INDEX

Water And Health

Walking And Health

Worry and Health

References

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Chapter 1

Water And HealthChapter Content :

➢ Dehydration➢ How Much Water Do I Need?➢ How Water Boosts Metabolism➢ Hungry or Thirsty? How Water Helps a Diet➢ The Digestive Health Benefits of Water➢ Best Sources

You need water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to your organs and

tissues. Water also helps transport oxygen to your cells, removes waste and protects your joints and organs.

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Dehydration :- Dehydration occurs when you lose more water than you take in. You lose water through urination, respiration, and by sweating, and you lose more water when you’re active than when you’re sedentary.

- Diuretics, such as caffeine pills, certain medications and alcohol may increase the amount of water your body loses. Lost fluids must be replaced by the fluids in the foods you eat and the beverages you drink.

- Symptoms of mild dehydration include thirst, pains in joints and muscles, headaches and constipation. A strong odor to your urine, along with a yellow or amber color, may also indicate dehydration.

* Note: riboflavin, a B vitamin, will make your urine bright yellow when you take dietary supplements that contain large amounts of riboflavin. Certain medications can change the color of urine, as well.

How Much Water Do I Need?- The foods you eat supply about 20 percent of the water you need. The rest comes from the beverages you drink. One method of determining your need for water is by taking your weight in pounds and dividing that number in half. This gives you approximately the number of ounces you should drink each day.

For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, you might want to drink at least 80 ounces of water or other fluids per day.

- My hydration calculator can help you determine how much water you need to drink each day. It also takes your activity levels, altitude and other factors into consideration.

How Water Boosts Metabolism :“Water’s involved in every type of cellular process in your body, and when you’re dehy-drated, they all run less efficiently -- and that includes your metabolism. Think of it like your car: if you have enough oil and gas, it will run more efficiently. It’s the same with your body.”

“Your metabolism is basically a series of chemical reactions that take place in your body,” says Trent Nessler, PT, DPT, MPT, managing director of Baptist Sports Medicine in

Nashville. “Staying hydrated keeps those chemical reactions moving smoothly.” Being even 1% dehydrated can cause a significant drop in metabolism.

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Hungry or Thirsty How Water Helps a Diet :- It’s also very difficult for the body to tell the difference between hunger and thirst. So if you’re walking around feeling a gnawing sense of hunger, you might just be dehydrated. Try drinking a glass of water instead of grabbing a snack.

- Research has also shown that drinking a glass of water right before a meal helps you to feel more full and eat less. “Many people do find that if they have water before a meal, it’s easier to eat more carefully,” says Renee Melton, MS, RD, LD, director of nutrition for Sensei, a developer of online and mobile weight loss and nutrition programs.

- One study, for example, found that people who drank water before meals ate an average of 75 fewer calories at each meal. That doesn’t sound like a lot -- but multiply 75 calories by 365 days a year.Even if you only drink water before dinner every day, you’d consume 27,000 fewer calories over the course of the year. That’s almost an eight-pound weight loss.

- Even if you only drink water before dinner every day, you’d consume 27,000 fewer calories over the course of the year. That’s almost an eight-pound weight loss.

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The Digestive Health Benefits of Water :- But getting enough water doesn’t just help you regulate how much you eat -- it helps you digest it properly, as well.

“Water allows your kidneys to function properly and filter everything they need to, and allows us to eliminate effectively and not be constipated,” Melton says. “People who don’t

get enough fluids in their diet tend to be constipated.”

Best Sources:- Water is probably the best choice for hydration because it’s cheap and has no calories or added ingredients.

- Sweetened soft drinks and sodas have extra sugar but no additional nutritional value.

- Sports drinks contain minerals that may help keep your electrolytes in balance, which is good for recovering after a hard workout, but look out for added sugar and calories that you may not want.

- Fruit and vegetable juices have vitamins and minerals, but read the labels because most vegetable juices are high in sodium.

- Caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee count too, but too much caffeine can make you feel jittery.

