One Simple Change to a Healthier You!

Summer is coming in Arizona, that means heat and lots of it! It also means more incidences of dehydration. Even though there are more severe incidences of dehydration in the summer, did you know that studies have shown approximately 75% of the American population is chronically dehydrated. Well, thinking back, when was the last time you drank 8-8 oz glasses of water? This is the popular belief of the amount of water to drink per day, but even it is a little low according to the Institute of Medicine’s recommendation of 3 liters (~13 cups) for men and 2.2 liters (~9 cups) for women.

The human body is made up of 60% water. The following is a list of symptoms of dehydration and keep in mind that a person can start to see symptoms with even mild dehydration, which is a loss of 1-3% water in the body. Symptoms include, irritability, headache, fatigue or daytime sleepiness, body aches, constipation, wrinkled skin, that may sag slowly back into position when pinched into a fold, a dry, sticky mouth. I would be crabby too with symptoms like that! Just think how much more pleasant your work environment may be if your colleagues were properly hydrated! 

Most of us think of dehydration occurring through exercising, other activities or simply being in heat or humidity that makes you sweat. It is true, that if you are sweating, an additional 1.5-2.5 cups of water are recommended. The Mayo Clinic suggests drinking sports drinks during long bouts of intense exercise such as training for a marathon. This is due to loss of electrolytes through the sweat. The main electrolyte lost in the sweat is sodium, with an approximate 800 mg sodium lost in 2 pounds of sweat during an hour of intense workout (Ex: 1 hour running, training for a marathon).

What are electrolytes anyway and why are they important?  Electrolytes are ions that your cells use to communicate, especially nerves and muscles. They include sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Calcium and magnesium help muscles contract and relax. Sodium and potassium help water stay in the right balance in the body inside and outside the cells.

Here’s the best part! A great reason to increase your water intake may be if you are trying to loose weight. One study suggests that drinking water may promote weight loss for overweight women following weight loss diets. Increasing their water intake resulted in loss of body weight, change in waist circumference and change in percent body fat. The study also noted that the changes were not just a result of decreased caloric intake (ie diet soda) as these non-caloric beverages were not associated with comparable benefit and showed 30% smaller effect than plain water in weight loss.

Increased energy, clarity and productivity paired with weight loss with one simple component…water!!! So don’t forget to bring your water bottle and we will have plenty for you if you forget on May 12 at the Tempe Family Fun Run & Walk! Can't wait to see you there!!!

Terra Dallmann

Tempe Family Fun Run Coordinator

www.tempefamilyfunrun.com

Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine 

4th Year Medical Student

Want to make sure I got my facts straight? Here are my resources:

Sawka M, et al. Human water needs. Nutrition Reviews 2005;63:S30.

Valtzin H. "Drink at least eight glasses of water a day." Really? Is there scientific evidence for 8 x 8? American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 2002;283:R993.

Rose BD, et al. Maintenance and replacement fluid therapy in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 2, 2010.

Dietary reference intakes for water, potassium, sodium, chloride and sulfate. Institute of Medicine. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/DRI//DRI_Water/73-185.pdf. Accessed March 2, 2010.

Exercise and fluid replacement. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2007;39:377.

Campbell SM. Hydration needs throughout the lifespan. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007;26:5858.

Nutrition and athletic performance: Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2009;109:509.

Park S, et al. Pathophysiology and management of calcium stones. Urology Clinics of North America. 2007;34:323.

Manz F. Hydration and disease. Journal of the American College of Nutritionists. 2007;26(suppl):535S.

Stookey J, et al. Drinking water is associated with weight loss in overweight dieting women independent of diet and activity. Obesity 2008:16:11

Zeratsky KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 3, 2011.

Disclaimer:

The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions as I am not a licensed physician...yet!

