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Don’t “Drink plenty of water” – OVERHYDRATION is harmful!!!

by Nandhini Varadaraj October 4, 2020

written by Nandhini Varadaraj

The most common question and advice that we receive in our daily life these days is “How many liters of water are you drinking each day?”, “Drink plenty of water”, “Drink 8 glasses of water a day”, etcetera. But the fact is that drinking more than an adequate amount of water, which is known as overhydration, some time might cause HYPONATREMIA.

Water accounts for 60% of the adult human body and is mandatorily essential to every other cell in the body. Drinking an adequate amount of water has a ‘n’ number of benefits which includes, delivering oxygen throughout the body, regulating body temperature, better digestion, flushing out toxins, aiding weight loss, boosting asking health and beauty etcetera. Overall, HYDRATION IS VITAL. But in an attempt to prevent dehydration, some people might get misguided and end up in OVERHYDRATION!

How much water is to be consumed?

There isn’t any rigid answer on what is the amount of water to be intake per day. But, the thumb rule is to drink two to three cups of water an hour (possible standard amount) or a cup of water more if you are sweating heavily. There might be cases where you have to limit the water intake less than the standard amount including heart failure, a particular type of kidney disease. It is always better to consult your doctor if you are confused about “How much water is too much?” for you than ending up in overhydration.

What is overhydration?

Overhydration, in simple terms, means “condition in which the body contains too much water” or “Imbalance of fluids”. Overhydration might lead to water intoxication. Water intoxication occurs when sodium and other electrolytes in the body are diluted too much. So, do not stick to the rule – “Drink plenty of water” without understanding the full essence of it.

Types of overhydration

Overhydration can be distinguished into two types – Retaining the water intaken and Increased water intake.

Retaining water

Retaining water occurs when the human body can’t get rid of the intaken water in a proper way. There are several medical conditions in which the body retains water instead of excreting whenever necessary.

Increased water intake

When the water intake is more than what the kidney can remove, then this causes too much of water collection in the bloodstream.

Reasons for overhydration

Excessive thirst as a result of physical activity or hot weather
Diagnosed with diarrhoea, fever, or vomiting
Marathon runners, cyclists, and elite athletes & rowers
Drinking water in the name of maintaining skin and health
Dieters who think they can swap hunger with water so that they can starve off cravings
Fasting – where people have the misconception of drinking water throughout the day instead of having solid food

Result of overhydration

Exceeding the required amount of water might even result in Water Poisoning. This is a condition where the kidneys are overworked and cells are swollen temporarily. Thus, swelling in the brain puts pressure on the skull causing headaches. Also, when the sodium and potassium salts in the body are diluted way too much, people land up in muscle cramps and tiredness. Overhydration also causes diarrhea, fluid build-up in the brain, seizers, unconsciousness, muscle weakness, blurry vision, pressure on the heart, acute kidney injury, and even coma!

HYPONATREMIA is a medical term used to express the sodium imbalance in the human body. When sodium in the body is diluted way too much then electrolytes are dangerously out of balance causing nausea, headache, and drowsiness.

Despite all these activities by a human, the human body has a built-in defense mechanism that signals us prior to intoxication. For example, sometimes we feel swallowing inhibitions where swallowing becomes extremely difficult and this is a defense activity from the body against overhydration.

Treating overhydration

Treating overhydration may vary according to the root cause of the problem. Common treatments include,

Limiting the amount of water intake consciously
Taking diuretics to increase the amount of urine excretion
Replacing sodium as and when possible
Stopping any medicine that causes overhydration
Increasing the amount of electrolytes and salts intake to balance the fluids in the blood

Despite all of these, the best and permanent way to treat overhydration is to find the root cause and treating it.

Advice to hydration maniacs

Drink water only when you are thirsty
Do not drink water more than what you are losing from the body
Each time you urinate, check the color of your urine. Check the color code below.

*Dark yellow – Oops! Your body requires more water! Go, grab a bottle.

*Pale yellow – Congrats! You are not a hydration maniac!! (normal and relax)

*Clear like crystal – Sorry, you are OVERHYDRATED, so STOP IMMEDIATELY!!!

Hydrate safely

People who are obliged to hydrate more (possibly, marathon runners/cyclists/ elite athletes/rowers) can consider the below methods to keep yourself away from overhydration.

