Natural Blood Pressure Regulation

High blood pressure or hypertension effects over 65 million Americans. This is a growing problem and many Americans are relying on medication prescribed by their to control their blood pressure. Some of the most common medications being prescribed right now are Chlorthalidone and Propranolol. Some of the side effects associated with these medications include depression, dry mouth, thirst, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, alteration of heart rate, muscle pain or weakness, and even numbness and tingling. In addition, serious drug interactions can occur if you are taking anti-depressants, heart arrhythmia medications, blood thinners, MAO or ACE inhibitors, steriods, diabetic medications, and many others. Are the risks really worth it?


Are you taking a blood pressure medication right now or have you had your dosage changed in the past 6 months? There's a better way. There are natural methods and lifestyle changes that can help regulate your blood pressure with no associated side effects and you can make these changes today!


1. See a chiropractor.


Treatment of hypertension or high blood pressure with an upper cervical chiropractic adjustment, according to George Bakris, MD of the University of Chicago hypertensive center,  "has the effect of not one, but two blood pressure medications given in combination and it seems to be an adverse-event free treatment. We saw no side effects and no problems." A 2007 study compared the two treatments and found that on average systolic numbers dropped 14 mm and diastolic numbers dropped 8 mm of mercury with upper cervical chiropractic care. Read more about it here.  


2. Talk to your doctor about taking a supplement.


Supplements can lower your risk for heart disease and stroke by lowering dangerously high protein levels like homocysteine and C-reactive protein. These proteins are just as high of a risk as high cholesterol levels and many people either haven't heard of these proteins or have NEVER had their levels checked. Supplements can completely and naturally manage these risk factors with proper guidance from your doctor. 


3. Cut back on coffee and switch to caffeine-free.

Many experts agree that switching to decaf coffee can lower your risk for blood pressure, however new studies have been showing its the amount of coffee you drink and not just the caffeine that has the biggest impact on your blood pressure. Limit your cups of coffee to two per day and switch to decaf. Read more here. 

4. Indulge in anti-oxidants such as those found in dark chocolate.

Researchers have found that the anti-oxidants found in dark chocolate and cocoa has a healthy effect on blood pressure and blood glucose levels as well. The study found that insulin resistance was reduced after 15 days of dark chocolate consumption of 100g or 3.5oz per day. Read more about it.

5. Cut back on sodium.

Doctors have been saying to lower your salt intake for years to help with blood pressure. Listen up! Studies and more research has not proven otherwise and suggest that lower than 1500mg of sodium per day has great blood pressure lowering effects. Read more here.

6. Get to a healthy weight.

Reducing your weight can help decrease the stress and demand on your heart and have other healthy effects as well. It can reduce your risk for many diseases and improve your blood sugar as well. Talk to your doctor about options for reducing your weight and healthy diet tips you can adopt on your own.

Healthy food from your backyard!

Spring is in the air and planting season is here! I know I've been seeing my neighbors raking or planting almost every day of the week and my green thumbs are itching to start planting as well. My big plans for this year are two-fold, first I want a decent size vegetable garden so my daughter can join in the dirty fun of planting and the joys of eating food she helped to grow and secondly I want a small plot of visually pleasing flowers with some functional herbs strewn in so that I can spice up my cooking a bit.

So how do I plan to accomplish this? Well after a few trips to the hardware store I plan on building a few plant boxes to not only streamline the garden but also encourage soil draining so my husband can't drown my garden if he thoughtfully waters it for me. Then I plan on filling my boxes with soil and either seeds or sprout plants from my indoor winter greenhouse.

Now, building plant boxes may seem like a daunting task, but its less expensive than buying expensive vinyl planter boxes or easier than trying to de-crypt the instructions that come in the Build-Your-Own-Plant-Box kit. Of course, if you like the pre-made thing, they're available at your local home improvement store! I personally prefer a project, and thus stumbled upon a few project and design tips from how-to templates and other thrifty bloggers.

Compliments of Norm Plate

Andrea, Andrea what will your garden grow? My daughter and I are aiming for a fully functional garden that will supply side dishes or salads on demand! Our planning stages for the vegetable garden include a few tomato plants, zucchini, green beans, onions, green, yellow, and red peppers, strawberries, and a mixed bed with plenty of salad choices including leaf lettuce, butterhead, romaine, spinach, and kale. My small flower and herb garden will have a variety of colorful flowers, basil, thyme, rosemary, and sage. I'll have to follow-up on some great recipes to incorporate these foods into a variety of dishes sometime soon.

