Category Archives: Physical Health

The benefits of exercise are immense, not only are you able to keep your body fit and trim, but you also can help your mood as well as stress levels. The following article will discuss not only some of the benefits of exercise but exercises for self care. These tips will keep you motivated and enjoy moving your body for greater health. 

Make it fun:

Making exercises for self care enjoyable is critical if you want to stick with it and make it a part of your daily routine. Check out the sports program’s offerings. Take a PE lesson, join a student club on fitness, or go for a stroll in nature if team sports aren’t your thing.

If you are going to participate in exercises for self care, enjoy a wide range of physical activities to work with various parts of your body. As for the benefits of exercise, keeping it engaging and intriguing. Isn’t it possible that you may find a new passion?

Finding a workout buddy with exercises for self care to include a social component which may help you remain on track since it’s more difficult to cancel on someone else than it is to cancel on oneself. It’s also a great way to access the benefits of exercise and social time simultaneously, making it a win-win situation, after all being social and having a support system around us is also self-love and care towards ourselves. Which makes exercises for self care with others a win-win all the way around. 

Making time: 

Fitting in a workout might be difficult when you have a hectic schedule. As long as you’re moving, you’re doing something! Remember that the benefits of exercise kick in even ten-minute walks in between tasks might add up if you don’t have time for a 40-minute exercise. Get up half an hour early to access exercises for self care, you’ll be surprised how good you feel when you do that and once you have done it and felt the feeling of being really alive in the morning the more you will want to do it.

Like everything, getting started is the biggest thing.

Plan Exercises for Self Care

Schedule an appointment, sign up for an online course, or make plans to meet with someone to help you keep to your goals. 

Setting goals for the Benefits of Exercise:

Setting precise objectives for exercise for self care might also be beneficial. When we know we have something to aim for it can give us the motivation and incentive to get going and it spurs us on. Don’t set unrealistic goals though as that can have the opposite effect and make us feel that achieving well-being is just too hard and too far out of reach. So start gentle – not too gentle, but start easy and put your goal just slightly out of reach so you can see and feel it’s possible if you just push a little more ☺

Too much of a good thing:

You may have too much of a good thing, so don’t go overboard! Before exercising for self care, fuel your muscles by drinking lots of water and eating something nutritious. Don’t push yourself too hard while you’re just getting started. Exercising too much, particularly if you’re not receiving proper nourishment, may put a strain on your body and can impact the health of the body negatively. And here again, this might put you off continuing if you associate pain with gain like so many say.

Of course, you do need to put in some effort but it shouldn’t be so painful and hard work that it prevents you from either mentally or physically moving ahead.

Above all – get started!

Choose fun things and sensible goals with sensible time frames and don’t forget to rest correctly and refuel. This is self-love too! If you would like a structure to get started check out some of our exercises for self care plans found here: https://holisticfamilypractice.mybodysite.com/holistic-family-practice 

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A well-known fact is that the human body consists of 60-70% water. So one must start to wonder how much is enough to sustain all that water in our bodies and some are concerned with drinking too much water. 

Our body constantly loses fluids throughout the day, mostly from urinating and sweating, but also by functions like breathing.  

To prevent dehydration, you need to stay adequately hydrated from water and food consumption, but do you ever ask yourself can you drink too much water? 

And here comes the actual question – how much water should we drink, and what happens when we overdo it? Also, are you drinking too much water?

The Bare Minimum 

Health experts usually recommend following the 8×8 rule – 8-ounce glasses, eight times a day. This is the equivalent of 2 liters or half a gallon. 

But this is just one of the many different opinions on the matter. For example, some doctors and nutritionists recommend sipping water throughout the day, even if you’re not thirsty. Sometimes people use their thirst as a gauge to determine if they are drinking too much water. Although, it is a challenge to drink too much these days and there is much conflict on the total amount of fluids per day to drink. 

In the end, the two significant things that specialists agree about are that it depends on the individual, and you should not try to substitute water with any other liquid. 

