Water is a life-sustaining fluid, essential to our health. Our bodies are made up of two-thirds water. All the body's major systems require water - skin, detoxification, digestion etc. As a rule of thumb, we need to drink eight glasses of water per day, but this increases with such factors as exercise and heat. Signs of dehydration: headaches. fatigue. back pain. brain fog. depression. constipation dizziness and lightheadedness. muscle cramps. Begin your day with warm water and the juice of half a lemon. This helps prevent constipation, rehydrates the body and flushes the digestive system. What else counts as water? organic, green vegetable juices (spinach, kale, celery). coconut water. herbal teas. fruits (watermelon, oranges, grapefruit, melon). Make sure your water is clean: Do we really know what is in our tap water? Beware of BPA's and other harmful chemical substances, often found in plastic bottles. Invest in your own home-filter system. Gradually increase your water intake each day As you increase your water intake, decrease diuretics such as coffee, alcohol, fizzy drinks, and sugar-filled juices.

This week's TT's Tips are aimed at kick-starting your health journey. Be more proactive, less reactive. Understand that chronic illnesses are progressive and that you need to be an active partner in managing your condition. Become educated and empowered - many chronic diseases can be prevented. Before you rush off to a to a healthcare professional become mindful of your symptoms. Are they related to a food intolerance? If your symptoms are connected to meal times, is there a particular food that could be responsible? Try cutting this food out and see whether it has an effect on reducing your symptoms. Eliminating gluten or dairy is a good place to start.

There is a paradigm shift taking place in the medical and healthcare worlds and becoming aware of this change will help you to maximise your health. Conventional Medicine vs Functional Medicine The goal of Conventional Medicine is for doctors to identify diseases by recognising patterns of symptoms and then treating those symptoms with drug-based therapies. The goal of Functional Medicine is to promote health and vitality in each patient, by identifying and addressing the root cause of disease. Why Is The Shift Happening? Conventional medical practitioners are becoming increasingly aware of the extent to which Conventional Medicine is, in many instances, failing their patients. The burden of chronic conditions and diseases worldwide, is rapidly increasing. Heart disease, obesity, arthritis, cancer, type two diabetes, stroke etc. are among the most common yet preventable of all health problems. The three approaches of conventional medicine - "a pill for every ill", "one size fits all" and symptom management are all failing to: Address the root causes of these illnesses and symptoms Treat each person as unique Provide each patient with a more personalised protocol that considers their genetic predispositions, medical history, diet and lifestyle Why Is This Important? With studies revealing health statistics such as "90% of strokes are preventable", the time is here for you to realise the extent to which you can participate in your own health. This study identified high blood pressure, smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes, poor diet, lack of exercise, high cholesterol, heart problems, obesity and stress as the top ten risk factors for stroke. Therefore this study provides further support for the well-established notion that diet and lifestyle have a bearing on cardiovascular health, as well as many other chronic diseases. It is time for you to become aware that for any disease prevention program to be as effective as it can be, you need to receive the right kind of information and awareness to help you take control of behavioural choices. It is time to become empowered with knowledge and to seek the assistance of health coach practitioners whose mission it is to educate you on the extent to which the emotional, environmental, nutritional, physical and spiritual aspects of your life influence your health, producing illness or wellness. The Functional Medicine Model This model allows practitioners to spend significant time with each patient in order to help them understand the environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors that influence health and disease. It also incorporates dietary and lifestyle changes, including therapeutic food plans and nutritional supplements as part of a personalised treatment plan aimed at addressing the underlying causes of disease. How Do I Implement The Functional Medicine Model? We view individuals from the perspective of health rather than disease. In addressing symptoms, we seek to unravel the cause or triggers of why they have arisen and to address them with a personalised programme based on diet and lifestyle. As these programmes often focus on behaviour changes, we help to break down recommendations making it easier for you to implement them. Coaching you, educating you in a self-care model and supporting you by staying in touch and tracking your progress are integral components of helping you in your quest for health success. We healthcare providers can furnish you with protocols and advice, recommendations and information. We can guide you, but the extent to which you succeed is dependent upon the extent to which you participate in your own healthcare. Food For Thought Since it was Hippocrates who said 2,400 years ago: “Let food be thy medicine and let medicine be thy food" "It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has" "The greatest medicine of all is teaching people how not to need it" ... Is this really a paradigm shift or simply a return to the fundamentals?