So here's some helpful tips if you're wanting to begin your garden:
1. Choose a great spot to start. A sunny spot with drainage is necessary but try to keep it away from old buildings, roads, or flood areas as paint chips, oil/tar, and chemical sediment may contaminate your garden or cause it to not grow as hardy.
2. Check your soil. Check your soil acidity levels as low pH (acidity) can stunt or slow the growth of plants and increase the likely hood of chemicals being taken up in your plants.
3. Replenish your soil. You should make sure if you're using homemade compost to make sure its fully broken down as the beneficial nutrients aren't released until after decay. It's always a great idea to add aged compost or manure every year to enrich the soil for planting season, however there's many different variable to this recommendation. For example, if you have plant boxes you can add aged compost anytime but if your garden is on flat land you might run the risk of it getting washed away if its added too soon. For this reason, many people recommend adding it in spring before you begin planting.
4. Know your materials. Use untreated wood for plant boxes as pressure treated wood and railroad ties contain chemicals. If you're going to paint the plant boxes make sure you're using non-toxic latex or water based paint as oil can leach chemicals into the soil.
5. Protect yourself and your family. It's great to get 10-15 minutes of sun to boost your Vitamin D, but make sure to wear sunscreen if you're going to be out longer to protect your skin from sun damage and premature aging. Wash your hands with soap and water after working in the garden and always wash fruits and vegetables before cooking with them or eating them.
6. Water. How much or how little water your garden needs will depend on your climate, the weather, and where you've planted, but a good rule of thumb is to watch your plants! If they are dropping mid-day then they'll need more water. Another good rule of thumb is to feel the soil. Place your fingers down in the soil up to the knuckles, if its dry near your fingertips then you need to add more water.
7. Enjoy! Experiment with new recipes or try using fresh ingredients like herbs instead of dried! Encourage everyone to try new foods and share with neighbors. (Neighbors love to join in and share the spoils of planting and exchanging crop.)

Is stress making you fat?

Do you experience stress on a daily basis? Do you feel unable to lose weight? Do you feel like you gain weight the more you stress out?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then KEEP READING!

Compliments of New Line Cinema

While Michael Myers is wearing a fat suit in this picture, it still makes you wonder how people can live like this on a daily basis. Imagine that extra weight on your joints and how much degeneration is occurring not only in those joints but also in your spine! Take a look at the picture below for a comparison MRI of an average and overweight female and check out those joint spaces!!!

Let's do a short anatomy lesson. Your adrenal glands are located on top of your kidneys and are responsible for secretion of many hormones essential to every day function like epinephrine, cortisol, progesterone, DHEA, estrogen, and testosterone. In fact, in women going through menopause the adrenal glands are a major source of the estrogen and progesterone needed to prevent bone loss and menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, and even depression! In andropause, (YES that's right men go through a change too!), the adrenals are relied on for another source of testosterone to prevent excess weight, lose of confidence, and the familiar "low T" syndrome that is advertised everywhere now.

So how does stress play a part into being fat or weight loss in general?  Well let's dig a little deeper. Cortisol is released from your adrenal glands when you are stressed out  (It's called a "fight or flight" response). This stress doesn't just have to be at work under a pile of paperwork because your body views stress as a perceived threat whether its physical such as running a marathon, emotional during a tear-eyed movie, or even environmental such as extreme temperature changes. When you are under "stress" your adrenal glands release cortisol which will signal your liver to release amino acids from muscle surrounding the liver in order for the body to make more glucose (blood sugar) for your body to be able to spring into action to deal with this stress.

When we are under stress long term and our adrenal glands are constantly producing cortisol at high levels, our body will start to store that excess blood sugar as fat. That fat usually gets deposited right around our middle which can lead to that big pouch that is hard to get rid of with diet and exercise. This is due to the fact that our cortisol levels are too high and our blood sugar never gets the chance to lower to normal levels!

So how do we get around this problem? Well we have to relieve some of the stress in our lives and focus on supporting our adrenal gland function so that they are still able to support us later on (such as during menopause or andropause!). In addition, we need to incorporate some healthy diet changes that seek to keep a consistent blood sugar rather than spiking our sugar levels up and down.