This is a big one – coffee, tea, juice, and other water-based drinks do not substitute water!

According to The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, men should drink 15.5 cups a day and women – 11.5 cups. Drinking more is based on multiple factors such as toxic loads, dehydration, liver health, etc. These guidelines can help to answer the question, can you drink too much water?

Brain activity and energy levels

Many researchers claim that not staying hydrated during the day may lead to low energy levels, low attention span, reaction speed, and more. 

Even mild dehydration, especially for men, could decrease muscle strength, power, and endurance.

Other side effects from not drinking enough water include weight gain, mood swings, irritation, problems with some internal organs (mainly the kidneys), skin problems, and constipation.  

What happens if you are drinking too much water?

If you are drinking too much water, you can experience water poisoning, intoxication, or disruption of brain function. 

This happens when there’s too much water in the cells, including the brain cells, and they start to swell.

When the cells in the brain swell, they may cause excessive brain pressure, which could lead to several not-so-fun experiences for you. 

Things like drowsiness, confusion, and headaches are some of the first symptoms of drinking too much water.

How do you know if you can drink too much water? Other signs of over-hydrating include hypertension (high blood pressure), and bradycardia, which is a lower than usual heart rate.  

Sodium is the electrolyte that is affected the most by overhydration. As a result, it could lead to a condition called hyponatremia. 

When sodium levels drop due to a high amount of water in the body, fluids penetrate the cells. 

When the cells swell, there is a chance of having seizures, going into a coma, or even death. 

Recognizing Overhydration and Drinking too Much Water

The first sign that you should look for when drinking too much water is the color of your urine. This is a great indicator to monitor your water consumption.

Urine usually ranges from pale yellow to tea-colored due to the pigment urochrome and the water levels in the body. 

If you digress pale liquid, you are indeed drinking too much water in short periods. 

If you are unaware if you can drink too much water, another sign is too many bathroom trips. A regular daily urination cycle is up to 8 times a day. If you’re going to the bathroom ten or more times, you should slow down on liquid consumption. 

Drinking water, even when you’re not thirsty is a mixed sign due to many specialists recommending doing exactly that. 

Nevertheless, keep in mind that the body has no specific way of telling you that you need to stop drinking water so it can be a challenge to determine if you are drinking too much water.

If you’re dehydrated, you feel thirsty, which is a reminder to drink water, but it doesn’t work the other way around for the most part.

To Wrap It Up if You Can Drink Too Much Water

Adequate water consumption depends on a variety of factors, including personal body parameters and environmental factors.

Of course, if you are in a warmer environment, you’d need more water.

Ultimately, your best bet is to always carry a bottle with you and sip now and then – Don’t overdo it, but don’t completely ignore it either. Shoot for half of your body weight in ounces in water. 

Avoid being extremely thirsty and make water consumption a regular habit!

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Children have constipation just like adults and perhaps more often since they sometimes don’t like to eat food that has a lot of fibre – vegetables and more vegetables.  Children with constipation can use a child constipation home remedy just as adults, but in lesser amounts.

You can use the following child constipation home remedy for children 3 and older.  Children should have a bowel movement every day so if they do not a child constipation remedy will be necessary.  It would be best for them to have at least two, if they are eating three meals a day.  If your child is having three or less bowel movements per week, it is time to get a child constipation home remedy or a child constipation remedy to take action.

If you use a child constipation home remedy, and your child still has only 3 or less bowel movements per week, then it’s time for you to take your child to see a doctor.  Continual constipation can reflect a more serious condition, especially if your child is eating the foods that promote natural bowel movements or you have already exhausted all of the child constipation remedy. 

Here is a list of the various child constipation home remedy that you can do for your child with constipation.  In fact, these recommendations are helpful for maintaining your child’s overall health. 

