10 Benefits of Drinking Water By Jeremiah Carstarphen

I saw a video on You Tube that said we need to drink at least half our body weight in fluid ounces. So if you weigh 200 pounds, then you need to drink at least 100 fluid ounces every day. I would buy gallon jugs of water, but I rarely drank the whole gallon in a day. I noticed that the small bottles of water were measure in 16.9 fluid ounces. This was easy to measure.

I started to buy 24 packs of 16.9 ounce bottles of water. I made a goal to drink 10 bottles a day. I only weighed 190 pounds at that time but I knew that since I had severely dry skin then I probably needed to drink much more water than one half my body weights in fluid ounces. I probably drink an average of about eight 16.9 fluid ounce bottles of water each day. Since I started paying attention to the amount of water that I drink I noticed several things within only two weeks.

- The cracked, flaky skin on my legs started to clear up.

- The discoloration around my wrists disappeared completely. (The skin around my wrists had been extra dry and discolored for years.)

- My urine was either clear or light yellow (It was normally dark yellow.)

- The hard calloused skin on my feet started to soften up.

- I am more regular.

- I noticed a dramatic difference in my sexual performance. (There is nothing more devastating to the male self-esteem than the inability to "get it up.")

- I lost about 10 pounds of fat. (I was not trying to lose weight, but I am more ripped than I have ever been in my life!)

Those are just the things that I immediately noticed. I was so blown away that I looked up some of the other benefits of drinking water. Here are 10 benefits of drinking water.

1. Drinking water is good for fat loss. Water flushes out the by-product (waste) of fat breakdown. When there is not enough water to do this job the liver compensates, which diverts the livers attention from its more important job of burning fat. Also you will naturally eat less when you drink more water.

2. Drinking water is good for preventing certain ailments. Some ailments such as fatigue, headaches, muscle spasms, and back pain are caused by dehydration.

3. Drinking water can help you to look younger- What? Yes, water is the mythical fountain of youth. Water flushes toxins out of the skin. When you are properly hydrated your skin and muscles are more full and radiant.

4. Drinking water is good for sexual performance. Yes it is true. Your pride and joy, the love muscle, is mostly comprised of water when it is at its peak performance.

5. Water is good for cleansing and detoxing. Spending tons of money on detoxing solutions without drinking lots of water is defeating the purpose, and may do more harm than good.

6. Drinking water reduces the risk of disease- cancer, heart attack

7. Drinking water helps you to recover from injuries quicker.

8. Drinking water will help to boost your immune system and mental acuity.

9. Drinking water increases energy and alertness.

10. Drinking water cushions joints and muscles.

If 75% of your body is water and roughly 90% of your brain, doesn't it make sense to drink plenty of water? Drinking more water is just one thing you can do for better health. When you incorporate drinking more water with other healthy habits you will be well on your way to a healthier lifestyle.

Walking Increases Blood Flow To The Brain, Study Says

Brisk walking can boost blood flow to your brain, according to a new study from the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine in Dallas.

A team of researchers, led by Rong Zhang, analyzed data they collected over the course of three months from 16 women aged 60 and older. At the beginning of the study, the researchers used Doppler ultrasonography to measure blood flow in the arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood and glucose to the brain. They then created specific work out regimens for each participant, which, depending on their level of fitness, added up to an average of 30 to 50 minutes of walking three to four times a week.

At the end of three months, their findings show that blood flow to the brain had increased by 15 percent.

"There are many studies that suggest that exercise improves brain function in older adults, but we don't know exactly why the brain improves. Our study indicates it might be tied to an improvement in the supply of blood flow to the brain," Zhang said in a press release.

The study also found that, overall, the women’s blood pressure decreased by about four percent, their heart rates declined by five percent, and their body’s ability to carry and use oxygen during physical activity rose by 13 percent.

The researchers presented the study at the Experimental Biology meeting in Washington D.C.

The Onion- A True Superfood

The onion: it makes your breath stinky and when you slice one, it may make you cry. But that’s not all the onion does. It turns out that the simple onion is the king of nutritional benefits, and its perks have been known for thousands of years. Historical records reveal that onions have been used as far back as 4000 B.C. as a cure-all for many illnesses. In WW II, the vapors of onion paste were used to reduce the pain and accelerated the healing of soldiers' wounds.

The onion today is no less powerful. Here’s a look at why you should make at least one medium-sized onion a staple in your daily diet.

• Onions are high in sulfur, chromium and vitamin B6, all of which studies show help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. And, according to the Journal of Nutrition, onions also reduce the risk of heart attack and heart failure.

• The allyl proply disulfide in onions is believed to increase insulin in the body and as a result, stabilize our blood sugar level in our bodies.

• According to a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the antioxidant quercetin found in onions has been known to prevent colon cancer, and in one study the antioxidants have been shown to cure precancerous lesions in the stomach.

•In a study reported in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a compound called GPCS found that yellow onions in particular were shown to keep bones from weakening.

• Research published in Nutrition and Food Science reveals that onions act as an anti-inflammatory for the joints. This helps reduce pain caused by arthritis and similar medical conditions.

