3 Easy Changes that could
Transform your Health
Article by Mayo Clinic on BPT.
(BPT) - Making changes to improve your health can feel overwhelming. But just a few simple modifications can impact your health dramatically. Here are three easy changes you can make now to transform your health:
Eat your water
Are you thirsty? Up to 75 percent of Americans may be functioning in a chronic state of dehydration. This lack of hydration also leads to many other health issues. Every cell in your body needs water to function, but often people don't realize they're dehydrated. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Thirst isn't always a reliable early indicator of the body's need for water. Many people, particularly older adults, don't feel thirsty until they're already dehydrated."
Most people learn that water exists in three forms - liquid, gas and solid. But there is a fourth form of water called "gel water" that's the most hydrating. It's found in plant cells and contains glucose and/or sodium, which helps your body absorb it in the small intestine. This is critical because the small intestine is where 95 percent of water is absorbed into your body.
Gel water can be found in high concentrations in fruits and vegetables like cucumber, celery, watermelon and cantaloupe. One great way to stay well-hydrated is to drink smoothies. Blend fruits and vegetables in a smoothie and add coconut water to provide electrolytes. Drink this hydration-booster every morning, along with 3.5 liters of fluid water throughout the day.
Here's a final hydration boosting tip: Add a handful of ground chia seeds to your smoothie or beverage. Ground chia seeds absorb 30 times their weight in water and turn fluid water into gel water. They also slow the passage of water through your digestive tract, giving the body more time to absorb it.
Stop taking your multivitamin pill
Despite evidence that they are poorly absorbed, more than 200 million Americans take supplements daily. Most tablets and capsules contain relatively large, dense and difficult-to-absorb particles that are often more than 10 times too big to be absorbed. Some scientists even believe these sand-like particles may be scratching the lining of the gut, causing