1. Drink more water – children are very active and will perspire more than an adult during the day and lose water.  If the body needs water, it will take from the stools and make them hard and difficult to expel. Drinking half of the body weight in ounces is a way to support the fluid and is the first child constipation remedy. 
2. Eat more fibre – fruits and vegetables are where the fibre is.  Using artificial fibre and laxative products is not a good idea.  The body can become dependent on these products and lose its bowel sensitivity and colon wall tone.If the child has difficulty eating these you can blend them, or use psyllium husk as a child constipation home remedy.
3. Having a bowel movement when it is time – teach your children to go to the bathroom when they get the urge.  A lot of times they will put it off if they are playing or doing something they like.  Putting it off will de-sensitise the colon and it will stop giving the bowel movement signal after a time.  This will lead to constipation. Breathwork, and teaching children to pay attention to their urges is a child constipation remedy.
4. Use natural products that promote bowel movements – there are many fruits and vegetables that promote bowel movements.  Use these as snacks.  In cases where you use a child constipation home remedy that is bitter, remind your child that it is medicine to help them go to the bathroom more frequently. Digestive bitters are extremely helpful, as well as nutrients such as magnesium is a healthy child constipation remedy. 

Drinking Water

Have your constipated child drink more water throughout the day.  Use distilled water.  Minimise the use of sodas, tea, and sweetened juices, as these are not water.  Eating fruits and vegetables provide the body with distilled water since they contain up to 70% water.  Drink unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices which provide water and promote bowel movements as a child constipation remedy.

Eating Fruits and Vegetables

The best time to give your child fruits is in the morning.  From the time they wake up to noon time is when the body is detoxifying.  Heavy foods like meat, milk, cereal, and eggs hinder the detoxifying process.  Fruits and their juices accelerate the detoxifying process and promote bowel movement, provided no protein or carbohydrates are eaten.  A good breakfast is simply a bowl of fruit.  A glass of fresh natural juice can also be provided as a child constipation remedy. 

When in season use a big bowl of watermelon and cantaloupe slices.  Otherwise, use a variety of seasonal fruits.  Using fruits with skins for fiber is a child constipation home remedy as a snack between meals.  But do not give fruits after a meal as dessert.  Wait 2-3 hours after a meal before giving fruit.  This helps digestion and promotes bowel movements.

Vegetables should be eaten with each meal at noon time and dinner.  Vegetables provide water, fibre, and an array of minerals and vitamins necessary for good digestion and colon function.

To make the salad more appealing for your child add raisins or pieces of apple to it to make it sweeter. 

Look to other articles for other natural remedies. For a child, any herbal products that are used as a child constipation remedy should be used at 1/3 the amount listed for an adult. If in doubt always check with a homeopath, naturopath, herbalist or doctor.

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Like most people, you probably don’t think much about blood tests or understand blood test results.

You go in for your annual physical, the doctor gets you through a few tests, and then you go on with your life. Typically, your allopath will tell you everything looks fine unless you have a diagnosis. 

But what are these tests actually measuring? And why are they important? We will share common blood tests explained in an effort to help you in understanding blood test results.

In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most common blood tests explained and what they can tell us about our health. 

 So read on to learn more!

Complete Blood Count

 Believe it or not, the most commonly ordered blood test is complete blood count, also known as CBC. Whether you are sick or healthy, CBC is done as a routine test due to its low cost and the value it provides.

CBC can detect a wide range of disorders by measuring hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

Don’t get confused. Although they sound complex, they are easy to understand.

Hemoglobin count, hematocrit, and red blood cells are usually examined together. These are indicators of whether your body is producing enough red blood cells or not.

Hemoglobin is a protein present in red blood cells, and it is responsible for carrying oxygen to your body. 

Therefore, if your blood cannot produce enough hemoglobin, it won’t be able to synthesize enough red blood cells.

When you are deficient in hemoglobin and, thus, red blood cells, this is called anemia.

There are many causes of anemia. It can be due to iron deficiency (the most common cause), vitamin B9 deficiency (folate), or vitamin B12 deficiency (cobalamin).

Other causes that can lead to anemia include genetic disease and chronic diseases. Your doctor will suspect the cause of anemia based on your readings of common blood tests explained and understanding blood test results.

