PROTEIN AND WATER

Congratulations for investing time in yourself and your health and finding out about ways to be healthier and get more out of life.  In this Health Tips letter I am going to share with you the 2 Most Significant Health Challenges that face over 90% of my patients.  In fact, I am also often finding myself challenged by these two conditions.

HEALTH CHALLENGE #1: DEHYDRATION

HEALTH SOLUTION #1: DRINK MORE GOOD QUALITY WATER

Most people simply do not drink enough water.  About 80% of our bodies are made out of water.  Water is the “essence of life” and, interestingly, almost the same percentage of the planet is made out of water as the percentage of our bodies that is water.  Water allows for proper cell function and it helps people to think and function optimally.  Many people believe themselves to be drinking water when what they are really consuming might have once been water, but is now toxic.  Drinking an adequate amount of water allows us to think more clearly, have more energy, and perform at a higher level.  People should drink a minimum of 1 quart of water for every 50 pounds of body weight.  If you weigh 200 pounds then you should be drinking approximately 1 gallon of water per day.  If you exercise regularly then you should be drinking more on the days that you exercise.

HEALTH CHALLENGE #2: NOT ENOUGH PROTEIN IN THE DIET OR PROTEIN MALABSORPTION.

HEALTH SOLUTION #2: EAT MORE PROTEIN AND MAKE SURE THAT YOUR STOMACH IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY.

Protein comes from the Latin word, “Proteus,” which means of utmost importance or “most important.”  Protein is the most important part of any good diet not because this is my opinion but because this is a physiologic fact of how the body works.  The cellular membrane of every cell in your body is made up mostly of protein with small amounts of fat and sugar.  All cellular reactions require enzymes which are protein molecules.  All of your hormones are made of proteins and fats (or sterols).  Endorphins and enkephalins and Bradykinins are all made of proteins.  These are the chemicals which allow us to decrease pain in our bodies.  All of the neurotransmitters are made up of protein.

Neurotransmitters allow us to think properly and they allow us to sleep well at night and have a proper mood and to have adequate amounts of energy and good nerve function.  Proper amounts of protein encourage healthy blood sugar and weight loss.  Over 60 percent of the population is hypoglycemic and so this is incredibly important (Barbara Stitt: Food and Behavior).  Proper protein metabolism allows for more aerobic function in the body, which allows for more energy, increased health, decreased stress and pain and overall improved metabolic efficiency.  A person should have at least as much protein as fits in the palm of their hand for every meal, three meals per day.

Good sources of protein are animals that fly, swim or walk around on the ground.  Some examples of these are fish, eggs, duck, chicken, turkey, Cornish Game Hen, beef, elk, buffalo, ostrige, and lamb.  Some Indians from India are able to be healthy without good sources of animal protein as their digestive tracts have adapted to a vegetarian diet over many thousands of years. Some people eat enough protein but they are not able to digest it.  Protein is broken down in the stomach and then absorbed in the small intestine.  80% of digestion takes place in the stomach.  If a person is not properly digesting their protein in their stomach then they could benefit from structural, chemical and emotional therapies which could help a great deal.