A balanced wellness program can be designed to reduce stress levels and support or even restore the adrenal glands if they've started to decline their function. Talk to your doctor and they will be able to give you a better picture of where your body is at and what kind of support you are going to need.

Get your feet in shape and ready for a run!

Here at AlignLife in Peoria we've been focusing on exercising together during lunch hour with stretching and jogging . Which is a great way to boost our metabolism and energy levels, but also a great way to get some sun and fresh air in the middle of the day.

So what's so important about prepping your feet for running season? Well everything!!! Your feet are the foundation of your body and as such have the job of supporting your body weight, your joint alignment, and your posture. Did you know that your feet take the brute force of about four to seven times your body weight when your forefoot contacts the ground while jogging? Now for a 150 pound runner that is equivalent to 600-1000 lbs! 

The intrinsic muscles of the feet and the posterior musculature of your legs must have the proper strength and be the proper length in order to support healthy joint function and to keep the arches in the bottom of your feet ready to support the extra weight associated with movement. Due to modern footwear restrictions on foot movement especially at the individual joints, most of our feet aren't conditioned enough to walk barefoot while supporting the rest of our joints let alone take part in the Barefoot Movement that is all the rage! Click here to learn more. To top that off, most of our posterior leg musculature is actually shortened from its proper length due to elevated heels at the back of our shoes that causes our feet to be put in extension with our weight shifted forward on our feet rather than in a neutral position with our weight centered over the hefty bones of our ankle and heels. Learn more about footwear positioning in my previous blog post.

In fact, most modern footwear restricts movement of our forefoot in general and puts all the demand for flexibility at our ankles (which is wear our shoes usually stop). This demand at our ankles is against our body design as these ankle ligaments are supposed to be strong and virtually unyielding to support the bones of our heels and ankles rather than stretched out and pliable to allow to flexible movement. This increased flexibility at the ankle can lead to increased risk of injury to the ankle while the forward weight shift can lead to degeneration of the joints in our feet (think bunions and deformed feet) as well as flare ups of plantar fasciitis.

So what can you do to reduce your risk of injury and get your feet in shape? Great question and I'd be happy to share a bit more.

** Remember to consult with your doctor about starting an exercise program, especially if you have issues with bone density or balance.

1.)           Stretch your legs and feet daily. Some helpful tools to help include a 1/2 dome that you can pick up in the craft section of your local craft store or Walmart or even a rolled up towel. In fact, below find some great stretches you can do on your own to help support your soon to be healthy feet.

This one is great because it stretches your posterior legs as well as your feet. Thanks for the great pose Katy!

Check out this great video from Katy Bowman for some more great foot exercises!

2.)       Get out of your shoes for at least 2 hours every day. Just slip them off when you get home and do some of the foot exercises I showed you above.

3.)        Stretch your toes. Toe spacers are a cheap and effective way to get those muscles in their proper position and  in the proper length, but you can also get these great socks as well. 

4.)        Get walking! Increased movement helps keep your muscles working, your joints moving, and your blood pumping which can not only help you lose weight but also reinforce proper movement into your joints.

5.)        Pamper your feet. A foot soak can be relaxing and beneficial for stress relief and healthy bacterial growth (this can also prevent athelete's foot too). Moisturizing your feet can also help support good foot hygiene and can be as simple as putting some coconut oil on your tootsies before a pair of cotton socks.

So get moving and get your feet in shape for running season!!!

Do you suffer from chronic fatigue?

Welcome to April 2012, ladies and gentlemen! This month in our office we are focusing on chronic fatigue and how to battle it for better health and more energy to embrace our true vitality.

Only 2% of the population worldwide has been diagnosed as having chronic fatigue syndrome, however 20% of people report that their fatigue is so serious it interferes with their daily life. What's most shocking? Over 80% of people cite fatigue as the most common reason they visit their doctor. This is serious business and an epidemic in our world today!!!! Fatigue can occur for a variety of reasons including exertion and overwork, high stress levels, auto immune disorders, adrenal fatigue, and even an unbalanced diet.

Do you have up and down patterns of fatigue?
Are you fatigued in the morning and unable to sleep at night?
Uncontrollable cravings for sugar, caffeine, or bread?
Find your appetite ravenous some days and others you have to remind yourself to eat?
Unusual mood swings?
Having trouble regulating your body temperature to your environment?
Having trouble concentrating or focusing on tasks?