When you are involved in the activity that would demand you to consume more water, have the reusable water bottle in hand but do not force yourself to consume a specific amount of water in a particular time interval
Consult with your physician and try using sports beverages, electrolyte drinks, or hydration tablets dissolved in water, but keep track of the supplements as per the advice of your physician
Keep track of the amount of water intake with the apps available in play stores like fitbase so as to not exceed the proper level. While tracking do not forget to add the amount of water that you intake via juice, buttermilk, alcohol, tea/coffee, milk etcetera
Increase your intake of water-rich fruits, vegetables, or greens like watermelon, lettuce, cucumber, celery, tomatoes, melons etcetera

Conclusion

To conclude, though we aren’t sure of the metric that is to be maintained for water intake, we are clear on the dos and don’ts of overhydration. In precise the correct amount of water intake depends on many other factors like age, gender, climate, health conditions etcetera. So, always listen to your body because you don’t need to consciously think about hydration as the thirst mechanism will itself guide you on when your body requires water. So, people DON’T “DRINK PLENTY OF WATER” and end up in OVERHYDRATION!!!

To keep yourself healthy along with water intake, do give a read on a NUTRITIONAL DIET.

October 4, 2020 0 comment

Well being

10 best ways to remove your mental block

by Sanjeev July 29, 2020

written by Sanjeev

What is a mental block ? :

The need to create is a shared desire among artists, writers, musicians, bloggers etc., but, sometimes we hit a zone where we find ourselves stressed, overwhelmed and unable to produce original ideas.A mental block is an uncontrollable suppression or repression of painful or unwanted thoughts/memories.It can also be an inability to continue or complete a train of thought.

For example ,when one cannot solve a problem in mathematics which one will normally consider it as simple. Mental blocks are also often used to describe a temporary inability to recall a name or other information. A sudden cessation of speech or a thought process without an immediate observable cause, sometimes can be considered a consequence of repression.^[1] Mental blocking can be a coping mechanism for mental illnesses such as hysteria, neurosis, and lack of pathology.

Being consistently prolific in your creative work is not an anomaly.But you can experience flow in your work, increase your creative output, and enjoy your work process.In order to do this you have to make it possible by clearing the way for your brain to make those connections required for creativity.

Here are 10 best ways to remove your mental blocks :

1.Assess the risk:

Fear plays a big role in your mental blocks. You often react negatively to situations or obligations because you’re afraid of failure or of a potentially negative result. If you take the time to identify the actual risk in any experience, you can often reduce the fear and thus control your reaction to that fear. That way, you can assess the risks and evaluate how to handle them without letting fear play too big a part in causing mental blocks.

2.Take evidence:

When you find yourself facing the symptom of a mental block – whether it’s fear, anxiety, insecurity, or lack of focus ,ask your own mind to provide evidence that supports it. For example, if your mind is telling you that you just can’t focus, ask for a list of five reasons why focus is impossible for you right now and address the ones that can be addressed ,reject the ones that are vague or depend on past justification in order to remove your mental blocks

3. Take control of your state :

Understanding how to get over the point where the mind, body and emotions grind to a standstill is very important to overcome a mental block. You need to regain your momentum, harmonize your mind and body to reach your peak state to remove these temporary blocks in your flow of creative energy .

Often a little activity to take back the control of your current state is all that’s needed to break through a mental block. Your state is ultimately the framework you operate out of in life, so use always use it to your advantage to unblock your thinking.

4. Calm your environment :

When your environment is cluttered or uninspiring, learning how to get over a mental block becomes all the more difficult. Your environment is more than just your physical surroundings – it also encompasses the sounds, people and activities that surround you in your day-to-day life.

If you’re overworked with too many responsibilities on your plate, you’ll have a hard time working up the extra energy necessary to overcome a mental block. The same is true if you’re not getting enough sleep or if you hold yourself to impossible standards

5.Create a Deadline:

Some professionals love deadlines, targets and thrive within those structured environments, while for others, a deadline seems restrictive.To some creatives, the deadline approach might seem a bit contradictory and somewhat stressful.

However, sometimes a self-induced deadline is often the kick-in-the-pants my blocked creative mind needs. A deadline gets my creative juices flowing and activates my brain with new thoughts and ideas which help me reach my goal.A target achievement seems to work really well to unblock your mind .

