxins and waste from your body. However, according to Keri M. Gans, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, "there is no scientific research to support the claims."
Reviews of the product are quite often negative, and Gans adds "I recommend healthy eating, not another fad diet with false hope."
Minor side effects listed for the product include dizziness, diarrhea and thirst. Several major complications have also been linked to the product, including stroke and heart attack.
A 30-day supply of 2 Day Diet pills can be purchased for approximately $30 and are available through a variety of online retailers.
Those using Two Day Diet pills are instructed to swallow one or two capsules before breakfast and are advised to drink plenty of water. The supplements are recommended to be used with a balanced eating and exercise plan.
According to the manufacturers, Two Day Diet pills can do several things: Speed up your metabolism, prevent your body from digesting fat, suppress your appetite, boost your energy and expel toxins and waste from your body. However, according to Keri M. Gans, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, "there is no scientific research to support the claims."
Reviews of the product are quite often negative, and Gans adds "I recommend healthy eating, not another fad diet with false hope."
Minor side effects listed for the product include dizziness, diarrhea and thirst. Several major complications have also been linked to the product, including stroke and heart attack.
A 30-day supply of 2 Day Diet pills can be purchased for approximately $30 and are available through a variety of online retailers.
Colonics
Colonics -- also known as colonic irrigation, colon cleansing or colon hydrotherapy -- are an alternative medical therapy that involve flushing the colon with water through the rectum to cleanse the intestinal tract. The aim of a colonic is to remove fecal matter and toxins from the colon, and a colonic can sometimes involve the use of special herbs or liquids. Colonics can be used to relieve constipation, cleanse the intestinal tract and improve overall health.
Colonics are performed by trained professionals, called a colon hydrotherapist. During a colonic treatment, warm water is flushed into the colon through the anus, causing peristalsis, a contraction of the colon muscles. This contraction forces fecal matter out of the intestinal tract, into a closed waste collection system. The process can feel slightly uncomfortable and typically lasts between 45 minutes and an hour. Possible side effects include nausea and fatigue. Some medical professionals feel colonic cleansing is unecessary but many alternative health practitioners advocate it as a healthy way to reduce harmful waste in the body.
Learn more about Alternative Health and Medicine from That's Fit.
Colonics are performed by trained professionals, called a colon hydrotherapist. During a colonic treatment, warm water is flushed into the colon through the anus, causing peristalsis, a contraction of the colon muscles. This contraction forces fecal matter out of the intestinal tract, into a closed waste collection system. The process can feel slightly uncomfortable and typically lasts between 45 minutes and an hour. Possible side effects include nausea and fatigue. Some medical professionals feel colonic cleansing is unecessary but many alternative health practitioners advocate it as a healthy way to reduce harmful waste in the body.
Learn more about Alternative Health and Medicine from That's Fit.
Have You Tried Detox?
If you're looking for a quick slim-down, just look to the stars. No, not the ones up in the sky, I mean all the detox-happy celebs out in Tinseltown.
Cleanses are quite popular right now, but they've been around for years. They can lead to some quick (though likely temporary) weight loss and, as Bethany found out, detox diets can leave you feeling quite good (after a few days of feeling kind of lousy, anyway).
Proponents of detox diets will leave you believing that your body is full of nasty toxins that have no other way to come out. But many health experts will tell you that your body does a pretty good job of getting rid of toxins on its own. So I wonder what you think ... do you detox?
If you've done a detox diet, what did you think about it? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Is Your Detox a Waste of Money?
Diet & Weight Loss, Reviews & Products, Nutrition & Supplements
This week marked the beginning of, I imagine, thousands of detox diets across North America. It's only natural, really, that after weeks of indulging in more sugar, fat, alcohol and laziness than we do all year that we're looking for ways to cleanse our bodies of our holiday sins and start 2009 off right. But before you rush to the drug store to pick up a detox kit to the tune of $30 or more, keep in mind that leading scientists have declared many so-called detoxes to be a waste of money. You can save your hard-earned cash with a do-it-yourself detox. It won't be easy -- most experts believe that detoxing requires you to cut out sugar, salt, refined carbs, wheat, dairy, alcohol and caffeine, not to mention drinking lots of water and eating plenty of fruits and veggies -- but doing it yourself is healthier and more economical.
