A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that dehydration is a key factor in the cause of headaches, loss of focus, fatigue, and low mood while exercising and resting. The importance of staying hydrated and consuming healthy amounts of water has been voiced by experts for decades, but knowing exactly how water can positively impact you may be the key that causes you to increase consumption.

Even Slight Dehydration Impacts Brain Function, Mood, and Energy

The study involved 25 women, with all of them being just about 1 percent lower than their optimal hydration levels, rather than being severely dehydrated. The United States Agricultural Research Service, which supported the study, stated:

The level of mild dehydration (losses of between 1 percent and 2 percent) experienced among participants in the study could be compared to the mild dehydration some people experience in their daily lives from drinking insufficient amounts of water, according to authors.

But as with many aspects of life, there is a better and worse way to go about keeping hydrated. Simply buying and consuming a bunch of bottled water may keep you hydrated, but at what cost? It turns out that much of the population is spending almost 2000 times more for water than they normally would. The typical price of bottled water is $3.79 per gallon while the typical price of tap water is $0.002 per gallon. You may think that the extra investment is worth it for the improved quality of bottled water, but in fact many bottled water brands may be just as damaging to your health as tap water.

Tap water is chock-full of toxic pollutants and substances that are very damaging to your health. It was only a few years ago that if you labeled fluoride as a dangerous substance, you would be laughed at and scorned. But now even the United States government has called for lower levels of water fluoridation following a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, which found that increased fluoride consumption led to decreased IQ in children. This is just one example of the many toxic substances found in much of the water supply.

The solution? Purchase a high quality water filter that can remove contaminants such as fluoride from your water. When filtering tap water, reverse osmosis is one preferred method in removing toxic substances such as fluoride and heavy metals, but you will need to re-add certain minerals to the water. Use a mineral filter, or even add apple cider vinegar to restore the natural nutrients back into the water that were taken out by the reverse osmosis process. Another solution would be to regularly or at least occasionally consume coconut water. Coconut water is not only delicious and hydrating, but it could be a viable natural solution to lowering your blood pressure as well as keeping you hydrated.

Into late autumn and winter, it seems as though the moods and dispositions of many people darken. Along with the days becoming shorter and with darkness creeping in earlier, people seem more reserved and often depressed.

Reasons for this mood alteration are said to range from a lack of sunlight, to a psychological disposition similar to that of animals, where since food becomes scarce, their activity is diminished. There is absolutely a psychological effect on a person when the sun isn’t as prominent and when days last for a shorter amount of time.

Along with the psychological impact, a chemical effect also plays a role. During the winter months, the sun features less prominently, and thus your body is not able to naturally synthesize the essential vitamin D. Alongside with its massive list of health benefits, including cancer prevention, vitamin D has also been linked to alleviating stress, anxiety, and depression.

The obvious link seems to be that since you receive less sunlight in the latter months, you are receiving less vitamin D, and thus it affects the average person’s physical and mental health accordingly. Numerous reports highlight the necessity of vitamin D, and how being deficient in it can lead to all forms of physical and mental disorders.

In winter, the earth is angled further away from the sun, and so it is much more difficult to gain vitamin D from direct sunlight exposure. So how do you receive the necessary amount of vitamin D? One of the prominent methods for treating SAD includes various forms of artificial light therapy. Using light therapy lamps and tanning beds can help the body artificially produce the vitamin D it would otherwise make in direct sunlight.

Another method to increase vitamin D levels would be to purchase quality vitamin D supplements for any time of the year since some people can’t take direct sunlight, and it takes large amounts of direct sunlight exposure alone to optimize your levels of vitamin D. If it critical that you know how to boost your vitamin D intake if you want to avoid illness and disease.

Pomegranate reduces body fat; resveratrol prevents overeating; and quercetin helps reduce body stressors that lead to fat gain. Together, they give the body a powerful boost that results in reduced body fat and improved energy levels. Unlike countless weight loss drugs that have been pulled off the market for links with serious conditions including death, these nutrients work synergistically with the body to strengthen and improve it.

A study from the University of Edinburgh found that pomegranate consumption over a period of 30 days repelled fat cell formation around the abdomen. This type of fat is known as visceral fat, and is the most dangerous kind of fat. Visceral fat oftentimes prompts the release of stress hormones, which wreak havoc on the immune system. These hormones can also lead to inflammation, heart disease, and less energy.

