Prepare for a Safe and Fun Fourth of July!

Laugh and be happy

Did you know that laughter actually promotes the immune system?

When we laugh, we promote immune boosting cells, lower blood pressure and increase blood oxygen levels. Laughter increases the production of immune cells that are classified as disease fighting proteins (gamma interferon), basic and essential to the immune system (T-cells), and producers of disease-fighting antibodies (B-cells).snoopy laughing

Remember: laughter is the cheapest medicine and the easiest to prescribe. You can figure out for yourself what it is that makes you laugh so you can actively surround yourself with positive experiences. Positive and negative emotions can be bolstered just by having them in the first place, so it is important to actively try and promote happiness and laughter in order to experience more on a regular basis. With that promotion, you will be consistently supporting your immune activity whereas if you are promoting negativity, you may be suppressing your immune activity.


Ever wonder about the different occasions that make you sweat?

You perspire by two different sweat glands and each responds to different influences. One gland (apocrine) is located in the underarms and is triggered by adrenaline. The other gland (eccrine) is triggered by body temperature change. Apocrine sweat begins to smell when it lingers with bacteria found in the skin and is excreted in times of physical stress like exercise. Eccrine sweat occurs on palms, feet, forehead to help keep you cool. Both circumstances involve the excretion of bodily fluids, so it is important to stay hydrated. In the summertime it is especially crucial to monitor your water intake because both glands may be working at the same time. Fourth of July weekend can involve all types of out of the ordinary activities that can make you sweat more than usual. Without replenishing your body’s water supply, you risk side effects of dehydration like: kidney dysfunction or failure, heatstroke, and circulatory problems. Make sure to drink plenty of water and avoid too many drinks that are actually dehydrating like: coffee, black tea, sugary sodas and alcoholic beverages.

Water and your Nervous System


The core of your spinal discs are 88% water.  If it loses as little as 3% of its water content, it loses vertical height and the ability to support the weight of the body.  The weight that is normally supported by the spinal discs is then transferred to your spinal joints. When, due to dehydration, spinal joints cannot support the stress placed upon them, interference to nerve communication, spinal disc decay and arthritic changes to the bone begin to occur.


Facts about Hydration
  • The human body is composed of 75% water and as adults we can only survive three to four days without water.Strawberry_splash
  • Only nerve function and the air we breathe are more important for life than water.
  • Hydrated people perform better on tests than dehydrated people.
  • 20% more strength and aerobic power can be seen in a typical 150 lb person who has optimum body water levels as compared to individuals who lose 3 lbs of water weight during the same activity.
  • Water as an aid to weight loss…We often turn to food when in fact we’re only really thirsty. Drinking water can fill you up, replenish fluids and even give you energy allowing your body to function properly and reduce weight.
  • Water and toxin/ waste removal…Water prevents damage to kidneys by helping dissolving the waste the kidneys remove. Without water people would be poisoned by their own waste products and toxins resulting from their body’s metabolism.
  • Stay tall and maintain nerve integrity as you age. The loss of height and decreased nerve function seen in some individuals can be linked to dehydration.  If each spinal disc loses 10% to 12% of its water content, an average person will lose approximately two inches in spinal height as they age. This loss of height impairs proper nerve signal exiting the spine and reduces overall health.
  • Rationing by the body is activated when one does not drink enough water each day. Water delivered to spinal discs, ligaments, joints and cartilage is eliminated first and thus has a tremendous impact on your nervous system and overall spinal health.
  • Water in the morning before food replenishes the fluids in the gut, so that proper digestion can take place once food is eaten. Recent research shows women who drank more than five glasses of water per day had a 45% lower colon cancer risk than those who drank 2 or fewer glasses. Researchers believe water helps speed the passage of food through the colon so there is less contact between fecal carcinogens and the intestinal wall.