Dr. Mark Fullerton, Contributing Writer
Chiropractic is considered to be a holistic discipline. “Holistic” has to do with a popular, non-medical approach to health and wellness. It relies on natural health habits that are designed to promote health and wellness, by encouraging whole body health, using vitamins, whole (or natural) foods and herbal remedies rather than treating symptoms with pharmaceuticals.
Here’s my first holistic tip for you. Drink more water. Up to a gallon per day. Most Americans mistake “thirst” for ‘hunger”. They snack too much and don’t drink enough water – not tea, not coffee, not soda…Water.
Why? Because only water hydrates your body. Water-related beverages are helpful with their electrolytes, vitamins, minerals and flavoring but water most effectively hydrates the human body. Furthermore, water helps carry nutrients and oxygen to your cells, aids in digestions, normalizes blood pressure, regulates body temperature and much more.
Insufficient water leads to dehydration and that can have some serious consequences. Symptoms of extreme thirst, dizziness, fatigue, dry mouth, dark-colored urine, less frequent urination and confusion can indicate dehydration. More serious complications of dehydration include urinary and kidney problems, heat injury, seizures and shock.
Of course, there are other causes to consider with most of the above conditions but remember what Ben Franklin would say, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”
The formula I use to prevent dehydration is half of your body weight (in ounces) of water every day. Up to 128 ounces (one gallon). So if you weigh 100 pounds, you should drink three regular (16.9 oz) bottles of water every day.
Check your water intake every day for the next week and I feel confident most of our readers will see they are not drinking enough water.
If you are, great! Keep it up.
About the author: Dr. Mark Fullerton is a chiropractor with more than 30 years of experience with offices in Woodruff and Spartanburg. He received his degree from Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic (now called Sherman Chiropractic College) and is licensed to practice in South Carolina and Pennsylvania. Dr. Mark will be providing a monthly column with information, tips, stories and advice to enrich our readers lives and open a whole new world of healthcare possibilities.