Did you answer yes to any of these questions? Then make an appointment with your doctor today!

Here are 10 Common Causes of Fatigue:
1. Stress. If stress is long standing and doesn't give your body a chance to cope or adapt this can result in chemical and hormonal changes that can be long term.
2. Dehydration. I talked about this in last week's blog a bit more but water is VITAL to your body functions and not having enough of it can also lead to fatigue and headaches.
3. Vitamin C deficiency. This nutrient is required for growth and repair of your body and is also a powerful anti-oxidant that can prevent tissue breakdown. A deficiency can result in you feeling fatigued and sore after a simple workout.
4. Magnesium deficiency. This nutrient is responsible for all the muscle activity in your body and is essential in energy production! A deficiency can result in fatigue, muscle cramping and weakness, and even cardiac arrhythmia.
5. Under-active thyroid or adrenal gland. Your thyroid gland is responsible for setting up your body's metabolism and your adrenal gland is responsible for adapting to stress in your environment. Many people who suffer with fatigue may have a combination of dysfunction with both of these glands because they tend to work together. A dysfunctional adrenal gland can also be responsible for keeping you awake at night because it releases hormones that tend to keep us aroused and ready to battle stress.
6. Toxins. Your body (more specifically your liver) helps to filter toxins from our body on a daily basis. However if you've got a lot of toxins in your body and your liver is unable to keep up these toxins can be stored in your cells to help keep them out of the blood stream. These toxins can make you feel sluggish and have a hard time getting going throughout the day. (Toxins in fat cells can prevent them from shrinking and cause you to hit a plateau when trying to lose weight too!)
7. Nervous system dysfunction. Your nervous system is protected by your spine however when the bones of your spine aren't aligned properly after an injury or even from poor posture it can cause irritation or even compression to the nerves that exit at every level of the spine. These nerves bring communication from your brain to supply every organ, tissue, and cell in your body so if they aren't working correctly your organs and muscles may have a hard time working at their 100% optimal function. Chiropractors focus on restoring your nervous system function so that your body can carry out normal functions such as breathing, fighting off infection, and even healing.
8. No schedule. Our bodies and hormones work like clockwork to direct every function and system in our body on a normal basis. However, when we don't eat or sleep around the same time every day it can really affect our chemical and hormone balance that may have long term effects.
9. Minimal to no exercise.  Exercise is important to keep your body in shape and your blood and heart pumping strong, however it also plays a vital role in the production of endorphins and neurotransmitters (brain hormones) that are responsible for chemical balance and sleep cycle regulation. Exercise also helps to reduce stress levels and boost your body's stress coping ability.
10. Electronics. Studies have shown that use of electronics less than an hour before bed can not only interfere with normal circadian rhythm (calming bedtime hormone patterns) but can prevent you from sleeping deeply to restore after the day.

So what healthy habits can you bring into your life?
1. Take some time to de-stress every day. Take a walk, meditate, or do some deep breathing to help your body relax. (I personally find cooking is a great stress reliever for me!)
2. Make sure you're getting enough water. The 8 glasses of 8 oz water per day is a great guideline but most of us need more than that especially if its hot outside or if we're active.
3. Make sure you're eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables to not only increase your nutrient intake but also to help rid your body of excess toxins.
4. Take a daily multivitamin! It's nearly impossible to get the right nutrients that our body needs from just our diet. How do you choose a multivitamin? Read how some retail vitamin are dangerous. Read here to find out what you need to know about a multivitamin. Or just ask us at your consultation. You've scheduled one now right? NO?!? What are you waiting for, its free!!
5. Go visit your chiropractor to make sure your nervous system is functioning properly.
6. Get some exercise. Start at 5 minutes a day if you need to.
7. Stick to a schedule for sleep and meals.
8. Relax a bit before bed rather than zoning out with the TV or computer. This might be a great time to do some deep breathing or meditation.

Do you have a picky eater?

One of the biggest troubles with children getting enough or the right kind of nutrients is due to the infamous "picky eater syndrome" that seems to share the dinner table with our families every night. Parents feel forced to give in to this child and let them pick and choose what they will and won't eat, but this battle can be won!

How? Well through some simple tricks, fun indoor party ideas, and that age old "good example" we should be setting! But first, let me go over a few facts that might tip your scales and ruffle your feathers.

