For optimal performance, keep your body's
core temperature, STABLE!

That's not too COLD and definitely not too HOT

The Story so far...

Picture this… Absorbed food energy (in the form of nutrients - Your Metabolism article), red cells, white cells, hydrogen and oxygen relate with each other in the bloodstream, enabling the body to harness the resultant vibratory energy.  As a result of this "internalised" vibratory energy, you have the ability to experience the physical body's strengths, the mental body's stamina and the emotional body's intuitive sensitiveness.

As with most forms of energy production, heat is produced—and too much body heat compromises efficiency (heat creates resistance). When you exercise, your body temperature rises, blood flow to the skin increases and the body goes into "cool down mode" by sweating.

Sweat's primary ingredient is water and a combination of mineral
salts; potassium, sodium and calcium, which are vital for survival.

Note: These minerals, also known as electrolytes, are found minimally (if found at all) in water, so it is an absolute prerequisite to consume foods that are rich in these minerals or take a supplement (or both), which contain these minerals before any strenuous activity or exercise.

During intense exercise (the quickest way to burn body fat), the body's temperature can rise to as high as 39degrees C / (105degrees F) and the muscle temperature can rise as high as 40degrees C / (108degrees F).

These temperatures create unnecessary stress on the body because both the body's organs and muscles are competing for oxygen rich blood.

Blood is a complex mixture of plasma (the liquid component),
white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Plasma constitutes
more than half of the blood's volume and consists mostly of water
containing dissolved salts (electrolytes and proteins).

Once blood is pumped out of the heart, it takes about 20 to 30 seconds to make a complete trip through out the body (head to feet) and return to the heart. Laid end to end, the blood vessels in an average human body will stretch approximately 99,200 kilometres.

As the body temperature rises, oxygen becomes even more priceless due to the increased circulatory demands—hence another reason to familiarise your self with TRI-BREATH™ TECHNIQUES , as oxygen is also needed to help with the cooling process. Even small amounts of un-met oxygen demands can lead to diminished athletic performance and health risks.

But wait, there's more! The body is approximately 70-80% water and when you start exercising, as much as two percent of your body's water is released. Although this amount is considered "normal" for humans, it is certainly not an optimum level for performance. Have a look at these percentages on fluid loss. They're all caused by minimal fluid loss.

                      
And for those of us struggling with excessive body fat, mild dehydration will slow the metabolism down by as much as 3%, and so often our thirst is mistaken as hunger, because the thirst mechanism is so weak. As far as energy production is concerned, insufficient fluid absorption is...

the #1 trigger of day fatigue.

So as you can see, the symptoms of dehydration aren't exclusive when it comes to different body types or for that matter—fitness levels.

Sufficient hydration of the body not only leads to improved athletic performance, but improved energy production and weight loss as well (for two visual displays on the effects that hydrogen has on the blood... click here. Note: Scroll down the page a bit).

But the benefits don't stop there - the real secret to hydration is the hydrogen. Living in a hydrogen-rich body gives you energy. It gives you softer more youthful skin and greater capacity to heal and remove toxins. The myriad of health problems we surrender too- weakness, cramping, mental fatigue, headaches (just to name a few), all can be alleviated through proper hydration.
 
But what if you live in the city? Is city water just as good for you as water from a mountain stream?

The answer is simply NO!

It's true the water we drink in the city comes from rivers, streams and lakes, but because we - the consumer - are at the end of the line, most of our water has already been tainted and stained.

What with? With agricultural waste, fertilizers, insecticides and poisons carried into river systems from the runoff of rainwater that lands on various industrial properties. Arsenic, cadmium, cyanides and leads from car exhausts and factory exhausts are just a few. Add to the list the chemicals used to purify your drinking water and you can see how rare clean, fresh water is. But no stress! There is a solution...

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES!!!

Fruit and vegetables are the most excellent source of
chemically pure water.
Fruit and vegetables are...

100% HYDROGEN and OXYGEN
H20.

Diets rich in hydrogen rich foods (fruit and vegetables) allow water H2O to be absorbed at a cellular level. It's all about surface tension when it comes to absorption and tap water generally has a high, if not very high surface tension level. This can be visually seen by dropping water onto a membrane and seeing how far it literally spreads. The softer the water, the more it spreads; the more it spreads, the ability of the cells to soak it up dramatically increases. Fruit and vegetables offer you SOFT WATER!

As far as energy production is concerned, are caffeinated drinks good for you before or during exercise?

Caffeinated products actually increase urine output, so you literally lose more fluids and fluid loss is exactly what we need to avoid. Though the caffeine drinks give you extra energy, there is a greater cost that ultimately must be paid. For those of us who need "that extra energy", get into the vitamin B with added minerals and vitamin C that dissolve in water. This supplies the body with that "burst of energy" and fluids.

What about alcohol?

Alcohol is another dehydrator of the body, as it too causes the body to urinate a lot. Many an athlete will concede their performance was less than desirable after a few drinks the night before. The only exception to that seems to be a small glass of red wine. Maybe it's the selenium that is found in the grape that negates the negatives. Still, excess wine will ultimately create the same problems.

So what's the moral of the story?

If you're into health, vitality and fitness, fruits and vegetables not only feed the hunger, they hydrate. They quench the thirst. They provide the body with the life-giving HYDROGEN, electrolytes, as well as providing colloidally suspended vitamins and  minerals. Remember to continually take in fluids, because by the time thirst sets in, the body has already lost at least two percent of its fluid.

And a little tip from the old school – regularly add a small pinch of unrefined rock salt or sea salt to your drinking water. Sodium works with potassium to regulate the water balance in the body, and it helps keep the heartbeat regular and nourishes the muscles. Get into it!

With your health and vitality in mind.

  Brett J. Hayes
  Holistic Health Instructor