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Chapter 2

Walking And Health Chapter Content :

➢ Getting started➢ Walk the right way➢ Get the right footwear➢ Track your walking progress➢ Change your routine➢ Go green➢ Get social

Pilates, yoga and the classic treadmill get all the attention when it comes to popular ways to stay healthy. There is, however, a more unassuming workout that might not get the column inches, but has

all the benefits: walking.

In some cases walking can be more effective than running. Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in

California found that brisk walking reduces the risk of heart disease more effectively than running. They observed participants aged

between 18 and 80 over a six-year period and found that walking reduced the risk of heart disease by 9.3%,

while running reduced it by 4.5%.

And there’s even more good news: 30 minutes of brisk walking over five days could help you sleep easy, according to research by

Oregon State University. A study by the university showed that walking helped participants sleep better and feel more alert during

the day.

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Getting started :- The recommended amount of exercise for adults is 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. That breaks down to 30 minutes of exercise over five days a week.

- Even though 30 minutes is the ideal, Dr I-Min Lee, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, suggests starting with three shorter 10-minute walks each and slowly building up to the 30-minute walk once you feel comfortable.

- The sooner you get started the sooner you’ll notice the difference in your mind and body. If your aim is to lose weight, then according to the NHS walking estimates, just 30 minutes of walking will help a 60kg (9.5 stone) person lose 99 calories.

- The mental health charity Mind found in their report Ecotherapy: The Green Agenda for Mental Health that country walks can reduce depression and raise self-esteem. So ditch the smoggy congested route for a nearby park or green space when you head out for your 30-minute walk.

Walk the right way :- Walking is a great way to stay active and improve your fitness, without the added intensity that other exercise forms bring, so almost anyone can do it. A good walking technique is key to staying healthy and improving fitness.

- Jaekel says: “The first rule of exercise is always engage your core muscles. This is particularly important in walking because you are upright the whole time and supporting your entire body weight. So tighten your stomach muscles.”

- The best way to do this is to make sure you are not slouching when you walk, she explains: “Spinal alignment is part of this core strength. You should stand up straight, trying not to lean too far forward or backward with your chin parallel to the ground.

“Of course, you want to be mindful of potential hazards in your path, just keep your gaze a few feet in front of you instead of right at your feet. Let your arms swing naturally

and roll through your foot from heel to toe,” adds Jaekel.

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Get the right footwear :- When you are shopping for walking shoes try them on with the socks you’ll wear during your workout and go at the end of the day when your feet are slightly swollen. Both of these things can make a huge difference in the way a shoe fits.

- Look out for specialist walking shoes. Because we strike the ground first with our heel when we walk, most specialist walking shoes have an Achilles notch (a little dip down in the back of the shoe) that helps relieve stress on the Achilles tendon.

- It’s important that your toes have room to wiggle in the toe box and that your heel should not slip. You also want a somewhat flexible sole that will move with your foot, and a shoe that is lightweight and breathable.

- Try them out. I love that some shoe shops now have treadmills. It’s a great way to take the shoes for a spin.

Track your walking progress :There are numerous ways to do this. Here are some of Jaekel’s recommendations:

- The Map My Walk app, which lets you map out your course and calculate your miles.

- If you would like to know how far you walk in a day, not just when you’re doing more than the recommended amount of exercise. Invest in a fitness tracker and be surprised by how much extra walking you are doing, in addition to the recommended 30 minutes. Certain fitness trackers let you interact with friends and you can encourage one another to go further.

- Traditional walkers can invest in a pedometer and use a good old-fashioned pencil and paper to track progress.

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Change your routine :Once you’ve mastered the 30 minutes of exercise per day, changing your walking route is a great way to keep motivated. “It’s always a good idea to keep changing your course so your body doesn’t get too familiar with your workout. That’s a surefire way to plateau,” says Jaekel. Here are some tips for keeping your walk varied:

- Walk up hills for a great glute workout. Or if you are exercising in a gym, increase the incline for a similar effect. Walking uphill uses more energy than walking along flat sur-faces.- Do speed walking sprints, using trees, street signs or buildings as your targets.- Try a long, flat walk for endurance.

By tracking your walking you can assess how far you are going and start considering how much to increase your mileage by. But don’t overdo it, says Jaekel. “It’s important to pay attention to how you feel after your longest walks. Is it safe to increase this week or should

you wait?”

