Water on the brain

What has the brain and water got to do with weight loss and great health?

Everyone knows that water is good for the body but very few seem to understand the vital role it plays or what happens if the body is deprived of it.

The human brain represents roughly 2% of the total body weight, with 20% blood circulation allocated to the brain. The human body is composed of 25% solid matter and 75% water, while brain tissue is said to consist of 85% water. The brain is the only part of the body that is constantly active. The brain takes priority over the rest of the body for its needs.

To manage the body the brain needs a lot of energy. The main source of energy for the brain is sugar and the second is water. To balance its requirements the brain has developed a system which keeps a normal range of sugar in the blood.

It does this in two ways, by converting foods into sugar and using sugar in the diet. So when there isn’t enough sugar in the diet the liver manufactures some and tops up the blood sugar levels by adding more sugar. To start off with it will convert stored starch, followed by proteins and small quantities of fat.

Under normal circumstances our body should know when to eat and how much to eat without storing any fat. Every part of the body will use its share of the energy supply for efficient working.

However our bodies haven’t adapted to the sedentary and stressful modern way of life, and we are not using sufficient muscle activity needed to maintain normal functions.

So the bottom line is that if our brains are used more (e.g. in times of stress) and the body is not used proportionately to supply the brain with sugar, our body sends out signals that we need more water. But what usually happens that we do not recognise these signals as thirst but as hunger and end up eating more and putting on weight.

We put on weight because we eat to supply the brain with energy, and when food is eaten only about 20% is used by the brain and if we are inactive the rest is gradually stored as fat. With water as a source of energy this will not happen. And excess water is passed out of the body as urine.

Simple isn’t it!!!!

As incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the most single important catalyst in losing weight and keeping off. Simply, water suppresses the appetite and helps the body to metabolise stored fat, helps maintain good muscle tone, clears wastes and may even reduce constipation.

At least 2 litres of water should be consumed per day (although this is individual to each person). Water should be drunk 30 minutes before a meal to help hydrate us and reduce appetite. It is also important to space your water drinking throughout the day. In this way you will develop a great lifetime habit.

So get drinking!

Reasons not to diet

I hate the popularisation of the word diet. Diet, it's just a way of eating, but of course these days we associate it with losing weight. I like to think that diet is a way of eating that will make me feel better.

I know when I muck my diet up, I feel tired and lethargic and my tummy swells. Nice!

But of course if you do want to lose weight or get healthy there are a million and one reasons why you don't isn't there???

Heres some.....

• I can’t give up bread, roast potatoes, pizza, alcohol
Nobody’s asking you too, just eat them less often and in smaller quantities. Change the way you make them, don’t add great blobs of butter to the bread, try dry roasting the potatoes.

• I have to ask my husband/partner
I love this one, please don’t be offended but, did you ask your husband to let you get fat or unhealthly?

• Dieting is too hard. I can't stick with it
What’s hard about eating food that will help to increase your energy, increase your metabolism and reduce your appetite. It takes 3 weeks to form a good habit. Try to change your eating habits for that long.

• It’s too expensive to change my habits
How can anything which is going to make you feel fantastic be too expensive. There is no price on great health. If you smoke, how much do you spend each day to ruin your health? If you overeat, how much do you spend each day on chocolates, crisps, chips etc? Its a matter of balance.

• I will only gain the weight back when I stop
The only reason you will gain any weight back is because you will revert back to old habits, this is just lazy.

• I have to think about it
What’s to think about, you either want to lose weight or get healthy or you don’t.

• All of my family are the same
So break the mould, show them that you are an individual. It all about breaking childhood eating patterns and behaviour.

• What's the use, I am big-boned
Even accounting for ‘big bones’ you can still remove the excess fat from your frame, and show off your great figure.

• I don't have the time to count calories
No nor me, I have just learned to control what I eat. I eat sensible healthy meals. I read labels and cook without too much fat (actually I don't cook but my partner does). It’s easy once you know how.

Over the years my diet has got better and better, but I like you have self sobotage days, so what so I do, well I eat and drink what I like, feel ill and then get back to what makes me feel good again.

Getting what you want club

Last night a group of us 'girls' met at Bar 44 in Cowbridge. Great tapas and good company.

Some of us has met before, some only online, one or two at another function last week.

What was wonderful was the buzz, everyone made everyone else feel welcome.

Several of us have talked and talked about how do we get what we want, blokes seem to be able to network easily and 'sort stuff out' between them, you know the old boys club. What is it about women that stops us coming right out and asking for what we want? Is it that we are born givers and this is agianst nature?

Well we want to change that, we want to help our fellow female and we want them to help us. Simple.

So it starts here. Watch this spot to see how it develops.

Getting to 45 1/2 without noticing

What I want to know is, how did I get here?????

I was driving back from Bristol today and thinking about what I had been up to as a kid, and I couldn't remember. All that came to me were the funny stories that mum tells me, not a single memory for myself.

So inbetween dodging Sunday drivers, yes they were all out, just what is so attractive about cruising in the outside lane and then suddenly veering back to the middle lane, I contemplated what I could remember.

Nothing.

Well nothing until adololence. Oh that time of angst, and just naughtiness. Bored in school, with time on my hands. I'll tell you more in later.

School came and went with an explusion for non attendance. Whoops!

Then came the big bad world and no there wasn't a pot of gold waiting for me, I had to go out to work. YUK! Welcome to the world of the factory......

But of course not for long, mum and dad highly recommended the civil service, now that was interesting, not......

5 years later and I was in the IT industry. And the hard work began and with it the rewards.

A move away from Wales to the South East and back again added to the rich tapestry. What fun times. More of that later too.

A marriage, an MBA,a divorce, a new relationship, and a couple of cats.

A company sale, a move to Evesham and a really horrible company to work for. Back to Wales 2 years later, a new job and redundancy with no rights. Oh my god!

And here I am 8 months into running my own business. What fun. What great people there are out there. More of them later too.

In addition to all of that I have been on some life drawing classes, one life scultpting course, a 2 year diploma in crystal therapy and reiki 1.

My belief is that there is more to come and its going to be great.

This is the start of something great and I invite you along for the ride. Welcome!