I had one of those “Internet Emails” forwarded to me the other day.  You know the type – “forward this to someone you care about” or “don’t break the chain” or whatever.  Anyway, this one actually seemed to contain some useful information about drinking water.

Now we all know we’re supposed to get around 8 glasses of water per day, right?  We all know that hydration is critical to good health, right?  Well, what you might not know is that there’s an optimal time to be drinking water.

The following information supposedly comes from a cardiologist.  Now again, this was from an email that someone forwarded to me so I can’t vouch whether it really does come from a cardiologist, or from any other healthcare professional for that matter, so take it with the appropriate grain of salt.  However, it does make sense.

According to the information I received, drinking water at certain times maximizes the body’s ability to utilize it.  Specifically, you should:

• Drink 2 glasses of water immediately after waking up to help activate internal organs,
• Drink 1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal to help digestion (and to help reduce hunger pangs so you don’t end  up overeating),
• Drink 1 glass of water before taking a bath in order to help lower blood pressure,
• Drink 1 glass of water before going to bed to help avoid a stroke or heart attack while you sleep.

Let me emphasize once again that I can’t vouch for the accuracy of this information or its source.  However, I do know that water makes up a large percentage of the body and keeping the body supplied with enough clean water is an important part of staying healthy.  I’m also a big believer that your body should be getting the majority of the water it needs from eating water-rich fruits and vegetables and from drinking clean water, not from sodas, coffee, teas, or other flavored drinks.

Take a close look at the graphic for the many ways that water is used in the body – and then make sure you’re getting enough of it.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: hydration, water, water-rich, health, healthy, weight-loss, diet, nutrition

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So why go through all the effort?  Why put yourself through all the pain and agony?  Well, because exercise produces some “magic” effects.  Primarily:

Physical Strength and Conditioning

I shouldn’t even have to mention this one, right?  Of course, working your body develops your muscles, including your heart, so that they’re stronger and can work longer.  Your body becomes much more efficient at using oxygen and burning nutrients.

But the real benefit is more than just tighter abs – much more.  The more you exercise, the easier your everyday motions become and the more you can enjoy life.  Picking up your kids (or in my case, grandkids) becomes a joy instead of a literal pain in the lower back.  Being able to play chase without feeling like you’re having a heart attack is not only fun for your kids, it makes you feel like a kid as well.

Which brings me to the next “magic” benefit of exercise:

Mental Conditioning

Sure, the more I exercise, the better I feel physically.  But the better I feel physically, the better my mental outlook. gets as well  After a good workout, your brain is deluged with all the endorphins and extra blood flow generated by the physical activity.  It makes you think that anything’s possible – and you know what?  Anything IS possible!

Exercising on a regular basis also builds mental discipline and focus – two things that are basic “keys to success” in your work and career.  Working out in the morning (my favorite time) is the best way to start your day with a clear mind and sharp mental focus.  You’ll arrive at work ready to jump in and tackle the day’s workload while everybody else is still trying to shake out the cobwebs with large doses of Starbucks.  That kind of mental conditioning is sure to be noticed by the “higher ups.”

So Just Do It

Even the most basic exercise routine will quickly produce results, both physical as well as mental, that can only be described as life-changing.  Your entire outlook on life will change for the positive and your jeans will fit better too!  You can’t find a better deal.  So what does it cost?  Just 20-30 minutes of resistance and cardio training every other day or so.  That’s it.

There are all sorts of workout programs out there designed for the beginner to the advanced athlete.  The ALL work – but only if YOU work them.  So find one that you like and get started.  Don’t think about it, just do it.  The results you get will be simply magic!

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Every year, around 800,000 Americans have a stroke with about 145,000 of them not surviving.  Even when a person does survive, their lives are forever changed, sometimes radically.  Those changes can range from little to no physical damage to significant and debilitating impairments including speech and mobility loss.

There are two main categories of risk factors:  those that are genetic and those that are a result of your lifestyle.  The first you’re born with and can’t do much about.  The second category on the other hand, is totally within your control…

Many of the lifestyle risk factors you already know.  They include the standard “watch what you eat and exercise more” that has become the main health prescription that all of us need to do more of.  But there’s more, much more.

