Water Deficiency Causes Fatigue

Many folks are fatigued simply because they have not had an adequate intake in water for the day. Some experts purport that a 5% reduction in hydration status results in a 25% overall reduction in energy.

Personally I always feel this dehydrated fatigue after a long tedious afternoon of running errands without drinking any water.

To ensure adequate hydration I recommend for most people to simply divide their body weight in half and that number is roughly the amount of ounces of water a person needs daily. For instance a 150 pound woman would need 75 ounces of water daily.

You can also divide your body weight in to thirds and then add 8 ounces for each vice (coffee, tea, alcohol) and then another 8 oz for every 20 minute period of exercise. So again a 150 pound woman would need 50 ounces plus 8 ounces for a cup of coffee and 16 ounces for 40 minutes of exercise totaling 74 ounces. Hydration is not just about water, it is also about electrolytes.

Sodium, potassium, and trace minerals are important for preventing dehydration. Emergen C packets can be added for electrolytes, or a pinch of organic sea salt. The simplest way to stay on top of your water consumption is to bring a Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottle everywhere with you wherever you go. Since the recent banning of BPA in plastic water bottles, stainless steel is the safest option for transporting your water.

Shower Water and Chlorine

I cannot more highly recommend the use of shower water filters for reducing chlorine associated aging and accelerated damage to healthy cells.

Chlorine is a toxic gas that destroys the healthy cells in our bodies on contact.

Historically, chlorine gas was used as part of chemical warfare!

It is now used in our water to kill pathogens that may make us sick, however a side product of drinking “healthy water” is premature aging of our cells, especially that of our skin and lungs.

Why to use a shower water filter:

• Anti-aging
• Softer, more radiant skin that requires less moisturizers as chlorine is VERY drying
• Great for anyone with chronic skin conditions such as chronic itching, dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and psoriasis
• Stronger healthier, shinier hair, with less need to touch up your hair coloring
• May reduce aging related hair loss
• Less dandruff
• Healthier lungs, a MUST for anyone with COPD, asthma, or other chronic respiratory ailments
• Reduce the amount of toxins your babies and children are exposed to

Ice Therapy

Ice therapy, or cryotherapy, is commonly used after an injury to reduce swelling and decrease pain. Ice decreases blood flow to the injured tissue and reduces inflammation.

When to ice?

Ice should be used for the first 2 to 3 days after an injury or until the swelling goes away.

Procedure

Ice packs

Prepare by placing ice cubes or crushed ice in a Ziploc-type plastic bag with a small amount of water. Commercial frozen gel packs are also acceptable but bagged ice is preferred. To avoid frostbite, place a wet washcloth or towel between ice and skin. Use an elastic bandage to hold the ice pack in place. Ice packs should be used for 20 to 30 minutes every 2 to 3 hours.

Ice massage

First freeze water in a paper or Styrofoam cup. Then tear away the top lip of the cup and rub the ice over the injured area for 5 to 10 minutes. Ice massage works very well for overuse injuries.

When you first apply ice, you will feel coldness, then burning. Then, after several minutes, the area will become numb. Stop using ice if skin becomes numb or turns white.

Potential Adverse Effects

If ice packs are put directly on the skin and left too long, frostbite is a risk. Frostbite can cause the skin and tissue underneath (muscles, nerves, and fat) to be injured, either temporarily or permanently. Certain parts of the body (including the elbow, the knee and the foot) are more susceptible to frostbite because they don’t have as much padding or insulation. To repeat, stop using ice if skin becomes numb or turns white.

Contraindications

• Do not use for acute asthma (over lungs)
• Do not use for acute cystitis (over bladder)
• Do not use if you are aggravated by cold (cold urticaria, Raynaud’s syndrome/phenomenon, etc.)

Water Contrast Hydrotherapy

Contrast hydrotherapy involves alternating hot and cold applications for the purpose of increasing local circulation and reducing inflammation. It is commonly used for subacute or chronic traumatic injury (more than 48 hours post-injury), impaired venous circulation and edema. Contrast hydrotherapy is typically applied as wet compresses or partial immersions of affected body parts. The heat dilates and cold constricts local blood vessels, creating a “pumping” vascular action which helps clear out inflammation and accelerate recovery.

