Category: May

Water. Can you believe some people really just dislike drinking water. Hopefully this article will encourage those who do not like drinking water, will begin to do so for their health. Drinking water has a multitude of great health benefits. I prefer drinking bottled water and not tap. Drinking distilled water also has a benefit. Distilled water helps to pull toxic out of the body. The body must be hydrated, and the only way for it to stay hydrated is to drink water, and fluids. The skin will benefit by your drinking 7 – 8 glasses of water daily. Distilled water in my own personal opinion has a better taste. The body is approximately 62% water — your body needs drinking water to maintain balance.

Water And The Heart

Without drinking water it causes the heart to work much harder. The heart is an organ which beats over 2 billion times in a person’s lifetime. It is the organ which pumps blood throughout the body. The heart weights between 8 – 10 ounces, and between 10 – 12 ounces in men.

A benefit of drinking water, and plenty of it is enabling the heart to work easier and more effectively. Why? Because the heart has to pump blood. If you do not drink water the blood begins to become thicker which puts stress on the heart making it work harder to pump blood. Drinking water helps the blood stay in a healthy state to move easily throughout the body.

Water And The Brain

Did you know 85% of your brain tissue is water? Your brain needs, water, water, water. Drinking water is essential for good brain health. Whether you are drinking water purified or distilled, or natural spring water your brain thanks you! When you are not drinking enough water your brain suffers. Did you know you can dehydrate your brain by not getting enough water. Believe it or not one sign that your brain is not getting enough water is forgetfulness.
Your Kidney’s And Why You Should Drink Water

Your kidney’s benefit from your drinking water to decrease the chances of forming kidney stones. Those who have ever experience a kidney stone know it is not a pleasant experience. Kidney stones are created by bacteria that builds up and form a protein which crystalize in stones. A body that is dehydrated has an increased possibility of forming stones. The kidney, and liver work in the body to get rid to waste. Kidney stones are very painful, I have never had one but have spoke to others who have had a stone. On the pain scale it comes in at 10++.
Drinking Water And Your Skin

Whether you are drinking water purified or distilled, or natural spring water your brain thanks you! When you are not drinking enough water your brain suffers. Did you know you can dehydrate your brain by not getting enough water? Believe it or not one sign that your brain is not getting enough water is forgetfulness

As for your skin, your skin is 70% water, and to kept your skin well hydrated you should be drinking at least 2 liters of water a day. Without drinking enough water it results in dry skin, and skin that is not moist. Drink up for the health of each cell in your body. Every cell needs water to function correctly.

A key part of the health benefits of strawberries is this fruit’s high water content. Like many nutritious fruits, strawberries are composed of more than 75 percent water. This means that by eating strawberries, you feel fuller on a smaller amount of calories than foods with less water content. Strawberries, therefore, are an excellent food for losing weight or maintaining your current weight. Another health benefit to strawberries’ high water content is that they help keep your skin hydrated, which leads to healthy, glowing skin. Hydration can also help you stay energized and satisfied throughout the day.

Strawberries are also packed with soluble fiber, an incredibly heart-healthy benefit. Soluble fiber attaches to cholesterol and helps remove it from the body, which therefore lowers your body’s cholesterol levels and reduces your risk for heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular health problems. Combine strawberries with the high-quality carbohydrates in foods like oatmeal for a nutrient-packed, filling breakfast that offers plenty of health benefits.

The soluble fiber in strawberries is also part of an ideal diet for people worried about type 2 diabetes. Since being overweight is a leading cause of type 2 diabetes, the water and soluble fiber in strawberries can greatly benefit people concerned with this condition. An additional health benefit of strawberries’ high fiber content: strawberries can help people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive problems. Eating strawberries and other high fiber fruits and vegetables is an excellent way to ease digestion and sooth stomach upset, constipation, diarrhea, and other painful symptoms.

