I Was Doing A Zoom Call With A Friend And Noticed She Was Drinking Water Like Crazy And Going To Pee

I was doing a Zoom call with a friend and noticed she was drinking water like crazy and going to pee often. When I asked her why she was drinking so much water she replied it was for her skin. That got my thinking about how we should drink water. Turns out there are some interesting facts and myths about drinking water. Drinking too much water before a meal will make your stomach acidic according to one study. Your stomach needs to be alkaline for proper digestion. Turning your stomach more acidic before a meal does not help digestion and also creates bloating. A little bit of water during a meal is actually beneficial as it lubricates the stomach lining and helps your stool be softer. But not too much. Take a page from the Chinese custom of sipping hot tea with their meals in small little cups. Maybe they do know a thing or two about digestion because it turns out drinking cold water is not great for digestion as it apparently solidifies fat in food, worsens joint pain and might even give you a sore throat. One thing that is clear, drinking too much water will wash away salts and other electrolytes. And my friend was exhibiting the classic symptoms of such electrolyte losses, especially headaches, irritability, muscle weakness, fatigue, lethargy and especially abdominal cramping. But she is as stubborn as they come. Not even willing to run an experiment and see. Sigh. The good news is she sips her water, only drinks warm water and drinks while seated. At the end of the day we do have to use common sense and really listen to our bodies. As we get older our thirst receptors do not work as well, often mistaking thirst for hunger. So a little extra water will be useful.

#water #howtodrink #whentodrink #howmuchwater #h2o #electrolytes #sodium #salt #potassium #magnesium #chloride  #headaches #irritability #muscleweakness #fatigue #lethargy #abdominalcramping #jointpain #kidneys #stomachacid #digestion #bloating #gas

The fears of the Covid vaccine is understandable. Marcus Aurelius the Roman emperor known as the good emperor said “It is not death that a man should fear, but never beginning to live”. We will all die, but should we live in such fear that we forget to live? The benefits of the Covid vaccine at least the Pfizer vaccine more than outweighs any risks. Getting together with family and friends becomes normal. Even the most reclusive of us need people. If there is an elderly relative or a young child you reduce the risk of infecting them if vaccinated. Wearing those troublesome masks will become a thing of the past. Many employers especially in critical industries will not offer you employment. You get to travel freely. If you are single you can date again with less fear. And should something go wrong the United States government has the Counter Measures Injury Compensation program that takes care of you for any possible side effects caused by a Covid vaccine. Now that is a good guarantee. We are so lucky to have the best vaccine and insurance while other countries are crying for any vaccine. I got mine and nothing has fallen off yet. I would rather live well than die slowly from fear. Sometimes we have to have a little courage and be pragmatic. Life never goes according to plan.

#covid #vaccine #mrna #getvaccine #pfizer #benefits #dating #masks #travel #rewards #employment #family #friends #courage #countermeasuresinjurycompensationprogram #insurance #vaccineinsurance

Wishing everyone good health in 2021.

Do you know Cinnamon and Orange go well together. Can you suggest a recipe that combines orange with Cinnamon?

For years I used to make vegetables wrong. Overboiling, frying the hell out of it and even steaming it all wrong. But having lived in Hong Kong for a period of years I got an appreciation of the benefits of making vegetables perfectly so it tastes beautiful while losing very little of the nutrients. Take this Gai Lan also known as Chinese broccoli, which funnily enough originated in Europe. All you need is to immerse this in boiling hot water for three minutes are you are done. It comes out tasty, crunchy and with a bit Sesame oil it is fantastic. And it has plenty of fiber to feed your good gut bacteria. Did you know that good bacteria feeds on fiber while bad bacteria feeds on sugar?

#gailan #chinesebroccoli #cooking #recipe #sesameoil #gutbacteria

I used to live in Hong Kong for many years and left for America the land of opportunity. But not good health. Hong Kong to my surprise has the best longevity in the World. This is despite heavy pollution, limited organic food, really cramped living conditions and low health care spending. Why do they live so long? Part of the answer may lie in the fact they eat a lot of fresh food. Unlike in the US where people shop once a week and either freeze or refrigerate their food, people in Hong Kong have really tiny kitchens. There is no space. So, they eat out. Virtually every day. There are plenty of inexpensive restaurants serving fresh food. Because of the massive scale, prices are cheap and food waste is  also reduced by cooking for many. And they eat plenty of fish. Glorious varieties of fish, often steamed. Vegetables too, made in the most amazing ways. For such a busy place there are plenty of outdoor spaces. You should see how many retired people get up early in the morning, gather in large groups and practice tai chi. It is truly a sight to behold. Afterwards they go to a restaurant with fellow retirees which may be building a sense of wellbeing. This is often done on a daily basis. The younger people are too busy to do this but they too meet in large groups at lunch time. Again, fresh food. In the evening they meet friends or work mates for dinner. It could be a simple place like a Dai Pa Dong (a no-frills restaurant) or a more expensive place for special occasions or somewhere in between. This social fabric and a huge variety of food may explain their longevity. I am so glad Hong Kong exposed me to the art of eating better and the social gathering. I have got to eat more fresh fish despite concerns about mercury. My fish skills are not great but I started with this expensive Halibut. It was out of this World. Next how to master Hong Kong style steamed fish. Got to live long and healthy. 

#longevity #fish #healthy #ageing #hongkong #family #freshfood #vegetables #socialintreactions #taichi #qigong #exercise #friendship #halibut #asparagus #rice #germanredcabbage