SOHL's Health Tips
Questions?  Email Us at udsohl@yahoo.com 

WATER - are you getting enough?
The one thing that is the most abundant on this Earth is the thing that most Americans are getting the least of - WATER.  8 glasses of water sounds like a lot to drink, but with these tips, you can get the 64oz of water you need a day:

1.  Buy a translucent or opaque (not see-through) water bottle to carry with you in your bookbag or purse.  
2.  Drink at least one glass with each meal.  Water helps the nutrients you get from you food absorb better into the body.
3.  Cut down on salty foods and table salt.  Too much salt makes your body dehydrated.
4.  Cut out sodas altogether, especially in hot weather.  Sodas actually make you dehydrated, so why drink them on a hot day?
5.  Drink plenty of water while and after you exercise.  Don't drink too much water before you work out, or you could get cramps.
6.  AVOID TAP WATER AT ALL COSTS.  There are many dangerous things that lurk in tap water.  Chlorine, an additive that kills
     bacteria in water, is harmful.  Research shows that chlorine may cause helpful things in your body, like vitamins and minerals, 
     to mutate to become dangerous.  Invest in some kind of water purification system.  Nikken has a good product.  Buying distilled
     water in jugs from the Newark Natural Foods is also an option.  Or if you are in a dorm, at least get a Brita water filter and change
     the filter often!
7.  Drink herbal (not regular) tea.  It's a tasty way to get water, and healing herbs, into your body.

Check out this great website to calculate how much water you need a day and when!

Once you start drinking more water, you'll notice you will have to urinate more often.  Don't worry - it's just your body flushing itself out and adjusting to all the water you are drinking.  In time your body will adjust.

Stevia Leaf - the sweetest sugar substitute
If you are diabetic, trying to lose weight or avoid sugar, or use sugar alternatives like aspartame, try Stevia Leaf instead.  An herb, Stevia is nearly 300 times sweeter than sugar, so you use less of it while getting the same effect.  It is very safe, non-toxic and has been used for thousands of years.  Japan began using Stevia in the 1970s, and since then there have been no reports of ill side effects or overdoses.

Check out Stevia Recipes and Facts about Stevia

You can buy Stevia Leaf at Newark Natural Foods in Newark (behind East End Cafe on Main St.)
and at most other health food and grocery stores.

Note: The U.S. FDA has been very malicious towards Stevia Leaf and those who sell and import it.  The FDA claims that Stevia is dangerous because there is "no evidence" to claim that it is safe.  Two ironies exist concerning this claim.  First, there is more evidence to back the claim that aspartame, a chemical sugar substitute, may be dangerous to humans, yet the FDA allows aspartame to be widely consumed in the U.S.  Second, Nutra Sweet (aspartame company) pressured the FDA in the late 80's and 90s to stop Stevia from being sold in the U.S. because it put their profits at risk.  Therefore, the FDA's special interests may be putting the public at risk.  Despite these facts, Stevia is still attacked by the FDA, despite the fact that no side effects or illnesses have been reported and that Japan has conducted extensive research on Stevia.  For more information on this subject, click here.