Pomegranates were also found to reduce excess triglycerides, which form as a result of a diet high in processed foods and hydrogenated oils. Removing these excess triglycerides will not only ward off heart attacks and subsequent heart problems, but will actually also reduce the chance the a heart attack will result in death.

Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/031714_pomegranates_mood.html#ixzz1iAsYERrv

When you exercise, your brain releases a slew of feel-good chemicals that help you feel motivated, calm and inspired for life. So if you’re feeling stressed, tired or pissed off try our expert fitness moves that can put a smile back on your face. Pronto. Try these specific activities the next time you feel anxious or down-in-the-dumps!

MOOD: Stressed out or anxious
High-energy exercise, such as boxing and martial arts, provide an effective release of negative emotions. “To keep stress hormone levels under control, any exercise that’s aerobic, upbeat that stimulates circulation is excellent,” says Stephanie Vitorino, Group Fitness Manager for Equinox Fitness in Woodland Hills, CA. Studies show effective ways to reduce the stress hormone “cortisol” includes deep-breathing techniques, meditation and 30 minutes of any enjoyable and non-competitive aerobic activity, including kickboxing and indoor cycling.
What also helps:Try 30 to 60 minutes of mood-enhancing yoga or circuit training with weights that helps relax your body and mellow your mood.

MOOD: Fatigued or lethargic
A review of 12 studies on the connection between exercise and fatigue measured the amount of physical activity that participants were doing and how much fatigue the participants experienced. All studies found a direct link between reduced fatigue and more active exercise! You don’t need to run a marathon to pump up your stamina, says Vitorino. “Just 20 minutes of power walking, vigorous bike riding or dynamic rounds of yoga Sun Salutations can do wonders.” “Music wakes you up too, so create a go-to playlist of songs that propel you to exercise,” Vitorino says.
What also helps:The trick is to simply start exercising when you feel slow or sluggish. In extreme cases, start with moves where you can actually lie down, such as mat Pilates or sports stretching. Soon, you’ll progress to more intense activities.

MOOD: Unfocused or ill-at-ease
A bounty of evidence supports the claim that exercise improves your ability to think more clearly. Last year, Dr. Phillip Tomporowski, an exercise scientist at the University of Georgia, reviewed dozes of scientific papers that compared how a bout of exercise affects cognitive performance on various mental tasks and concentration. Dr. Tomporowski, and avid triathlete, narrowed down the optimal prescription to 20 to 30 minutes of aerobics such as power walking, running, and swimming. “A short bout of cardio is enough to unlock a mental block,” says Dr. Tomporowski. A lunchtime walk around the ‘hood, a kickboxing class or a game of tennis is beneficial.
What also helps: “Do something that actually focuses you to a particular task at hand, such as balance training with a BOSU or racquet sports for hand-eye coordination,” says Vitorino, the creator of the best-selling “Body Target 60″ DVD(amazon.com).

MOOD: Sad or melancholy
Treating the blues is as easy as lacing up your sneakers for a run or a walk around the track, say our experts. “Working out with an empathetic buddy or heading outside for a sunny sail or bike ride can battle a slump,” says Vitorino. Just 30 to 45 minutes of steady exercise–from elliptical training and stair climbing to karate and cross-country skiing–keeps the stress off your joints, and burns mega-calories. “When I’m too sad to exercise solo, I call a friend and go for a hike-connecting with nature is a great way to feel less miserable!” says Vitorino.
What also helps:Dance DVDs or a yoga class can also boost the blues. Vitorino says, “Tap into exercise variety and try something new, which will shake up your workouts and your body!”

MOOD: Unmotivated or sleepy
Researchers at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center studied the beneficial effects of moderate-intensity activity on sleep quality, and found that the amount of exercise (more is better) and the time of day you exercise (earlier is better) are more important than the type of exercise. Head researcher Dr. Anne McTiernan, found that women who walked or biked at a moderate intensity for 30 minutes every morning (seven days per week) were less sleepy than those who exercised less. Conversely, women who performed evening exercises experienced no improvement in sleep onset or quality. So, do 30 minutes of moderate activity (where you’re breathing hard but not overdoing it) before noonevery day to fight ennui.
What also helps: “Moderate weight lifting also increases metabolism and boosts your mood,” Vitorino says. Exercise early and do something everyday to get happy, balanced and motivated for life!