6.Try something new :

Science suggests that creativity occurs when the brain makes connections between unrelated concepts. One way to break through a creative mental block is to increase your neural pathways–and one of the best ways to do this is to learn something new.

Try learning something unrelated to your field. The more repetitive the task, the faster your brain will make new connections. Do things of your interest that combine creativity with focused attention and can boost the creative side of your brain.

7.Get it down on paper:

Journaling, specifically a process known as freewriting, uses the act of writing to encourage you to clear your mind of clutter and allowing you to focus. Freewriting is writing whatever comes to mind down on paper whether or not it relates to your creative pursuits. Then, you can go back and sift through your writing to pull out the parts that are relevant or inspirational.

If writing isn’t your thing, a sketchbook can provide you with a similar experience. Sketch out your ideas, try new color combinations or techniques without constraint. You can also use your sketchbook as a source of inspiration if a mental block occurs again.

8.Get clarity:

Getting clear on what you plan to accomplish and what outcomes you intend to have allows for a free flow of amazing ideas. Make your time count .And when you move on to an unfamiliar task, decide again. Life keeps on moving, each second ticking away, don’t drown yourself in a sea of indecision which leads you to create mental blocks

What really matters is how easily you overcome challenges depends on your willingness to persist. If you persist in climbing, eventually you’ll reach your destination. Just like that thinking in the now to remove those blocks and become who you’ve always wanted to be is the best way to feel creative again .

9.Disconnect from technology:

Research shows that when we’face too many options or look at something in terms of unlimited possibilities, we tend to become overwhelmed and end up thinking less creatively

For example, the availability of quick entertainment via streaming platforms like Netflix is too difficult to resist.It is difficult to use our creative energy in imagining, and creating a world when it has already been done for us.

Thus it is important to use technology to boost our creativity and remove any mental blocks rather than getting lost into it and losing our own identity .

10. Talk about it :

You can easily deal with mental blocks with if you find sufficient help from people around you .Just like you other people too experience what you’re experiencing. Infact we all have more in common than we realize. Thus ,including your honest take on your struggles in your writing and communication and find a community of people who understand will help you clear out your mental blocks.But it is important to remember the purpose is not to sit around in self-pity together, but to share stories and solutions.

July 29, 2020 0 comment

Well being

Best 5 Daily Routine Health Habits

by Neela Priyadharshini May 19, 2020

written by Neela Priyadharshini

Daily routine health habits for happy living

The greatest wealth is Health. Daily routine health habits are very necessary to maintain a proper health. We never value health until we fall sick. Before falling sick, focus on some habits and make them a routine so that your tomorrow becomes a promised one. With more care, through this article I am listing down 5 basic habits that are very familiar to us. What we need is awareness and your awareness should turn into a positive perception. So that all these habits can be gradually inbuilt.

1. Breathe well for a healthy living
2. Drink 4 to 6 liters of water
3. Exercise regularly
4. Say “NO” to sugar
5. Have a regular deep sleep

So what I said is right? All of you are well aware of all these. Right?
No, don’t stop here or don’t just scroll.

Only a healthy body can have a healthy mind and vice versa, so it is necessary to understand their importance and be in sync with them.

BREATHE WELL FOR A HEALTHY LIVING

” Breathe in and out ” is the basic breathing exercise you all would have been taught in your childhood yoga classes.

So, let’s start with breathing. Take a moment and observe your breathing pattern. Can you realize your breathing pattern? Not only we inhale and exhale, but our two nostrils also work differently which has direct relations with the sun and moon. Generally, the right nostril is dominant during the day and the left nostril is dominant during the night.

The right nostril is associated with the sympathetic nervous system and the left nostril is associated with the parasympathetic nervous system. When your body undergoes a disturbance in its natural balance, a switch occurs in this dominating pattern. For instance, Your sympathetic nervous system gets triggered when you are angry or when you are in fear. As a result, your heart beats faster and blood pressure goes up.

Another basic breathing exercise will help you to handle such situations. Close your right nostril with a right hand. Take a deep breath (inhale) through your left nostril and release the breath ( exhale) fully each time till your count reaches 10. Make sure your breathing is slow and deep. Again do the same by closing your left nostril. Breathe deep, release, and relax.