Partners on Your Journey to Good Health

I thought it’d be appropriate to start our first blog post with some insight as to why a group of medical students have decided to dedicate several months of their free time (free time in medical school is an oxymoron but indulge me) planning and promoting the Tempe Family Fun Run & Walk.  Personally, I find it easier to support a cause or attend an event when I have a better understanding of the motivation behind it and I’m hoping you operate that way too.  So, let’s begin!

A 2010 study in the International Journal of Obesity made a disturbing observation:  

“…individuals are reaching a higher prevalence of obesity earlier in the life course, they are experiencing a greater cumulative exposure to excess weight over their lifetime, which will likely have profound implications for future rates of obesity-related chronic diseases and mortality within the US population.”  

Of course, we cannot predict what will happen in the future, or how these trends change over time, but the implications are daunting.  Have we inadvertently created the first generation of Americans that will not outlive their parents?

While that may sound like an absurd question, let’s take a gander at some statistics.  According to the CDC, obesity rates in children and adolescents have tripled since 1980!  Since this event is taking place in Tempe, Arizona, let’s look a little closer to home.  In Arizona, as of 2007, 30.6% (almost 1/3!) of our children, our legacy, our future leaders of this country, are overweight or obese.  And even though 30.6% may not be a  jaw-dropping number to some, things aren’t looking brighter as they transition into adulthood.  As of 2010, 73.5% of men and 57.1% of women in Arizona are overweight or obese.  Now, if those numbers don’t have you picking your jaw up from off the floor, I don’t know what will.

So what is the price we pay for having a society of predominantly overweight or obese families?  From a financial standpoint, we’re talking about a twelve-digit figure.  As of 2008, $147 billion was spent on medical care costs due to obesity.  But what about the mental health costs?  1 in 5 Americans suffered from a mental illness last year.  (We can explore the link between weight, particularly diet, and mental health, in a future blog post.)  And let’s be honest, can we really put a price on the health, longevity, and happiness of our children?  Would you want to?

So, going back to the beginning of this article, why wouldn’t medical students, the future leaders of health, create an event that encourages and supports families in their journey towards better health and happiness?  I mean, besides the whole med-student=no-free-time thing :)

As icing on the cake (ok, maybe not the best analogy), this event was created with families in mind.  We have cut our costs significantly and sought out support from generous sponsors to make our event affordable for families to attend.  $40 will allow a family of 4 ($5 for each additional person after 4; children 2 and under free) to participate in the 5K.  Participation in the 5K (running, walking, jogging, skipping, crawling, or some combination) includes a t-shirt, goody bag, AND you are entered into a raffle just for completing the race.  That means if you came in 1^st, 5^th, 25^th, 250^th, you have an equal chance of winning.  However, for those gung-ho competitive types, we will be timing the race in case you want to set a new personal best.

As if that wasn’t enough, we are making the health fair portion of our event FREE.  Yes, I said FREE!  So even if you can’t afford to participate in the 5K (of course, we highly encourage you to try), you still have the opportunity to get all the information and resources you need to start your family on the path to good health.  We’re even having a DJ, bounce house, face painting, and an appearance from the Tempe Firefighters (barring emergencies) so your kids won’t be bored to death.

So please, as medical students with, you guessed it, no free time, accept this gift we’re humbly giving to you: better health, a healthier family, and a happy you. 

As Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” so let the Tempe Family Fun Run & Walk be your first step on a lifelong journey of good health.

With love,

Ashley Russell

Tempe Family Fun Run Coordinator

www.tempefamilyfunrun.com

Medical Student at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM)

N-ACT President

Naturopathic Advocacy and Community Awareness Team (N-ACT) is a student-run club at SCNM that creates the future leaders of naturopathic medicine. Naturopathic medicine helps individuals by treating the root cause of their illnesses using natural methods.  For example, we help patients make lifestyle changes and use naturopathic approaches to encourage healthy weight loss.

*Please be aware that I am not a licensed physician, and am therefore not yet qualified to give medical advice, treat or diagnose.*