Your Weekly "SMALL Dose" of Health
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Prescription Medication & Nutrient Depletion At the Fire Fighters Health & Wellness Center, we are concerned about your health. We realize that drug-induced nutrient depletion is far more common than has been acknowledged. If you are taking certain prescription medication, you may be at risk for nutrient depletion. America has been called a pill-popping society, and the statistics bear this out. Nearly 50 percent of all American adults regularly take at least one prescription drug, and 20 percent take three or more. Our increasing reliance on prescription medications has contributed to the growing problem with nutrient depletion. The truth is that every medication, including over-the-counter drugs, depletes your body of specific, vital nutrients. This is especially concerning when you consider that most Americans are already suffering from nutrient depletion. Additionally, many of the conditions physicians see in their everyday practice may actually be related to nutrient depletion. The good news is that, armed with information and the right supplements, you can avoid the side effects of nutrient depletion, and even better, you may be able to control and prevent chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Please contact your health care provider if you have further questions. One of the lesser known — but potentially most important — features of Apple's & Android’s newly released mobile operating systems are digital "Medical ID," Apps which can provide important personal health related information in the event of an emergency. The Medical ID App feature is built in to the new iHealth application found in iOS 8 for iPhone. Users can configure it by launching the Health App, tapping the Medical ID menu in the bottom right, and then choosing "Create Medical ID." The In Case of Emergency (ICE) App will need to be downloaded separately from the Google Play Store for Android Users. Smart Phone users with a passcode-locked handset will need to enable the "Show When Locked" function, providing first-responders with emergency access to their Medical ID. Enabling this feature allows the Medical ID to be viewed by swiping the lock screen, tapping "Emergency," and then viewing the digital information. A user's Medical ID can be configured with a custom picture, name, date of birth, list of medical conditions, allergies, reactions and medications. It also allows users to display an emergency contact with name, telephone number, and relationship. The Medical ID allows users to enter their blood type, height and weight, and whether they are an organ donor. And if someone changes their mind about having such information available from their lock screen, all of the Medical ID information can be deleted via one button at the bottom of the editing page. After the Medical ID has been created, users can always go back and make changes through the Health app. Medical ID is just one function of the new Health applications available, which aim to become a centralized repository for all of a user's health information, whether input manually or automatically collected through other smart phone accessories. Watch the video tutorial below to set up your iphone Medical ID App today. Watch the video tutorial below to set up your Android In Case of Emergency Medical ID App today. Thanks For Reading
Aside from just quenching your thirst, drinking the right amount of water can benefit your overall health in countless other ways. It doesn't take much to become dehydrated. Lose just 1.5% of the water in your body (the human body is usually about 60% H2O), and you've reached the tipping point of mild dehydration. It can be brought on by many things and it can do much more to your body than just make you feel thirsty. Dehydration also brings on health effects ranging from fatigue and smelly breath to more dangerous consequences like distracted driving. It gives you bad breath It's easy to forget to drink water during a busy workday, but at the end of the day you may find people standing unusually far from you when you open your mouth. Dehydration can give you bad breath, saliva has important antibacterial properties. When dehydrated, the decreased saliva in the mouth allows bacteria to thrive, resulting in bad breath .So drink up for your own sake, and for those around you as well. It makes you crave sugar Dehydration can mask itself as hunger, particularly sugar cravings. This may happen particularly if you've been exercising. When you exercise in a dehydrated state, you use glycogen (stored carbohydrate) at a faster rate, thus diminishing your stores more quickly. So once you finish exercising, you will crave carbs to help you replenish those glycogen levels and get you ready for your next exercise bout. It wrecks your workout Even being slightly dehydrated affects your ability to put effort into your workout. A 2% dehydration level in your body causes a 10% decrease in athletic performance and the more dehydrated you become, the worse performance gets. It dries your skin out Keeping skin healthy and glowing requires drinking enough water. It's best to hydrate from the inside out. Depending on your lifestyle you may need to adjust your water intake. If you work out every day or are a caffeine fiend, then you'll need to drink more., because workouts make you sweat and caffeine is a diuretic, both which can dehydrate you. It may affect your ability to drive safely Few things are more uncomfortable than being stuck in traffic or on a long drive when you need to use the restroom. Logically, it makes sense to simply not drink water before hitting the road. But new research published in Physiology and Behavior shows that the number of driving errors doubled during a two-hour drive when drivers were dehydrated versus hydrated—an effect similar to driving while drunk (defined by most states as .08% blood alcohol). Since often people purposely avoid drinking prior to a long road trip to prevent bathroom stops, dehydration could increase the risk of traffic accidents. It makes you tired A mid-afternoon slump may have more to do with hydration than you think. When you're dehydrated your blood pressure drops, heart rate increases, blood flow to the brain slows -- all of which can make you tired. A lack of water to muscles also makes physical tasks feel more difficult and tiring. It sours your mood Cranky much? Drink a glass of water and your mood may change. Neurological effects of dehydration can cause irritability. People who are only slightly dehydrated often report headaches, loss of focus, and irritability. It can give you the chills It may seem counter-intuitive, but dehydration can bring on chills. This occurs because your body starts to limit blood flow to the skin. In addition, water holds heat, so if you become hydrated it can be more difficult to regulate your body temperature, which can make you become chilled faster, even when you're not in a cold environment. It can cause muscle cramps A lack of water causes less blood circulation, which can make muscles cramp up. The body will protect its vital organs, so it shifts fluid away from muscles and anything that's not vital. Muscle cramps can be extremely painful, making muscles feel harder than normal to the touch. Changes in sodium and potassium through sweat loss can also contribute to cramping. It constipates you Your body needs water to keep things moving through your colon. When you're not getting enough H2O, your body compensates by withdrawing more fluid from stool, making it harder and more difficult to pass. That said, it's worth noting that drinking more water when you're already properly hydrated won't necessarily relieve constipation caused by other factors, like the medications you're taking, medical conditions, or a lack of fiber in your diet. It makes you feel dizzy and foggy Along with muscles, your brain also gets less blood circulation when you're low on water, which can make you dizzy. Additionally, mild dehydration may affect your ability to take on mental tasks and cause you to feel foggy headed. It can give you a headache Dehydration can cause headaches in a couple of different ways. Lack of water affects your body's serotonin levels, which can give you headaches. In addition, small blood vessels in the brain respond quickly to hydration levels (which is also behind hangover headaches), leading to dull aches and even full-blown migraines. Try downing a glass or two of water the next time you have a headache and you may discover it disappears. You could also eat fruit, which contains a high percentage of water. Oral Re-hydration: Effective Home-Made Drinks 1. Ingredients ¼ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon potassium chloride (Morton Salt Substitute) ¼ teaspoon baking soda 2 tablespoons table sugar Water 1 Liter Container Directions Use measuring spoons to measure ingredients. Fill up the container half way with water. Add dry ingredients, stir well and add remaining water to make a final volume of 1 Liter. 2. Ingredients 1 Liter of water ¼ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons table sugar ¼ teaspoon baking soda 1 or 2 teaspoons orange or lemon juice Directions Use measuring spoons to measure ingredients. Combine all ingredients and mix well. 3. Ingredients 2 cups of Gatorade 2 cups of water 2 teaspoon salt Directions Combine ingredients and mix well. All solutions are best when chilled in the refrigerator. Discard after 24 hours. Check out the interview below with Dr. John Villa on the importance of adequate firefighter hydration. Thanks for reading
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I'm Melissa, a New Jersey native, a University of Delaware Graduate, a South Florida transplant, a Wife, a Mother & a NURSE. Archives
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