1. Eat meals together. I know this sounds so simple, but studies have shown that children who frequently eat together as a family have shown better nutritional intake of calcium, fiber, iron, B6, B12, C, and E, as well as consuming higher portion of fruits and vegetables. Add to that a decreased risk for unhealthy weight and substance abuse later in life and there's some motivation and inspiration for family dinner night! Read more on this here.
2. Set a good example by making healthier choices and be open to trying new things! Children tend to mimic their parents eating habits and views on food as well. If you cook at home you'll not only have better control of what goes in the food and portion control but your little one will witness that you value healthy eating. Trying something new should be an experience for the whole family to taste and will open plenty of opportunities to new cuisine and cultures! 
3. Involve your child in meal planning. Children don't have much power in their lives and that's why refusing to eat something can be how they will flex their muscles. But let's change this around to a positive note and have THEM choose what they will eat in the fruit and veggie aisle. Bring them with you to the supermarket so they can see the many different types of foods available to them and touch them too. Sometimes a cool texture or weird shape may inspire them to create with it! 
4. This goes right along with #3 but involve them in the preparation of a meal too! When kids get involved in the meal prep they feel proud and will not only eat it themselves but push other family members to eat more as well. Some children may be too little to chop up veggies but shucking corn or simply holding open the garbage can lid while you're chopping can be the highlight of their meals. Something as simple as having them mix instant pudding for dessert will make them eager to clear their plate for the next course. Make sure to praise them for their hard work, remind everyone at the table (within earshot) that they helped with the meal, and make sure to comment on how great it tastes!
5. Be patient. With changing hormones, growth spurts, and tummy aches comes days where children just don't have a big appetite or where they just aren't in the mood to try a new food. Always make an offer to try new things but don't push too hard or they may link negativity with a certain type of food. Just offer it again another time and remember that it may take more than one time of introduction before your child will try or even admit to liking a new food!
6. When all else fails, change it up. Sometimes children need something fun to add to the boring old meal and dipping sauce or fun colors added to mashed potatoes or other side dishes may add just the dash of fun to the meal. Dipping sauce is magical to a child's mind and will often add a familiar flavor to a new taste that offers comfort to them. If you've ever heard of the muffin tin trick then you'll already familiar with this concept. You haven't heard of the muffin tin meal? Click here. 
7. Cut down on in between meal snacks and heavy liquids. Often children fill up in between meals on milk or juice or even snack enough to replace a full meal. Cut down on large snacks in between meals or limit snack portion sizes to make sure that your child will be hungry at meal time. Cut out milk and juice in between meals and offer water instead so that they don't fill their tummy before a meal and so they don't fill their caloric intake with high sugar liquids. 
8. Still have a picky eater who's not getting their servings of fruits and vegetables each day? There are many alternative supplements that can be mixed into other food or even smoothies to ensure they are getting their daily requirement of fruits and vegetables. Here at AlignLife we have a supplement called Absolute Greens that can be added to water, a smoothie, or even a pudding they helped prepare to make sure they're getting their daily dose. 1 Scoop will do ya for a day!! Click here for more info or to order!

Find some great recipes below:

Green or Blue Smoothie 

Polenta Fries and Ketchup (Gluten Free)

Bento Lunch Box Creations

Black Bean Dip

Mock Sushi 

Bite Size Asian Fish Bites

Crispy Fish Sandwich

Hydrate your Life!

What do you think is the most DEFICIENT nutrient in your body?

If you guessed water you are CORRECT!!! 75% of people are dehydrated. Stop, now re-read that. WOW, that means that 3 out of 4 people are dehydrated RIGHT NOW. Are you a part of that percentage?

Your body is made up of 60% water so it makes sense that it is extremely important to how your body functions. In fact, every system in your body depends on water in order to function properly. For example, water is needed to flush out the toxins and chemicals that you consume in your diet and breath in your body each day. Water is also responsible for carrying nutrients to each and every single cell in your body. The moist tissues in your ears, nose, and throat also depend upon having enough hydration in order to function properly to protect you from harmful chemicals and bacteria. The lubricating fluids in your joints also depend on having enough hydration in order to move and replenish fluids necessary to decrease joint degeneration and arthritis. In fact, 8-10 glass of water per day has dramatically decreased joint pain in 80% of people.

