Articles

Dehydration and Connective Tissue by Greg Klein

(Submitted by: Sian Flanagan - Global Fitness Centre Personal Trainer)

Dehydration and Connective Tissue. Only yesterday, I completed a very powerful weekend workshop, given by a brilliant young researcher, which expanding my knowledge about fascia or connective tissue. I came away with a much greater background on this new emerging science. Given the limitations of space here and not wishing to overwhelm Healthy Times readers, I will focus on two of the three intrinsic aspects of the connective tissue system that we must understand further in order to more fully appreciate and assess its dynamic function in a living body.

The connective tissue matrix is a renewable tissue that is made of 70-80% water. Combined with collagen and elastin, it creates the bubbly fluids that flow in and around all definable structures within the body. This is a very new discovery in human science. When fascia is hydrated, it is flexible, glide-able, and resilient.

When our connective tissue is dehydrated, it gets inflexible and stiff like a dried out sponge. Its bubbles lose their buoyancy, inhibiting the tissues’ gliding ability. As a result, the body has less supportive integrity, responsiveness, and connection.

When the connective tissue is dehydrated, the joints become compressed, muscles are less able to integrate proper timing, and flexibility and ease of basic movement is compromised. In other words, chronic pain arises. The lymphatic system, liver, and large intestines become overworked and stressed, causing common symptoms such as headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, bloating, sugar cravings and binge eating. Connective tissue dehydration also causes wrinkles, sagging skin, and cellulite.

To some degree, dehydration is a part of aging and is intrinsic to the human condition. It is caused by a variety of things that fall under the category of daily living. The are many things that accelerate dehydration, such as inadequate water intake, habitual patterns, physical and emotional trauma, and poor diet. Whatever the cause, when the water content within our body decreases and there is no intervention, the body will slowly degrade, deform, and lose space.

Fortunately, anything that improves the water level in the body will positively affect the aging process. To achieve and maintain a healthy, hydrated body, both adequate water intake and connective tissue treatment are vital. The key is maintenance. The tissue needs regular maintenance using the Rossiter System or other bodywork and the body needs ongoing, consistent water intake — two to three liters a day, depending on our size and activity level. Connective tissue dehydration doesn’t have to be a permanent state or condition. This tissue is a remarkable, renewable resource.

Another intrinsic aspect of fascia is extensibility, or the ability to adapt to spatial length. Connective tissue extensibility gives our body the ability to subtly adapt at any given moment and remain stable. This is required for stability and for ideal movement to occur without added compression or compensation.

Extensibility allows this tissue to act like a shock absorber. Incoming vibrational forces are first transmitted through the connective tissue, from which appropriate responses are relayed to the rest of the body. Connective tissue reacts to our movements. When connective tissue extends beyond its potential, it tears. It is like driving a car on a bumpy road with worn-out shocks. If the shocks don’t do their job, the weight of the car against the force of the ground will cause the axle to crack.

Connective tissue extensibility is similar to the extensibility of skin. If we gain weight, our skin doesn’t tear or rip open. Instead, the deep fibers extend to allow for the added fat deposits in our superficial fascia. If we gain too much weight, the collagen and elastin fibers separate, creating stretch marks. The same thing occurs deep within the superficial fascial layers and beyond. Excess weight does more than alter connective tissue extensibility and damage joints. It creates constant tension to the point where the entire connective tissue matrix becomes unable to support the joints overall, which causes compress and postural deformity.

It is essential that our connective tissue stays hydrated to maintain its extensibility and adaptability. If it is dehydrated, tension becomes concentrated in a specific area, and if this occurs repetitively, the entire system is affected. Over time, this alters the body’s postural position from the ground up.

Greg Klein is a certified Rossiter coach and massage therapist. If you are interested in evaluating these stretches for yourself, contact Greg at 760-318-5278 or selfhealingpower@yahoo.com. Greg is available to travel to your home or office.

All Things Gym presents:  'Deskbound' by Kelly Starrett - Health at Google Talk

(Link suggested by: Jesse Sibbald - Global Fitness Personal Trainer and CrossFit Coach)

Kelly Starrett did a talk in the Health at Google series.  Titled "Deskbound", he talks about what prolonged periods of sitting does to our bodies and how we can fight that evil.

TIPS for a HEALTHY BACK 

(Reference:  Chatelaine.com -Back Health Articles / Submitted by: Global Fitness Trainer Stephanie Swaisland)

When your back hurts, many other things suffer, too. Your energy is lower and your favourite activities can become sidelined. Everyday activities such as getting in and out of the car, lifting a child or carrying groceries can become painful and tiring. Even if you are not feeling sore, your back may be stressed and headed toward injury. How well does your back score? 

Four Indicators of a Healthy Back

1)  Good posture
A healthy back can hold itself up straight with relatively little effort. Slouched posture puts stress on your spine, and even your lungs and stomach

2)  Ease of movement
Ease of movement means lack of stiffness or limitations when doing things like getting in and out of a chair or car, or bending over to pick up something. If you are usually stiff, your back may need a tune-up.

3)  Range of motion
Range of motion is about your ability to bend and turn your torso.
For example, can you:

• Turn your chin to your shoulder?
• Go past your knees when bending forward to touch your toes?
• Reach your knees with your fingers when bending sideways?
• Tilt your head far enough back to see the ceiling without bending your back?

Reduced flexibility may be a sign that your spine isn’t moving properly.