Click here for some more DIY-detoxing tips.
This Desperate Housewife likes to get hot
Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
Felicity Huffman is no stranger to fitness. She's a fan of running and has participated in triathlons. But Huffman has a new fitness love -- she's getting addicted to Bikram yoga. The 45-year-old Desperate Housewives' star says "As you get older, you get stiffer. Doing yoga has shown me that flexibility is as important as strength." Bikram yoga is nicknamed hot yoga and for good reason. When following along with Bikram's series of 26 poses, you'll be doing so in a room set to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (some classes may not set it quite so high). The idea is that your body is more flexible in heat, and the hot atmosphere warms your muscles more quickly. In addition, it's said to reduce the risk of injury, promote sweating, and release toxins from the body.
5 ways to detox, naturally
Motivation, Alternative & Green Health
Not only are we constantly barraged by noise and air pollution, we're regularly filling our bodies with garbage: chemicals, additives, even poisons. So it's never been so important to cleanse both our minds and our bodies of the toxins we can't seem to escape in our day-to-day life.
But detoxing doesn't have to mean forking out a small fortune at an uppity spa. Divine Caroline offers a number of ways you can give your body a break, naturally:
- Drink lots of water. It flushes the system.
- Sweat, either in a sauna or steam room, or through exercise.
- Meditate or pray regularly, and take deep, cleansing breaths when you do.
- Eliminate electronics from your bedroom.
- Cleanse your body with natural herbs like dandelion and ginger root.
There are plenty more tips where these came from -- head over to Divine Caroline for more detox data.
Don't eat lobster tomalley
Dreaming of a lobster feast? If so and you make good on your dreams, you'll want to steer clear of lobster tomalley.Maine officials are recommending consumers avoid eating tomalley after tests revealed high levels of toxins in some lobsters. Lobster meat is perfectly safe. It's the tomalley, a soft green substance found in the body of the lobster, that poses a risk.
Apparently, high levels of toxic algae known as red tide have been found along Maine's coast this summer, causing all sorts of problems. Regardless, the FDA has long advised consumers to not eat tomalley, which is considered a delicacy to some.
Remove cellulite with Kinoki Foot Pads? Hmmm ...
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Reviews & Products
Kinoki Detox Foot Pads claim to remove your cellulite through a pad you tape to the bottom of your foot while you sleep. When you awaken, it will be covered with icky brown junk -- these are the toxins your body needs to eliminate (apparently in the same way a tree eliminates toxins through its roots). In addition to removing cellulite, they are supposed to cure headaches, depression, and insomnia by helping your body detox through "Kinoki's Natural Power of Nature."I'm not convinced. Not at all.
While there might be some merit in the ancient Japanese (or Chinese, depending on whether you're watching the infomercial or reading the website) secrets upon which these are based, they're not going to remove cellulite. This is one product I won't be spending my hard-earned cash on -- I'd rather use it toward a new set of running shoes or a healthy meal, both of which are more likely to yield real results.
12 "healthy" foods that really aren't:
Why? Click to find out!
Live in an old home with wood floors? You may be breathing toxins
If you live in an older home with original wood floors, listen up. The stain that was used on that beautiful wood floor may in fact be giving off toxic fumes right into the air you breath while enjoying that quiet time at home.Research from the U.S. this week indicated that PCBs may be contained within the actual finish that nice wood floor received more than four or five decades ago.
Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) were used in many products until the 1970s when its use was banned in the U.S. and elsewhere due to high toxicity. Now, if that original wood floor has been refinished or restored, chances are the original finish was removed and you may not longer have PCBs near your feet every day.
In the study, PCBs were detected in 31 percent of homes on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Yikes. If you have an older home with the original wood flooring and you're unsure if it's original, having it tested by a company specializing in hazardous material may be a sound idea.
Boost your defenses
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements
Thanks to the human body's defense systems, we are able to fight off germs, infection and certain diseases. Additionally, some food additives, pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals are also contended with by this natural mechanism. With this ongoing struggle for health always taking place, it's vital that we do what we can to aid our bodies in the fight.
