Seminar: Are You Living in a Toxic Soup? And What Are you Going to Do About it?

 

This Wednesday, January 23 at 8PM, Dr. John Dempster, ND will be coming to Life2 to talk about detoxification.

Well, spring is not that far away – and with that brings April Showers, May Flowers, and Detox time!! While I am a firm believer that Detoxification is an essential part of optimal health, I acknowledge that there is a lot of misinformation on how to detox safely AND effectively. I am often asked “What is the best Detox/Detox kit for everyone”. My answer is simple- “It Depends”… We are all biochemically unique and thus have different biochemical demands. There are a number of organs responsible in aiding in the removal of dangerous exogenous and endogenous toxins we are exposed to everyday. Therefore, it is highly recommended to seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider BEFORE you begin on a Detox regimen. That being said, there are a number of foods that can provide a very safe level of gentle detoxification for almost everyone.

You will learn:

– The top 10 foods for optimal detoxification

– Why it is important for EVERYONE to detoxify properly

– The statistics and myths behind detox

I’ll certainly be coming 10-15 minutes early, so if you’d like to come and chat, let me know if you’re coming.

Details:

Location: Rouge Woods Community Centre. 110 Shirley Dr. (major intersection is Bayview and Major Mackenzie)

Cost: $7

Time: 8PM-9:30PM

 

Water, Water Everywhere

 

The body is made of 50-80% water (remember that neat little axiom that the body is 70% water? Garbage! Your body’s percentage of water depends on your age and body fat. Newborns are around 80% water. The elderly are closer to 50% water. People with higher body fat have lower water content too), so with that much water, you can bet that it’s pretty darn important.

How can drinking enough water help you lose body fat? For one thing, the body sends both thirst and hunger signals. And very often, people mistake a thirst signal for a hunger signal, so they eat, when really, they should be drinking. So here’s a little trick: if you feel hungry, drink a glass of water. If after 10-15 minutes you’re still hungry, that signal is a hunger signal and not a thirst signal. So eat.

 

How can drinking enough water help you gain muscle? For many reasons, but one of the primary ones is that dehydration causes the release of a hormone called “cortisol.” Cortisol is a stress hormone that breaks down muscle for fuel. Drinking water helps bring cortisol back into balance. Also, let’s not forget that muscle is 80% water anyway.

Admittedly, if you are trying to gain muscle, you need to drink less water (and eat less veggies) than somebody trying to lose fat. Why? Because water is a natural appetite suppressant, and if you’re trying to gain muscle, chances are you have a hard enough time trying to consume sufficient amounts of calories anyway. You don’t need to suppress your appetite further.

Some schools of thought go so far as to propose that the origin of many chronic diseases (including gastrointestinal problems, joint problems, and even psychological issues like depression, autism, etc.) is simple dehydration. Their solution is to drink water. Lots of it. One of the most notable proponents of that theory is Dr. Batmanghelidj (I typed that one without having to look it up. I impress myself sometimes), who wrote the book “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water You Are Not Sick, You Are Thirsty! Don’t Treat Thirst with Medications”, which is required reading in many nutrition programs. It’s certainly a provocative read, but the underlying premise is not one that I necessarily agree with, which is that everyone is dehydrated. Got a problem? Just drink some water.

Although it’s true that dehydration will cause many diverse symptoms, and treatment of any condition should make sure that dehydration is not a factor, but I don’t believe that it’s a complete treatment in and of itself (then again, what do I know? I don’t treat people. I help them lose fat and gain muscle primarily).

Nonetheless, I thought you’d like to know that view.

I didn’t discuss specifically how much water you should drink, but I did write about it in a previous newsletter.

Like it? Share it.

If you like this newsletter, please use the buttons below to share it on social media.

 

Quick Summary

 

  • Water is important for many different functions in the body
  • Water helps you lose fat by acting as a natural appetite suppressant.
  • Water helps you gain muscle by lowering a muscle-breaking hormone called “cortisol.”
    • If you’re trying to gain muscle, you’ll need to drink less water than someone trying to just maintain their weight.
  • There is a school of thought that the origin of every chronic disease is dehydration