4)  Performance

A healthy back should be able to sustain physical activities such as gardening or spring house cleaning, without being so sore the next day that you can hardly function. It’s OK to be a little stiff, but not to the point where you have trouble moving.

Fiber: A Key To Weight Loss

(By: Carolyn J. Dean / Submitted by: Sian Flanagan - Global Fitness Personal Trainer)

What is fiber? Fiber is the part of plant-based foods that our bodies can’t digest. It passes through our digestive tract without providing nutrition or calories and yet it is very healthy for us. How much fiber do we need? Men need approximately 35 grams and women need approximately 25 grams daily.

There three types of fiber. Insoluble fiber acts as a broom inside the colon and sweeps out toxins. Soluble fiber will prolong the “emptying time” with foods we eat such as oats and flaxseeds, causing you to feel full longer. Functional soluble fiber acts as a sponge and soaks up toxins. Foods that contain more fiber will make us feel full sooner and will stay in our stomach longer than other foods.

Fibrous vegetables are very low in calories and high in nutrition, making these foods the best choice for improving our health and losing weight. High fiber foods help to regulate blood sugar levels. Fiber will slow down the glucose absorption and your rate of digestion, keeping your blood sugar level more consistent. Regulating our blood sugar is extremely important in losing weight.

When we eat foods that are low in fiber such as overly processed foods, they are quickly processed into blood sugar. To lose weight, choose highly fibrous foods such as vegetables, fruits, grains, lentils and beans. A diet consisting of clean protein, fibrous carbohydrates and healthy unsaturated fats provide a highly effective weight loss program.

When consuming more fiber, you will need to also increase your water intake. It is recommended that you drink at least half your body weight in ounces daily. Eating these types of foods with proper water intake will help to improve digestion, elimination of waste and will provide increased energy. When we cannot eliminate waste in our colon on a daily basis, it is very difficult to lose weight and body fat.

Incorporating foods that have a low Glycemic rating will help to provide you with good food choices that are high in fiber, rich in vitamins and minerals, low in sugar, low in fat and low in calories. Because most people live such busy lives, many live on foods that are overly processed and devoid of fiber. Take the time and find out how much fiber is in the foods you eat on a daily basis.

All of us need to be more aware of what is in the foods we eat. Learn to read labels on drinks, canned and packaged foods. What are some highly fibrous foods? Asparagus, broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, mustard and turnip greens, grapefruit, apples, lentils, black beans, kidney beans and soy beans. It is also very beneficial to add a fiber supplement such as fiber capsules before each meal. This will actually lower the G-I Index rating of all your foods.

Incorporating enzymes and omega oils can be extremely helpful in creating a healthy, effective weight loss program. So in summary, to lose weight and body fat you need to regulate your blood sugar level – and this is done by consuming a food plan consisting of clean proteins, fibrous carbohydrates, good healthy unsaturated fats and plenty of water.

WATER AND FITNESS: The body's most neglected nutrient  

(Submitted by: Leslie Park - Kinesiologist & Global Fitness Personal Trainer)

With a Starbucks on every corner and vending machines in every office building and school, it seems that coffee and soda are the predominant source of liquid nourishment in today's society. Drinking water is perhaps the most important element in a healthy lifestyle.

Most people that are dehydrated do not even know it. What are some of the symptoms of dehydration? Fatigue, moodiness, a "drained" feeling, and thirst. That's right, if you are thirsty, you are actually dehydrated! What's even more surprising than that, many people have such a weak feeling for thirst, that often it not even apparent to them that they are thirsty.

Just how dehydrated do you have to get before you start feeling deleterious effects? As little as a 1% loss of water can translate to an increase in core temperature during exercise. A 3-5% loss of water can put a strain on the cardiovascular system and further impair the ability of the body to dissipate heat. When the body loses 7% of it's water, the result is most likely collapse.

45-75% of a human's weight is from water, and the muscles of the body are 75% water.

Keeping hydrated is as simple as drinking your daily requirement of water for the day, but just what is your daily requirement? Well, the "average" person, in a normally humid environment, without unusual physical exertion, loses the following amounts of water: Approx. 2 cups per day from normal perspiration, another 2 cups from breathing, and a total of 6 cups from the intestines and kidneys. That equals about 10 cups, or 2.5 quarts. Remember, this is all without heavy exercise of dry environments.

You can get several cups of water from your food. However, it is recommended that you still take in around 6-8 cups of water each day. More specifically, your weight divided by 2 for the number of ounces you should drink each day (there are eight ounces in a cup, so divide by eight to get the number of cups).

Most importantly, when you drink 6-8 cups of water a day, it WATER, not juice or milk or coffee or tea. Only pure water counts towards your 6-8 cups. The body can distinguish between pure water and a solution, like Gatorade. Pure water is quickly absorbed and put to good use.

Do not  drink a large amount of water all at once. The body will respond to a sudden sharp increase in water by releasing diuretic hormones to excrete as much of the excess water as possible, further dehydrating you.   Sip water throughout the day. Bring a water bottle with you to work to make it easier.

Helpful Reminders:

• Bring a water bottle with you everywhere, and fill it as often as necessary
• Sip water slowly throughout the day
• Don't judge your need for water by thirst, drink weather you're thirsty or not
• Drink more when you exercise, when it is hot, or when you are in a dry, stuffy environment
• Cut back on caffeine containing beverages if possible