Regarding white blood cells, these are your defenders. They would fight for you against infections. Their number increases in response to an infection.

Therefore, your doctor can use this number to determine if you have an infection or not.

They also rise in other unfortunate cases like leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells. Usually, the numbers here are extremely high and are accompanied by other symptoms.

The final part is platelets. You should be grateful for your platelets. Without them, you will end up dying from losing excessive amounts of blood.

The function of platelets is to make blood clots in cases of injury to avoid excessive bleeding, contributing to a process called homeostasis. This is to help you to understand your CBC in common blood tests explained and understand blood test results. 

You can also add a differential to have an expanded view of your immune system

Basic Metabolic Panel

The basic metabolic panel (BMP) comes after the CBC in importance. It is required for routine checkups because of the various diseases detected through it.

 A BMP measures 8 substances: blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, calcium, carbon dioxide, chloride, glucose, potassium, and sodium.

The most important of these 8 are BUN and creatinine. These two are measurements of how well your kidney is working as common blood tests explained and understanding blood test results

Basically, BUN and creatinine are metabolites produced in response to protein metabolism in your body.

They are present in your blood in a very tight range. Your body gets rid of them by excreting them through the kidney. If your kidney is not working well, their level will rise.

This will make your doctor think you have a kidney problem and need further investigations.

The other measurements are electrolytes. Discussion about them is extremely complex and beyond the scope of this article, but you should be aware that the most important of them are sodium and potassium.

We typically add the CMP 14 which is the Comprehensive Metabolic Panel which includes the liver panel as well to view liver function. 

Albumin is a protein made in the liver.

Total protein, measures the total amount of protein in the blood.

ALP (alkaline phosphatase), ALT (alanine transaminase), and AST (aspartate aminotransferase). These are different enzymes made by the liver.

Bilirubin, a waste product made by the liver.

These are to help you to have a deeper understanding blood test results in common blood tests explained

Lipid Panel

This one is the most interesting of them. Although it is not routinely done for young people, it is very important for the elderly.

The lipid panel measures the level of lipids in your blood. Your body has different forms of lipids like cholesterol, low-density cholesterol (LDL), and high-density cholesterol (HDL).

Did you know that if you have high cholesterol levels, this means that you are at risk of developing heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes?

This is why it is important for the elderly because they are at the highest risk for developing such conditions.

Out of the 3 parameters mentioned above, scientists found that LDL (also known as the bad cholesterol) is the strongest predictor of heart disease, thus given this name 🙂

Don’t be afraid if your doctor detects any abnormalities in your lipid panel. You should know that a healthy lifestyle is a great way to lower your lipid levels in common blood tests explained and understanding blood test results

If that doesn’t work for you, your doctor will make recommendations to help you improve your lipid panel such as looking at diet, supporting liver function, etc. 

Some Interesting Facts About Your Blood

Did you know that you are a millionaire? Yea! As far as we are talking about blood : )

Your body has 5 million red blood cells per microliter of blood. Imagine how tiny these things are!

Did you know that your bone marrow (the organ responsible for producing red blood cells) creates 17 million red blood cells per second? I wish we were as productive as the bone marrow.

The lifespan of a red blood cell is only 3 months. This is why they have no time to waste and work 24/7 for us.

Finally, did you know that your body has around 0.2 milligrams of gold? Unfortunately, there is no way we can separate from the blood. 

Looking at your red blood cells help in understanding blood test results and common blood tests explained.

Conclusion

Vampires have many reasons to be obsessed with blood. Imagine that tiny drop of your blood has millions of red blood cells, millions of white blood cells, platelets, lipids, proteins, and so much more!

Hopefully this helped your understanding blood test results and common blood tests explained.

Thanks to the technology that enabled us to examine these things at the molecular levels and use them to predict diseases via blood tests like complete blood picture, basic metabolic panels, lipid panels, and much more!

Have you ever had to do any of the blood tests mentioned or any blood tests? Let us know in the comment how was your experience, and share what you learned about your health!

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