The Missing Link For So Many In Their Health

At one time, I had a patient who had chronic migraines. He had a stressful job with long hours. His way of keeping up with his hectic schedule was to constantly drink Mountain Dew. He had some problems in his neck that were contributing to his headaches, but the main problem he had was he drank no water, unless it was in his favorite beverage, Mt. Dew. We discussed this problem several times, but as we all know, life is all about timing. He wasn’t ready to give up this habit just yet, as it was his main coping mechanism for his hectic stressful schedule and lack of rest . Unfortunately, he dropped out of treatment. Years later, I ran into him in the grocery store and asked how his health was. He told me the story of how he had gotten to a crisis level with his health and his family had paid about $5000 to check him into a health resort where they force you to eat and drink what they offer, and that is only healthier fare. He was forced to quit his habit of highly caffeinated beverages and no pure water intake. When he started drinking water and stopped the caffeinated beverages, he was amazed at how the migraines magically disappeared. I wasn’t amazed at all, because this is what we had discussed years before, but for him he had to get the point where there was no other option. His body was crying out for water and his muscles, which chronically pulled his vertebrae out of alignment, could not heal due to this. My point of telling you this story, is so you can see how important this simple change in your habits can be. Water is vital to your health. Your body will force you to fix the habit, if you don’t recognize the problem and begin habits that get your water intake up.

With that being said, how much water do you need to drink daily? Most experts agree that half your body weight in pounds in ounces is a great starting point. For most people, they will need to start habits that increase their water intake. The Whitacre Wellness team works with people daily on increasing their water intake. Our doctors recommend you have a way to measure how much water you are getting daily. I found the local hospital has a wonderful insulated cup with measuring marks on it up to 32 ounces. The Nutrilite company we work with offers varieties of twist tubes that are healthy and very convenient. They are also very affordable! These tubes come in different flavors, have no sugar, and offer different health benefits. They come in little tubes that can be thrown in your bag for the day or even in your pocket. When you want to enjoy it, you twist the top off and pour it into a pure glass of water or a water bottle. There is the strawberry kiwi that has 1000mg of vitamin C to help boost your immune system. There is also the new Fruits and Vegetables 2Go that is mango citrus flavor and offers 2 servings of fruits and vegetables. Lastly, there is the raspberry twist tubes that have glucosamine for aiding with joint health and joint pain. These are perfect to help increase your water intake, without increasing sugar, and by adding nutrients that help your health.

As you can see, the solution is easy. So why doesn’t everyone make this small change in their daily life? Have you ever heard the saying? “Proper planning prevents poor results.” If we don’t prepare ahead, it is easy to grab whatever is convenient. Unfortunately, vending machines and convenience stores are not promoting water and twist tubes. The planning is really very minimal. I recommend you have your cup or water bottles set out the night before and put them in your bag with your twist tubes you plan to enjoy during the day. This will prepare you to have a nice treat. While your co-workers are having their soda, you can pull out your water and twist tubes. You will have a tasty beverage without the caffeine and sugar. You will feel better physically and mentally, knowing you are adding lots of water your body desperately needs to function daily.