After such a wet and rainy spring it’s probably the last thing on your mind. But did you know most Americans suffer daily from dehydration? Your body is about two thirds water so it’s really important to replace the water we use daily. If you don’t, then dehydration occurs. Most people who live in other countries understand the importance of getting enough water in their diets, but for some reason Americans can’t comply. Maybe it’s because we’re all a bunch of caffeine junkies. Or maybe we think soda actually adds value to our diet. Whatever the reason it’s a real and dangerous problem for most of us.
So what is dehydration? Simply put, dehydration occurs when your body loses too many fluids. Whether you exercise, get sick, or just forget to drink enough water, the symptoms and related issues can be horrible. Dehydration can cause muscle cramps, make you feel lightheaded or even worse, have fatal consequences in extreme cases.
Dehydration applies to everyone, although the young and old are more susceptible. It does not discriminate.
So what are the signs that you need water?
In most cases dehydration goes completely unnoticed. But losing larger amounts of water can sometimes make a person feel quite sick. So here’s what you need to check for:
Feeling parched or having a dry mouth
Not outputting enough bodily liquids
Crankiness or just being plain irritable
It’s important to understand and identify why you are feeling this way. Did you drink enough today? Exercise more and forgot to replace the fluids? Been out in the hot sun all day? All of these activities increase the odds that you will become dehydrated.
If these signs continue on a daily basis and you are taking in enough water, then dehydration may be a sign that it’s something more and you should seek medical attention. There are many diseases that can cause you to constantly feel dehydrated, Diabetes being one of the most common.
Rehydrating is easy. You just need to know what to do.
Make sure that you take in enough liquids. Even though caffeine and sodas count as liquids, don’t put too much weight on these. The sodium in a can of soda will actually making you thirstier. Make sure you take in proper rehydration fluids. Water is great for anyone. If you don’t like water plain, add a fresh lemon wedge, mint leaves, aloe juice or a small amount of juice. Just drink baby, drink!
In fact take in between 8–10 glasses of juice, water or other fluids daily. Everyone’s body is different, but these are good levels to start with. If you exercise, you’ll need even more before and after you workout.
Avoid alcohol. Sorry to break the bad news, but alcohol increases dehydration too. In fact if you’ve ever spent an evening drinking a wee bit too much, you know how thirsty you are the next morning. That’s because drinking actually causes your body to dehydrate.
So what types of fluids are best?
It depends on whom you ask. But water is definitely the shinning star and easiest and least expensive to use (if you don’t purchase bottled water). Juices are great. Sports drinks are okay, but check the labels and make sure you are not just taking in high amounts of sugar and no nutritional values. (These can also pack on the pounds if you drink too much). Avoid carbonated beverages, caffeine or anything with high sugar contents.
It’s all about common sense. Drinking water is also a great way to fill up if you’re trying to shed pounds. In fact, it can aid you in losing weight more easily as it helps to flush out your system more effectively. So drink to your health and you will be keeping yourself healthier and hydrated!
The information is purely the opinion of the author. Charlene Schosser owns The Back Shack located at 33 Mill Plain Road, Danbury. Please direct any comments or questions to
The New SUPER Fruit - ACAI
by Charlene Schosser
Pronounced (ah-SIGH-ee),Açaí is the latest superfruit to hit the U.S. marketplace.If you’re an Oprah fan or anorganic shopper you’ve alreadyheard about this great fruit and its benefits. I personally have been using the Açaí for quite sometime and it is a truly amazing fruit for energy and the amount of vitamins it delivers.
The ACAI berry in it’s native environment.
Originally packaged in liquid form and used mainly in smoothies, this amazing fruit that is widely known and used in Brazil is now produced in other regions of South America. It is not always used as a beverage;and you can find in skin washes,soaps and other products.
So what is this fruit? And why haven’t we heard about it before?
Açaí is a round purplish fruitthat is fairly small (just under1 inch in diameter). It has the combination of a dark berry and chocolate taste. The Açaí palm is found in the swampy areas of the rainforests and produce just two crops a year.
The pulp and juice of theAçaí plant is used in many types of beverages. Given the actual taste of the berry, it is most often combined with other fruits, like pomegranate and blueberry.
Açaí is packed with nutrition and includes high ORAC (OxygenRadical Absorbance Capacities)values. It is also contains Bvitamins, including B1, B2, B3,C and E plus over fifteen aminoacids and fatty acids. That makes it a great energy drink.
If that’s not enough, there are twelve flavanoid compounds and proanthocyanidins and resveratrol(although the levels are lower here).
Açaí antioxidants are said to help combat premature aging,with 10 times more antioxidants than red grapes and ten to thirtytimes the anthocyanins of red wine!
It’s a grape! It’s red wine!No it’s Açaí!
So where can you find this new super fruit? Check in the beverage sections of the local organic markets or try the natural areas ofthe larger markets. It’s out there,you just have to look for it or ask.(There’s always an Açaí smoothie at The Back Shack. Okay this is a shameless plug for my business,but it is a best seller).
The taste may not thrill a first timer as you do acquire a taste for it. You’ll love it or hate it.It’s not a super sweet fruit, so if you’re a sugar-craver, you may find Açaí a bit bland for your tastebuds. Some people don’t like it at all (which is why companies have started to package the fruit with other fruits). But for those of us who don’t want super-sweet this is the perfect fruit. Don’tlook for it to buy in the produce section. It’s not something that is in the marketplace and may never be. Your choices remain only to purchase as prepackaged beverages, smoothies, powders(available on the internet) and in several nutritional supplements.
But whatever you read or think about this super fruit, do try Açaí.It’s worth all the talk, even if you can’t pronounce it!
The information is purely the opinion of the author. Charlene Schosser owns The Back Shack located at 33 Mill Plain Road,Danbury. Please direct any comments or questions to