• Other studies have shown onions act as an antiseptic, fighting infectious bacteria including E. coli and salmonella.


To get the most benefit, purchase well shaped onions that have dry and crisp outer skins. Pass on the ones that are already sprouting, are wilting or have discolored tops. Store onions at room temperature but keep them in a well-ventilated area and way from light to keep their roots from sprouting. Don’t put them together with potatoes because they’ll absorb the moisture and will rot sooner.Stir fry onions or chop and slice them raw (for toppings) to maintain the onion’s impressive nutritional value.

Jogging– Not Good For Weight Loss

Jogging may have a cult following among fitness fanatics, but if you want to lose weight, jogging may not be the ideal kind of exercise, says London-based personal trainer Greg Brookes. Jogging is not the ideal exercise, because the more one runs, the more the body prepares itself for the next run.

The human body is a remarkable machine that has the ability to adapt to almost anything; including jogging.

The more you jog, the more efficient the body becomes at the activity – the body becomes more efficient and so there will be fewer calories burnt as the body adapts better and better to this physical activity.

In fact, in time, the body may even start to hold on to the fat, since fat is one of the body’s more favorite sources of energy.

Another reason why jogging is not to be recommended is that it is bad for the joints; since as much as two and a half times one’s body weight is transmitted through the joints.

While the perception is that any exercise will speed up the metabolism, this may not be true for jogging, according to Brooke, who is of the view that jogging could actually end up doing the opposite.

Tips for a Better Eyesight

Our eyes are two of our most precious possessions which connect us to the world. They express our deepest feelings and emotions, giving life to the wonderful things we see every day. The eyes are constantly taking in information while they are open, working non-stop to help us view the world.

The health of your vision is ultimately governed by the health of your eye muscles. But as we age, all the wear and tear on the eyes will start to weaken the muscles. Also, in today's age of video games, computers, and other electronics; we work our eyes a little too much.

In such cases, the most common way people improve their vision is by wearing prescriptive lenses. But better eyesight without glasses is no longer a dream today. Most people are not aware that you can improve eyesight naturally. Take a look at ways to improve eyesight naturally:

1. Have plenty of fish: Eat oily fish like salmon or tuna at least twice a week. Fish is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids which helps to reduce the risk of dry-eye syndrome. You can even have fish oil supplements.

2. Eat raw vegetables: Eat raw vegetables like carrots, broccoli and cucumber as they have Vitamin A which is essential for eye care. You can also drink plenty of fruit and vegetable juice to increase your vitamin A levels. Also, eat spinach as studies have shown that lutein (a nutrient abundant in spinach), may prevent age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

3. Blink Regularly: Blinking is a natural preserver of your better vision. Blinking is your body's natural way of lubricating your eyes and preventing dry eyes. The more you blink the better it is for your eyes.

4. Avoid Stress: When you are stressed, you will find difficult to focus your eyes on a certain object. In other words, avoiding stress can improve your eyesight.

5. Use sunglasses and goggles: If you are working in an industrial belt or swimming, make sure to wear goggle. While swimming, goggles will protect eyes from chlorine, salt and other chemicals used in the water. Wearing safety goggles in an industrial belt will protect your eyes from the flying dust particles or other flying objects. When you go outside, always use sunglasses to protect your eyes from the harmful rays of the sun as well as from the drying effects of wind.

6. Regularly palm your eyes: Rub your hands together briskly to generate heat. Once warmed, place the palms over your eyes making sure to block all light. Breathe comfortably while palming your eyes. Do this for at least a minute, longer if you have the time available to you.

7. Have a chocolate: The dark variety of chocolate offers flavonoids which are important for the protection of blood vessels in the eyes.

8. Avoid staring: Staring is the most commonly practiced bad habit in regards to poor vision. Avoid sitting for long periods of time watching the T.V. or computer monitor. If your job requires you to work at a computer, stop once in a while (every 30 to 40 minutes) and look around the room at some distant point for 30 seconds.

9. Avoid dry air: Air from hair dryers, car vents, air conditioners and fans can make eyes dry, so avoid situations where air blows into your eyes. When you are in a car, point the air vents away from your face, and when you use a hair dryer, try to keep it away from your face.

10. Eye exercises: The goal of eye exercises is to strengthen the muscles on your eyes. These soothing exercises are a great addition to a healthy vision care routine:

• Squeeze your eye lids together tightly. Open, and blink rapidly several times. Repeat once or twice more.

• Try to move your eyes upwards and then roll the eyes. At first you follow clock rotation. After you make one rotation, reverse the direction

• To counteract the tendency to squint, look up while exhaling with eyes half open.

• Hold a pencil at arms length in front of your nose. Now slowly move the pencil towards your nose while focusing your eyes on the pencil.

11. Relaxation: Better eyesight without glasses also can be gained through eye relaxation. Consciously rest your eye muscles every now and then in order to give sufficient rest to the eye muscles.

It is not an easy task to improve eyesight naturally, at the same time it is not impossible. You can have the eyesight you desire using the above natural techniques. Remember eye care is important and not something that should be ignored even at the slightest discomfort.