Go green :- Walking is a great way to connect with nature. Green Exercise, the Essex University research team that have been studying the benefits of walking in green spaces found that it reduces stress levels, improves mood, enhances psychological wellbeing and improves attention and concentration.

- Walking also helps the planet. By parking the car up and walking instead, you help to reduce air pollution. This is particularly important for short journeys. Taking the car for short journeys uses almost twice the CO2 per mile. So leaving the car keys at home, helps you and the environment.

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Get social :- The best thing about walking is that you can do it solo or with friends, and it doesn’t cost a thing. Websites such as Britain on Foot and the Ramblers have dedicated walking groups set up all over the country.

- The Ramblers website even has a list of recommended walks that you can download and take with you. Walking for Health, England’s largest network of health walk schemes, organizes weekly walks across the country with volunteers leading the pack. Perfect for when summer shows up.

- And being social doesn’t have to mean meeting new people. It can also mean bringing along a pet for your daily walk.

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Chapter 3

Worry And Health At one time or another, we’ve all been around worried family or friends. Sometimes it’s awkward and uncomfortable. We don’t know what to

say, so we say something fast and easy, like “everything’s going to be okay,” “you’ll be fine,” or even worse, “stop worrying.” It’s as if we think we can change behavior with a smile and a few words of

encouragement.But, face it…words means nothing.

Not when you’re the one without a job and no way to pay the mortgage. Not when you’re the one who is on their third round of chemotherapy. Or it’s your kid who won’t get out of bed because he’s

being bullied at school.Don’t worry? Tell that to the single parent struggling to raise five

children. We don’t need words. We need an action plan.It’s no secret we live in a fragile world. Sometimes, it seems as if we’re just one terrorist cell away from disaster, one bank crisis away from

economic collapse, one missing gene away from Alzheimer. In a matter of seconds, tornados rip streets apart and earthquakes destroy entire cities. One minute you’re healthy and the next you have breast

cancer.

Yes, life changes and surprises. It also breaks hearts and challenges. And, if we let it, it can leave us anxious and in a constant state of

worry.. And if this sounds like a half-empty glass of water I’m pouring, nothing could be further from the truth. I still believe we

have a choice…a choice that has the power to transform our lives.We can throw sheets over our heads and let worry destroy us, or we can find a way to flip worry on its head and turn it into a philosophy

that allows us to begin enjoying the lives we were meant to live.

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Here are 6 ways to embrace the Art of a Worry-Free Life:

Step 1 > Accept That Worry Doesn’t Help :“I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never

happened.” – Mark Twain

I wouldn’t object to worrying if it was more practical in improving our lives. But, the fact is, worrying won’t pay the rent or stop an aneurism from exploding in our brain. And I’ve never seen a hurricane that could be stopped by a few hours of nail biting.

Worrying does nothing to help us deal with what we’re anxious about. It doesn’t make us more creative, smarter, engaging, or productive. Go ahead, worry 24 hours a day, 52 weeks a year…and see for yourself if one second of that worrying does anything to make your life better. And while seeing through this illusion of worry won’t immediately put you into a Zen-like state of bliss, it will hopefully give you more energy, while freeing up your mind long enough to see practical solutions to your problems. It will hopefully lead you to action.

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Step 2 > Stay in the Moment :“Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday.” – Author Unknown

The problem with worry is that it exists almost entirely in the past and the future.We spend so much time and energy worrying about what has already happened, or what we think might happen in the future, that we have no time for today. This not only keeps our worries spinning alive, but weakens us, kills our spirit, and robs us of joy.

Staying in the moment —living in the now— is at the heart of any worry free program. Volumes have been written on the subject and, to be honest, you could spend a lifetime mastering it.

Here is what you can do right now to get started:

- Engage in activities that keep you in the moment. Deep breathing exercises work, as will yoga, meditation, gardening, reading, running, swimming; a walk in the woods, a bike ride at the beach. Nature helps, so does humor, volunteering, and doing virtually anything you’re passionate about.