First of all, don’t dismiss the “exercise and diet” as just more of the same pop-culture advice that’s on every health ad and exercise commercial.  If you’re going to focus on anything at all, this should be the thing you work on the most.  Nothing else provides the same level of health benefits – nothing.

Second, take a look at your lifestyle habits.  Do you regularly skimp on your sleep by staying up late or having to get up early?  Whether you’re missing sleep because of essential reasons (taking care of a sick child, for example) or for trivial ones (watching a late-night movie on AMC), the end result is the same – you don’t get the rest your body needs to rebuild and maintain its health.

If you drink more than one glass of wine, beer, or drink per day, you’re putting your body at risk of a stroke.  Smoking doubles the risk of stroke.  Now’s the time to cut back on these habits that are reducing your life and work on building new ones that will add to the time you have on this Earth.

Another lifestyle habit is your diet, the types of food you eat.  Reduce salty and fatty foods in your diet and you’ll lower your risk of stroke.  I don’t even have to mention reducing portion sizes, do I?

Lastly, you can manage your risk of stroke by taking control of your medical check-ups.  Get checked out on a regular basis, especially if you fall into a high risk group (being over 55, being male, being African-American, Hispanic, or Asian/Pacific Islander, or having a family history of stroke).  Many of the medical factors that can lead to stroke, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure, can be successfully treated IF they’re identified in time – and the only way to do that is to get yourself checked out on a regular basis.

Having a stroke can radically change your life.  All those plans you had for dream vacations, travel, retirement, and so on can quickly go out the window.  The good news is that you have control over many of the risk factors that can lead to stroke, as well as to many other health problems.

The question is, what will you do with that control?

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer

Technorati Tags: heart, stroke, exercise, balanced health, risk factors, heart attack, brain damage, blood pressure, diabetes, fitness

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The premise sounds good – drinking a beverage that gives you extra energy, and nowadays, who can’t use a little extra energy?  Energy drinks have become a 1.1 Billion dollar industry with all of the major producers, and most of the smaller ones, jumping to get a piece of the action.

Targeted primarily to teens and young adults, energy drinks combine varying amounts of caffeine, vitamins, sugar, and other ingredients such as taurine and ginseng.  Most energy drinks have the same amount of caffeine as 1-2 cups of coffee.  Red Bull in particular has the equivalent of 1 cup of coffee, Jolt Cola the equivalent of about 3 cups.

So where’s the down side?

There are several in my opinion.

First, I’m not a big caffeine junkie having learned the hard way how addictive it can be (I used to pound down a six-pack of Dr. Pepper every day).  If you’ve ever been “hooked” on caffeine and then tried to quit, you know how bad caffeine addiction can be.  Anything that is that addictive can’t be good for your body.

Second, mixing Red Bull with vodka has become a very popular drink.  Combining the Red Bull (or any energy drink) with alcohol is a really bad idea.  According to experts, the caffeine in the Red Bull can mask the effects of the alcohol.  In other words, people actually become more drunk than they think they are.  This can lead to some really bad decisions – like deciding to drive yourself home, for example.

Third, researchers are finding that drinking energy drinks such as Red Bull may increase the risk of stroke and heart attack, even in young adults.  Studies have shown that healthy blood vessels can show some signs of damage after drinking just one can.  It’s for this reason that Red Bull is banned in France, Norway, Denmark, and Uruguay with other countries currently performing studies of their own.

What’s my take?

Well, those that know me know that I don’t believe in artificial stimulants.  If you don’t have enough energy to make it through the day, then you’re not getting enough sleep, exercise, or proper nutrition.  There should be no reason to “boost” your energy level by artificial means.  If you’re in good health, you should be able to do this naturally.  My advice is to learn how to balance your health the natural way and ditch the artificial “crutches.”

Lastly, if you do enjoy energy drinks such as Red Bull, drink them responsively.  That means don’t drink too many, don’t drink them when performing strenuous physical activities or playing sports, and for God’s sake, don’t mix them with alcohol.