Contraindications

Do not use in acute asthma (over lungs) or if you are aggravated by cold (cold urticaria, Raynaud’s syndrome or phenomenon, etc). Use with caution in areas of decreased sensation (anesthesia, paralysis, neuropathy, etc) to avoid tissue damage, burns, etc.

Procedure for Contrast Hydrotherapy Compress

1. Prepare one basin with hot water and place a bath towel into it. You may need to have extra hot water to add to basin during treatment. Prepare a second basin with cold water, add at least one tray of ice cubes to it, and place a hand towel into the cold water.
2. Take the bath towel from hot basin, wring it out, fold it once or twice, and place the hot towel on the affected area for 3-6 minutes. After that time, wring out the cold towel, remove the hot towel from the affected area and place the cold towel, folded once, over affected area for 1-2 minutes. You have completed one cycle of hot/cold application.
3. Prepare the hot towel again, remove the cold towel and place the hot towel on the affected part to begin the second cycle of hot/cold application.
4. Repeat the hot/cold cycle a total of 3-5 times, always finishing a cycle with the cold application.

Water Therapy: Sitz Bath

The sitz bath is an immersion bath with the person seated in a tub with water covering the hips, buttocks, and lower abdomen. It is used to decrease congestion and increase circulation to the pelvic and lower abdominal organs.

Indications
Sitz baths are used to treat vaginal infections, chronic urinary tract infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, hemorrhoids, fissures, prostatitis, constipation, insomnia, and neuralgias.

Contraindications
Open wounds or active bleeding, vaginal bleeding, (including excessive menstrual bleeding), prolapsed organs, acute lung congestion, acute inflammation, painful conditions with spasm or colic, pregnancy and heart problems.

Directions
1. Prepare a tub with hot water at a temperature of 105-110 degrees F. This range is about the same or slightly warmer than a typical hot tub. Do not exceed 120 degrees F. Fill the tub so that it comes to 1 inch above your navel when you are in a seated position.
2. Put a long towel in a separate, small ice water bath (a bucket or large bowl will suffice) placed next to the tub.
3. Sit in the hot bath for at least 3 minutes.
4. After hot bath, stand and, without wringing out towel, wrap the cold towel around pelvis like a diaper. Make sure that the towel is touching your skin all the way around. Do not allow the towel to come up higher than 1 inch below your navel. Leave on for 30 seconds. Return towel to ice bath.
5. Sit down in the hot bath for another 3 minutes.
6. Repeat cold towel wrap, as before, for 30 seconds.
7. Sit down in hot bath for another 3 minutes.
8. Repeat cold towel wrap, as before, for 30 seconds.
9. Following the third cold towel wrap, get out of tub and dry off.

Water Therapy for Headaches

Water therapy can be used as a simple means to alleviate headaches.

WHAT CAUSES HEADACHES?

Almost all of us have had a headache at one point in our lives. In fact 5-10% of the US population seeks medical help for their headaches. Most headaches are caused by either muscle tension or temporary changes in blood circulation in the brain. Common triggers for the muscle tension that can lead to these headaches are stress, joint misalignment in the neck or jaw, emotional factors, and poor posture. Triggers for headaches caused by changes in blood flow are often food allergies, poor blood sugar regulation, fatigue, hormonal changes, alcohol, chemicals, and toxins.

Naturopaths often use the application of hot and cold water to change blood flow and release muscle tension. The following can help to relieve headaches whether they are of muscular or vascular origin.

Materials Needed
2 small towels 2 basins or large bowls
1 ice pack or tray of ice cubes water

Migraine Headache
Fill one basin with ice water and the other with hot tap water (no greater than 114o F). Soak one towel in the ice water. Wring out the towel from the ice water and place on the back of the neck while soaking the feet in the basin of hot tap water. Leave for 20 minutes. If this does not bring relief then soak one towel in the hot water. Place the hot wrung towel on the back of the neck and soak the feet in the basin of iced water for 20 minutes.

Tension Headache
Fill one basin with ice water and one basin with hot tap water (no greater than 114o F). Soak one towel in each basin. Wring out hot towel and place on the back of the neck for 3 minutes. Remove this towel and replace it with the iced towel for 30 seconds. Repeat the hot and cold applications three times each.

Sinus Headache
Use the same process as for tension headache but place the wrung towels over the sinuses rather than on the back of the neck.