Do this every morning and feel the wonderful transition. Around sunrise, a shift from left to right nostril and at sunset shift from right to left nostril occurs. When you meditate at one of these transition times, your heart calms down and emotional charges of fear, anger, anxiety dissipates gradually. Making it a routine practice can maintain your body’s natural balance.

DRINK 4 TO 6 LITRES OF WATER

All of you might have heard this “n” times. Yet many of you turn a blind eye to it and reach for other beverages to quench your thirst.

Hydration is always related to your brain and body. Even mild dehydration impairs memory and lowers your energy level. Your brain is 80% water. Drinking an ample quantity of water at regular intervals improves memory and concentration.

In today’s world, we have no way of escaping away from stress. Your body has a harmone called the cortisol which is the stress hormone. Dehydration increases the cortisol level and leads to stress. Make sure you drink sufficient amount of water to escape from negative physiological and psychological impacts of stress.

How can water boosts energy levels?

Fatigue is another major impact of dehydration. When you intake more water, the oxygen flow is maintained. There will be a regulated flow of oxygen to the brain and all body organs. This increases your energy level. Staying hydrated keeps you energetic.

Make drinking warm water on an empty stomach a morning ritual. This is the best way to flush out toxins and a good start for a perfect active day. It’s, without a doubt, the easiest way of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

EXERCISE REGULARLY

Exercising helps you to maintain a healthy mind and body. Overall fitness is different for different people, but being healthy is the best form. Many of you may have the struggle of getting committed to a regular exercise program. Even though you know that exercising regularly is a major priority, your avalanche of other tasks pushes it to the bottom of the list.

Pick your favorite exercise and be careful at the same time. Exercises are not only meant for losing weight, it lowers the risk of falling ill and prevents you from many diseases. Regular exercising can go a long way in boosting your confidence, improving your morale, and fixing your posture. Studies also reveal that exercise has a lot to do with your life expectancy. Exercising regularly can also improve the dopamine levels that can improve your mood and make you stay motivated. The effect of exercise plays a crucial role in the functioning of the brain.

It is not only about heading a gym or having a treadmill in your house. Walking, jogging, running, dancing, push-ups are also forms of simple physical workouts.

Fit into a workout and Make it a part of your daily routine. Do not exercise in a rush as it is a common way of getting injured.

SAY “NO” TO SUGAR

Despite the constant warning messages, I can see people reaching out for sugar-laden foods. Indians have a culture of exchanging love and appreciation through sugary treats. The truth hidden is sugar is not so sweet to us all the time. There are thousands of scientific reasons to stay away from sugar and sugar added products.

Research studies prove that over consumption of sugar finds a lead in major health problems like cancer, obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases. The fact is that sugar not only feeds your taste glands, but also feeds it with bad bacteria, candida, mutated cells, and yeast. Sugar also is a cause for premenstrual symptoms and hormonal imbalances.

People go for refined sugar these days which itself offers no nutrition. Over consumption of sugar leads to dysglycemia that causes poor concentration, digestive problems, poor memory, insomnia, and irritations.

Try to give up sugar or be conscious that you don’t take more than two teaspoons of sugar a day and replace it with wholesome snacks and fruits.

HAVE A DEEP SLEEP

At the end of the day, all you need is a calm sleep. This part takes you into the importance of having a deep sleep.

Rising early and being to bed on time increases the production of serotonin, the happy hormone that in turn leads to the production of melatonin that gives u a deep sleep. Rising early as well as being in sunlight in the early morning naturally makes you feel fresh and active throughout the day.

Two common maladies throughout this modern world are depression and irregular sleeping habits. Deep sleep drives you into active, brisk, and higher states of consciousness. Starved sleep patterns lead to a struggle with a disturbed consciousness and drive into a dull day. This also makes you little cranky and you get irritated easily. When you reach bed late at night, you disturb your body’s natural rhythm as a result of which your immunity level goes down.

To excel in life, find a way, and plan your tasks to normalize your sleep patterns. There is great benefit in it that gives you light, relaxed, calm, and a carefree day.

CARE NOTE

You run to earn a happy living. Make sure whether you are running healthy so that you can enjoy all the happiness. Those five I have listed above are the basic and essential health practices that need to get fitted into your daily routine. When you are in tune with these practices your body and soul get refreshed automatically.

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May 19, 2020 4 comments