To do so, try to consume foods that are high in antioxidants to neutralize free radicals produced by toxins. Also, be sure to wash your fruits and vegetables, even if they are organic and locally grown. And lastly, consume green tea, for it acts as a chelator -- an agent that removes heavy-metal toxins from the body and replaces them with healthy elements.
To learn more ways to keep your body as healthy as you can, continue reading here.
Autism and cell phones: A connection?
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
Autism is a condition that has skyrocketed in children in recent years, and it's baffled researchers ever since. What's the cause? More importantly, how do we prevent it? Recent studies are pointing the finger at a widely-used technology: the cell phone. Well, not just cell phones -- cell towers, Wi-Fi and other mobile devices.
The key component of wireless devices that is thought to affect autism is the EMR (electromagnetic radiation) they transmit. Recent research has shown that it can negatively affect cell membranes, and this can cause heavy metal toxins to build up in the body. So, it's thought that these heavy metal toxins can get trapped inside nerve cells, which can lead to Autism. For more info, click here.
Cell phones have been linked to several health problems in the past. What do you think -- is it a case of hyperactive worry or are they really ruining our health?
The key component of wireless devices that is thought to affect autism is the EMR (electromagnetic radiation) they transmit. Recent research has shown that it can negatively affect cell membranes, and this can cause heavy metal toxins to build up in the body. So, it's thought that these heavy metal toxins can get trapped inside nerve cells, which can lead to Autism. For more info, click here.
Cell phones have been linked to several health problems in the past. What do you think -- is it a case of hyperactive worry or are they really ruining our health?
Study says pollution responsible for up to 40% of deaths worldwide
It's not a secret that pollution isn't good for the planet or the many creatures that inhabit it, but still I find the results of the study reported on here are absolutely mind-blowing. According to a study conducted at Cornell University by a professor of ecology and agricultural sciences along with a team of graduate students, various forms of pollution can be blamed for up to 40% of deaths across the globe.
Numbers that large offer a pretty scary wake-up call. Water, soil and air pollution are the biggest killers, with air pollution alone being blamed for up to 3 million deaths a year. The piece points out that toxins in the environment can lead to a range of potentially deadly health problems including cancer, immune system defects, birth defects and more.
I think that this sort of news really brings home that fact that we all need to think more about not only what we put into our bodies but also what we're expelling into the environment, as eventally a lot of that junk will end up in our bodies anyway. What do you think?
Cancer: Are we winning?
Though we've made so much progress in the war against cancer in the last few decades, it seems today like the disease is more rampant than ever. So when Prevention Magazine asked the question Are we winning the war on cancer? I had to read.
The short answer: Yes. The disease might seem more prevalent, but the treatments and diagnosis have come a long way in recent years. And awareness is at an all-time high -- more and more people are adopting healthy habits that have been shown to prevent cancer, such as maintaining a healthy weight, eating a diet rich in fruits and veggies and low in fat, getting the recommended amount of exercise and limiting exposure to toxins and hormones in food.
For more info, read the full article.
The short answer: Yes. The disease might seem more prevalent, but the treatments and diagnosis have come a long way in recent years. And awareness is at an all-time high -- more and more people are adopting healthy habits that have been shown to prevent cancer, such as maintaining a healthy weight, eating a diet rich in fruits and veggies and low in fat, getting the recommended amount of exercise and limiting exposure to toxins and hormones in food.
For more info, read the full article.
Finding balance with the Schwarzbein Principle
What's the key to aging well and retaining your youthful vitality? Best-selling author Dr. Diana Schwarzbein has the answer, and she's shared it with everyone in her book, The Schwarzbein Principle. I haven't read the book, but if you do, you can expect to find lots of helpful tips on how to attain balance and have the healthiest life you can. True health revolves around five principles:
- Nutrition: Eating to be thin isn't the goal here -- eating well and maintaining a healthy body weight is
- Stress Management: Figuring out how to deal with stress is the key to attaining balance
- Tapering off Toxins: Tobacco, alcohol, refined sugars, caffeine and medications are toxic and should be weaned off of.
- Smart Exercise: Exercise is good, but too much exercise can be dangerous
- Hormone Replacement Therapy: HRT is not for everyone but for some who are lacking in a certain hormone, it can make a world of difference.
