Water

Most of us drink plenty of water during the warmer months; or so I assume everyone does. If you don’t, I urge you to work on making water your new best friend; that and sunshine.

In the winter months, we tend to drink more hot drinks like coffee, hot chocolate and tea, and often alcoholic drinks to ‘warm the blood flow’ – all of which are dehydrating. Tea is probably the least harmful especially if you’re drinking herbal teas and a few cups of plain green tea without sweeteners every day. Why drink water in the winter? Your body is made of 70% water! It needs clean, fresh water every day to filter toxins out of your blood and flush them away. When you don’t drink enough, your body will hold on to whatever water it has to store no matter how clean or ‘dirty’. Dehydration leads to water-weight gain. The more you drink, the more you flush out.

Water can also help alleviate the following symptoms:                                                          

• Depression
• Heartburn
• Chest/ heart pain
• Abdominal/digestive/reflux pains
• Lower back pain
• Joint pain
• Migraine headaches
• Colitis pain
• Fibromyalgia pains
• Morning sickness during pregnancy
• Bulimia
• Obesity
• Cholesterol plaque
• Osteoporosis
• Osteoarthritis
• Gout
• Strokes
• MS, MD and Parkinson’s disease

Many of us take medications on a daily basis to make life bearable when we simply could benefit more from water. In return we often get side effects from the medications such as organs becoming toxic and our dependency on the drug.

Infuse your water overnight with lemon juice, citrus fruits, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cucumber, melon, mint, lavender, chamomile (tea), cinnamon & apple slices for mild to bold flavoring.

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Vitamin D

We get most of our vitamin D from sunshine but in the winter months even if we’re outside a lot, we don’t get enough due to long pants, winter coats, hats and gloves. Healthy levels of vitamin D are responsible for helping the body utilize calcium properly which in turn alleviates overactive neurological reflexes, hand and foot spasms, and cramps and spasms of the vocal box.

Healthy levels of vitamin D also:

• Supports and regulates the immune system
• Supports brain function
• Maintain a healthy body weight and aids in weight loss
• Headache support – lessens frequency and severity
• Asthma – lessens the frequency and severity of attacks
• Rheumatoid arthritis in women
• Protects against radiation damage
• Can lessen depression
• Protection from cancers – a recent study showed a deficiency in vitamin D among cancer patients no matter how good or bad their diet was.
• Supports heart – lower D levels may increase risk of heart attack

Women with arthritis and diabetes are more susceptible to lower vitamin D levels all year but especially during winter months.

Natural ways to get enough vitamin D:

• Fortified foods – milk, cheese, cereals, bread
• Natural ways – egg yolk, some mushrooms, salmon, tuna, mackerel, cod liver oil
• Supplements – prescribed OTC supplements daily 2000-5000 i.u. daily as well as a good quality fish oil capsule daily.

Drink your water, eat the right foods and take a daily vitamin D supplement for optimal winter and year round health.