>>Update:  be sure to see my latest post on this topic titled “How Safe are Energy Drinks Like Red Bull?“

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: red bull, energy drinks, caffeine, heart attack, heart disease, balanced health

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However, things started getting worse.   I obviously wasn’t sleeping well and was waking up repeatedly during the night and getting up in the morning feeling like I hadn’t slept at all.  Things went from bad to worse when my wife said that there were a couple of times that she had woken up with a start because I had actually stopped breathing.  She worried I was developing sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a condition that if left untreated, can increase the load on the heart causing high blood pressure and increasing the chance of a heart attack.   Since I had recently been told by my dentist that my blood pressure seemed a little high, the pieces started to fall into place – and I didn’t like the picture they were painting.  It was time to look for answers and one of the solutions I found was the PureSleep system.

What It Is

As a person gets older, the chances that they’ll start snoring increases, especially for men.  The reason is because the soft tissue at the back of the throat basically begins to sag.  As we sleep, this soft tissue relaxes to the point that it begins to vibrate creating what we call a snore.  This tissue can also block the airway causing obstructive sleep apnea.

PureSleep is a plastic mouthpiece that moves your lower jaw upward helping to clear the airway.   The result is little to no snoring and a reduced chance of sleep apnea.  Finally, a night of restful sleep!

What It Claims

According to some of the literature that accompanied the product, PureSleep claims to be 80-90% effective in stopping snoring.  It also claims to be an “FDA-cleared prescription dental device” available without a prescription or a visit to a dentist.

This device is not for you if you’ve been diagnosed with central sleep apnea (as opposed to obstructive sleep apnea), have some sort of chronic respiratory disorder (like asthma or emphysema), have dental problems (loose teeth or gum disease), have TMD (a disease of the jaw joint), or if you have full dentures (partials are OK).

How It Works

The PureSleep uses a technique called “mandibular repositioning,” which is a fancy way of saying that it moves, or repositions, your lower jaw (the mandibula) in order to clear your airway.

You can try this yourself by laying on your back for a couple of minutes.  If you’re like me, after a while you’ll start to feel like phlem is beginning to collect at the back of your throat.  You might even have to “clear your throat” a couple of times in order to keep your airway clear.  This feeling is actually the soft tissue at the back of your throat relaxing, and then sagging, to the point that it begins to block your airway.

Now, once you feel it getting harder to take a breath, instead of “clearing your throat,” try moving your lower jaw forward.  You should feel your airway clear almost immediately.  The only problem is holding your jaw in this position because once you fall asleep, your jaw drops back down restricting the airway again.  That’s where the PureSleep device comes in.

The device is made up of an upper, as well as a lower, mouthpiece that are designed to snap together.  However, before you snap them together, you move the lower one to a point that will move your lower jaw forward.  This is an important first step and cannot be changed later so make sure you do it correctly.

Next, you need to custom fit the PureSleep to your mouth.   To do this, you put the device in a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds, let it cool for 10 seconds, and then put it into your mouth and bite down hard while holding your lower jaw as far forward as  you can.

The device is constructed of both rigid (the outer part) as well as soft plastic (the inner part).  The hot water softens the inner part to the point that it creates an imprint of your teeth in the plastic.  It also locks in the position of the lower piece so it’s important that you had it positioned far enough forward in the first place.

Finally, you trim away any of the soft plactic that might have oozed out to the side.   If the fit still isn’t comfortable, you can repeat the boiling water process 2-3 more times (it took me 3 times to get mine right).  HOWEVER, note that each time you do this, the amount of soft plastic that lines the inside of the mouthpiece get’s thinner and thinner so there’s a limit to how many times you can heat the device.

Once you’re done, the device should fit snugly, but still comfortably, in your mouth without putting undue pressure on your teeth or gums.  It should also be pulling your lower jaw forward.

How Effective It Is

You do have to get used to wearing the device at night.   Until you do, you’ll probably find yourself waking up and pulling it out after a couple of hours.  That’s OK.  Just try to leave it in longer and longer each night.  It shouldn’t bother you at all after 3 or 4 nights.

Once you get used to wearing it, you’ll be surprised how effective the device is.  I’ve finally been able to sleep through the entire night.  Obviously, I also feel a lot more rested in the morning.

What It Costs

OK, here’s the bad news.  On their website, the PureSleep system sells for $59.90 plus a $7.95 shipping charge. The PureSleep company claims that this price is much less than what it would cost if you went to your dentist and had it prescribed.   That’s probably true but it really didn’t make me feel any better.

