Fitness Together - Longview

HEALTH TIP OF THE DAY:

Bathe in pure, properly filtered water.

Chlorine is an effective anti-microbial and disinfectant. This is one of the main reasons it is used to disinfect and sanitize municipal water supplies and many public & private swimming pools.

Unfortunately it is also a highly toxic chemical, whether it's ingested (through drinking water), inhaled (through chlorine gas vapors), or absorbed through the skin (as in swimming pools and bathing water).

A high-quality water filter can help to remove nearly all of the chlorine and other undesirables (fluoride, heavy metals, microbial pathogens, etc) from bathing water, whether through a whole-home water filtration unit or through a shower head filter.

I've personally enjoyed the benefits of bathing in properly filtered watered over the past 4+ years. For me, this has meant cleaner, softer, & healthier skin & hair. I only wish I'd known the importance of bathing water quality during my teen years, when my severe acne led me down the "conventional" road of overly-drying topical treatments (salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, rubbing alcohol, etc), harsh detergent soaps (Lever 2000, Irish Spring, Dove, etc), and even harsher oral medications (accutane!).

For those looking to bump up their bathing water quality (and who aren't quite ready to spend a few hundred $ on a whole home filter just yet), I recommend a high-quality shower head filter.

I'd look for one with at least the following two filtration media. First, a high-quality carbon filter that will effectively remove unwanted synthetic chemicals and microbes. And second, a high-quality kdf filter (copper-zinc ionizer) that utilizes a process called electrochemical oxidation-reduction to effectively remove over 90% of the chlorine from your shower water.

Two companies that produce products that meet the above criteria are Aquasana www.aquasana.com and Jonathan Product www.jonathanproduct.com. Their filters run in the $60-$90 range, and should last at least 6 months before they need replaced (replacement filters should run between $30-$45).

Water Filters by Aquasana Aquasana is clearly better water. Offerings include a diverse set of award-winning drinking water, shower and whole house filtration products as well as bottle-your-own accessories.

HEALTH & FITNESS TIP OF THE DAY:

The relationship between sleep & overall health can hardly be overemphasized. Certain hormones that play a critical role in cellular & tissue functioning & repair are released during sleep, particularly during deep stages of sleep.

It's been estimated that a normal healthy adult needs between 7-9 hours of quality sleep a night to function optimally. Sadly, reports are that the national average is below 7 hours a night, and the prevalence of both natural sleep aids & pharmaceutical sleep meds indicates that sleep quality (as well as quantity) is also suffering.

There are numerous ways to improve sleep quality. A high quality mattress can help (natural latex, memory foam, and air beds typically have the highest customer satisfaction ratings). A supportive sleep position (back & side are most often recommended), proper sleep environment, & relaxing before-sleep habits (shower/bath, herbal tea, light stretching, reading, etc) can also help.

Consistently making healthy choices in other health-related areas can also contribute to improved sleep. This includes...

* healthy hygiene & body care habits
* proper hydration habits
* high quality & balanced nutrition (which can mean not eating significant amounts the 3-4 hours before sleep)
* sufficient amounts of physical activity in daily living (sedentary occupations often contribute to sleep-related problems)
* sufficient amounts of moderate-to-high intensity physical exercise
* avoiding to***co products
* healthy environmental practices like exposure to fresh air & moderate amounts of direct sunshine
* & wise medical, dental, stress management, & sexual habits.

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Grateful for You: Happy Thanksgiving from Fitness Together.

What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving? ~Erma Bombeck, "No One Diets on Thanksgiving," 26 November 1981

A special greeting of Thanksgiving time to express to you our sincere appreciation for your confidence and loyalty.
We are deeply thankful and extend to you our best wishes for a happy and healthy Thanksgiving Day.

The Fitness Together Team

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