- Surround yourself with people who live in present moment awareness. Children are good for this, so are older people, outdoor types, athletes and creative. With a little effort, you’ll find your own role models.

- Spend enough time with them and it’ll rub off. Note to your new self: At first these peo-ple might get on your nerves. That’s your worried, uncomfortable self cringing at the idea of letting go. Stay with it.

- Catch yourself living in the past or the future as often as you can. Notice regret as it pops up, or guilt, or longing. Recognize when you start thinking about what might or might not happen tomorrow. Catch all these “past and future” moments, and then bring yourself back to the moment you’re living in.

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Step 3 > Stop Looking For Bad Things to Worry About :

“He that seeks trouble always finds it.” – English Proverb

- Turn off the news, switch off talk radio, stop reading newspapers, and avoid all conversations with people who only want to talk about how screwed up the world is. You know who they are.

- The more you think, talk, or obsess about something, the faster you’ll bring more of it into your life. After all, it’s hard enough to stop worrying about your own problems, let alone have to take on those of the world. Don’t pile on more.

Step 4 > Start Looking For Good Things to Be Happy About :

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not,But rejoices for those which he has.” – Epictetus

- It’s a law of the universe that two objects can’t occupy the same place at the same time. This applies to our thoughts as well. It’s not enough to want to rid ourselves of worried thoughts; we need to replace those worries with something positive to think about.

- In other words, stop focusing on the approaching hurricane and start thinking about the family you’re huddled around with in the basement.

- Worry isn’t going to go away easily. We have to fight it with everything we have. And what we have are our children, our spouses and loved ones, sunsets and stars, oceans and moun-tains; our beating hearts and strong minds; our endless capacity to love, laugh and find joy. It’s called gratitude…and it works.

WHAT STRESSES US OUT ?

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Step 5 > Be Prepared, Then Let Go :

“Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go.” - Herman Hesse

Living a worry-free life doesn’t mean we should pretend our world isn’t filled with challenges. We need to be ready for what comes. And nothing combats worry more than action.

So, wear sunscreen, pay off credit cards, eat more greens, learn fractions, and when that hurricane approaches, board up the windows, stock up on supplies and head to the basement.

What we can’t do is tell the hurricane to make a u-turn when it comes to our street. That’s the point we need to let go. It’s called surrender, trust, or the simple knowing that there is something larger than ourselves and the problems we face. All of which leads to our 6th and most important step.

HOW TO BEAT WORK STRESS

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Step 6 > Use Worry to Find Meaning in Life :“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are

seared with scars.” – Khalil Gibran

- While the previous five steps will take us far in alleviating worry, to achieve lasting relief, we need a shift in perception. We need to re-interpret our worries in light of what they have to teach us. Granted, not everyone will want to do this.

- It isn’t easy asking someone to look beyond his or her struggles in search of a greater truth. It’s like asking someone to see the rainbow when they’re stuck in the middle of a storm —easy advice to give, not so easy to take.

Yet, it is the exact step that will bring us peace.

- The key is to cultivate this spirit of living before the storm hits. It’s no secret that we all have our stories, our own scars. You have yours. I have mine. They may take different shapes, or arrive at different times in our lives, but nobody is immune from pain, sorrow and challenge. It is only how we write the endings to our stories that are different — how we will each work through, and then learn from our experiences.

- And, of course, the best stories —the ones we all remember— are the ones where we come out of a crisis as a different person. The stories where we not only endure, but emerge stronger, happier, and wiser.

- It is the hero’s journey. Your journey…and mine.

- It is a journey where worry evolves into action, insight, and then reinvention; whereworry transforms into hope and promise. But, this journey takes choice. A decision has to be made.

- What will we do with worry as it creeps into our lives each day? Will we cry foul, play vic-tim, and point fingers? Will we give in and let worry continue to rule our lives? Or will we take action and engage life? Will we reject negativity, seek stillness and embrace gratitude, searching out people who will nourish and make us stronger?

- Will we choose to meet our worries head on, with the knowingness that our challenges, however difficult they may be, contain the seeds to bring more purpose and meaning into our lives than we could have ever imagined?

Mastering the Art of a Worry-Free Life

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