So basically, I paid a total of $67.85 for a piece of plastic!!   However, the device DOES work and once I got over the shock, I justified it by asking myself exactly how much a good nights sleep and lower blood pressure is actually worth.

PureSleep stands behind their product with a full 30-day money back, 100% satisfaction guarantee.

My Recommendation & Rating

My recommendation is that if you suffer from snoring to the point that you or your partner can’t get a good night’s sleep, then you need to get one of these things.   Sure, the price is a little steep but it’s fully guaranteed, is constructed of quality materials, and it works.

I highly recommend it.   Here’s how I would rate it overall:

Where To Get It

The PureSleep system is only available through their website at www.PureSleep.com.  Your dentist probably has access to similar (but probably more expensive) products.

Disclosure

PureSleep does not have an affiliate program so I am not making any money or getting any kind of compensation from this review.   I purchased the product for my own use and have found it works as advertised.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: snoring, sleep apnea, puresleep, rest, throat, snore, restful sleep, blood pressure

Although I recommend the PureSleep, you might also be interested in the following alternatives from Amazon.com:

Stop Snoring Mouth Piece – Anti Snore Device Sleep Apnea Cessation Aid

• Clinically proven to help 95% of snoring sufferers
• Each individually molded to guarantee a comfortable lasting fit
• Recommended by dentist and doctors
• Features a convenient opening to allow constant air circulation
• Also includes a storage case & easy step-by-step instructions

Snore-Ex’s anti snoring mouthpiece is an oral appliance also referred to as a Mandibular Advancement Device. The simple custom-fit mouthpiece positions and holds the jaw, opening airways for maximum airflow, thus reducing or eliminating snoring vibrations. More specifically, it provides a forward-positioning for the tongue, which is connected to the lower jaw. This increases airflow and minimizes the most common snoring cause – soft palette vibrations in the rear of the mouth. This is for adults

Rating: (out of 225 reviews)

List Price: $ 65.99

Price:

The SnoreWizard

• Comfortable to use
• Immediate Results, Stop snoring fast
• Easy cleaning, immerse in hot water
• No Boiling and No Fitting Required

Easy to fit, easy to wear and non-intrusive. Designed to treat snoring and sleep apnea. Get the satisfaction of a good nights sleep with 94% success rate. An economical low cost solution which lasts up to 9 months.

Rating: (out of 75 reviews)

List Price: $ 79.95

Price:

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My parents live in San Antonio while I live in Houston, both cities in Texas about 200 miles apart. A couple of days before Mother’s Day, I called my Mom and said, “Instead of me sending you flowers, how about if I came over and spend Mother’s Day with you?” She said, “Sure!”

I drove down on Saturday and spent a great afternoon and evening with my folks. After a great meal, we all sat outside for a while enjoying the evening before going in to watch a basketball game on TV (my folks are Spurs fans). I went to bed shortly thereafter.

Close to midnight, I heard my Mom calling and saying that she needed help. My Mom is 79 and my Dad is 85 so I immediately thought one of them had fallen. I rushed down to see what was the matter.

My Mom was literally trying to hold down my Dad who was moving around the bed on his hands and knees in a random manner as if he was looking for something in the sheets. My Mom and I kept asking him what the matter was, if he was hurting anywhere, what was wrong. I finally got him seated at the edge of the bed, trying unsucessfully to get him to tell me what the problem was.

All of a sudden, he lies back on the bed and begins to snore — as if the whole thing was a bad dream and he was sound asleep. My Mom looked at me with a blank look on her face. What do we do? What would you do? Did he in fact have a bad dream or was this an indication of a more serious problem?

Worried because he was incoherent, we immediately called an ambulance. Because my Mom lives close to a Fire Station, one arrived within 10 minutes. My Dad was airlifted to a hospital (one of the best in San Antonio) and was receiving medical attention within 30 minutes. Still, it was too late.

While at the hospital, I happened to notice that it was “National Stroke Month.” How ironic, I thought. I picked up a flyer that listed the symptoms of a stroke. They matched my Dad’s symptoms to a tee.

According to the National Stroke Association, the danger signs of a stroke include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg – especially on one side of the body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

Get more information at http://www.stroke.org

Although my Dad’s stroke was massive and he did not recover, maybe knowing these danger signs will help save someone you love.

Hiram

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