So where does all the water go that you drink? Well as a matter of fact you expire it through your skin when you sweat, it evaporates as you breath, and you excrete it when you use the bathroom. But the biggest question is.... Are you drinking enough water to replace the water you lose through your body's daily functions? If you have dry lips or feel thirsty then the answer is probably no.

So everyone supposed to get 8 glass of 8 oz of water each day right? NO! In fact everyone's water intake differs according to the health of their body, the food they eat each day, their activity levels, and even the weather. So if you're unhealthy or don't eat a good diet you may need to drink more than the 8x8 rule. In fact, in a study by the Institute of Medicine they found that on average men should be drinking 3 liters of water (about 13 cups) and women should be drinking 2.2 liters (about 9 cups). Are you anywhere near that number on a daily basis?

The recommendation is to drink 8oz of fluid 8 times a day, however this doesn't take into account the fact that many people reach for coffee, tea, and even soda for this fluid intake. Guess what ladies and gentlemen, all of these caffeine and sugar filled fluids actually contribute to you becoming MORE dehydrated!!! When you consume sugary drinks, your body is forced to pull water from your tissues to balance out the excess sugar that is deposited into your blood. Which will trigger your thirst mechanism and cause you to possibly reach for another soda or cup of coffee. Vicious cycle huh? So not drinking enough water or just water in general can actually lead you to become thirsty and more dehydrated. In turn this can also effect your body's general function and cause it to react by slowing function and shutting down systems. This can lead to you to become fatigued as well as thirsty!

Did you ever notice how young children ask for water or juice quite often during the day? That's because their brain connections between food and water aren't interconnected yet. In fact as we get older and our brains develop further, we lose the distinction between when we are thirsty and when we are hungry. In fact, in most people they only recognize that they are hungry, and so reach for food rather than water first! So try reaching for a glass of water next time you get hungry and wait 20 minutes. If you're still hungry then go ahead and eat rather than just always reaching for food. You'll satisfy your body, decrease your calorie intake, and possibly even contribute to some decreased numbers on the scale.

Another factor is the type of water you drink. Tap, distilled, or filtered? Tap water has extra added chemicals that the body will need to filter out and get rid of, which means that you're kidney will be working overtime and you're going to need water to excrete that waste to get it out of the body. If you've been watching the news lately, you may have even heard prescription drugs such antibiotics, anti-convulsants (seizure meds), anti-depressants and other mood stabilizers, and even hormones have been found in our water supply in 24 major metropolitan cities. Read more here.  Distilled water is free of the added minerals found in natural and as a result you won't get the benefits of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and sodium. So filtered water is the best to drink because your body won't have to filter it and lose water in the process and you'll still have the benefits of the vitamins and minerals present in the water. Many stores now have inexpensive water filters that can be attached to the kitchen sink, water filtering pitchers,  and even filtered water bottles available for purchase. These are a great investment in your health and will make it easier for you to get the water your body so vitally needs.

So here's some tips on how to make sure you're drinking enough fluids.

1. Designate a place for a water pitcher in the fridge, this will ensure that you have water cooled and ready to pour into a glass. 
2. Make sure you have a designated glass or water bottle set aside each day filled with water.  If its within reach, you'll reach for that rather than getting up to grab a coffee, tea, or soda. If the glass or water bottle has an attractive color or design it will only add to the desirability of reaching for that container as well.
3. Drink water while you're outside in the sun whether you're sun bathing, working in the yard, or playing football with your buddies. This will help to ensure that you're replacing the water lost from the hot weather.
4. When you're hungry, try reaching for a glass of water first and then wait 20 minutes. If you're still hungry then go ahead and eat rather than just always reaching for food. You'll satisfy your body, decrease your calorie intake, and possibly even contribute to some decreased numbers on the scale. 
5. Try keeping a tally of the number of glasses of water you drink each day. Reward yourself and give yourself a pat on the back when you reach your daily goal. (Goals should be 3 liters or 13 cups for men and 1.3 liters or 9 cups for women. However if you're more active or out in the sun add a few more glasses to that number.)  
6. If you have difficulty drinking plain old water and need a little flavor, try adding a teaspoon of lemon juice into your glass for flavor or add some fresh fruit (I love adding watermelon!) into your water pitcher for some extra flavor when it's time to pour another glass.

I hope this helps you to become more hydrated and supports your healthy body function! If you have any questions don't hesitate to give me a call in the office (309) 689-6200.