People can also gain health benefits from the high amount of folate in strawberries. Folate is a B vitamin that contributes to strong, healthy hair and vibrant skin. Doctors recommend that pregnant women increase their folate intake during gestation, so strawberries are an excellent food choice. Folate can help prevent osteoporosis. Research shows that folate is an important nutrient for developing and maintaining strong, healthy bones and teeth. Strawberries can also boost your mood, another healthy benefit to eating this fruit.

Eating cherries are benefitual to one’s health in many ways. I love telling my health stories first simply because my mom who is turning 70 in 2 weeks is such a big inspiration and a total health fanatic. I usually get plenty of tips from her on what’s vitamins and fruits are good for what. Her new kick is cherries and blackcherry juice. Your was telling me about how good blackcherry juice is; I said to her “blackcherry”! Of course, I am familiar with eating blackcherries, but for some reason it never crossed my mind of the benefits of drinking the juice of blackcherries.

Cherries are a low-calorie fruit with plenty of excellent nutritional benefits. Because cherries are sweet and tasty, they’re a smart pick for a healthy snack or an ideal component of a filling breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert.

Cherries’ main nutritional power comes from their juice. Cherries are made up of mostly water; like many healthy fruits, cherries are composed of more than 75 percent water. Their high water content makes cherries an excellent food for weight loss, since low-calorie, high-water foods help you feel fuller than other drinks and foods, and for longer periods of time. Cherries are also a good source of soluble fiber, which also aids weight loss. Soluble fiber also helps reduce cholesterol by escorting it out of your digestive system, slowing intestinal absorption of heart-clogging cholesterol.

Cherries give your skin a nutritional boost. Cherries’ high-water content means that they contribute to overall hydration of the body, which is vital for bright, vibrant, and clear skin. Water helps the body flush away toxins, allows for a smooth flow of nutrients into skin cells, and keeps organs functioning at their best. Skin cells that are well-hydrated are plump and full, which means that the skin appears firmer, clearer, and healthier.

Cherries are rich in several important vitamins and minerals , contributing to their overall nutritional benefit. The vitamin C in cherries is essential for the health of collagen and other connective tissue. Because vitamin C increases bone density, cherries can also help boost bone strength. Eat fresh, uncooked cherries to retain the most vitamin C benefit from them. Cherries also contain vitamin A, a nutrient that’s crucial to vision and eye health. Reduce your risk for cataracts, vision problems, and macular degeneration by introducing cherries as a regular part of your healthy diet. Cherries also contain beta-carotenes, which are critical for skin health and can help protect the skin from sun damage.

Another benefit to eating cherries is that they can help the heart. Like most fruit, cherries are also high in potassium, which helps the body get rid of sodium. Potassium helps keep blood pressure low, which is important for limiting the risk for heart attack, stroke, hypertension, and other heart-related illnesses.

Rich in antioxidants, cherries also help ease the pain of arthritis. Because cherries contain bioflavanoids anthocyanidins, which are powerful antioxidants known to reduce inflammation, cherries are a great food choice for arthritis sufferers. Anthocyanidins inhibit the production of inflammatory chemicals like cytokines and prostaglandins, and help remove free radicals from the body that can irritate tissue and cause pain in the joints. The antioxidants in cherries can also help reduce the pain of frequent headaches.

Cherries are also a natural source of melatonin, a neurohormone that has long been linked to sleep. Eating cherries, therefore, can help aid insomnia and other sleep-related disorders.

In today’s Gospel we hear, “The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of bread. While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts?” In this particular passage from Luke, Jesus questions the apostles’ faith. How would we respond to Jesus or someone questioning our faith?

It was a Sunday morning in a little chapel on the border of Venezuela and Colombia. As Mass was beginning, and a gang of bandits armed with rifles came out of the jungle and forced their way into the chapel. The priest and the congregation were  totally horrified and afraid. One of the bandits dragged the priest outside first to be executed. Then the leader of the bandits said to the people in the chapel, “Is there anyone else who believes in this God stuff? Come forward!” Everyone was petrified. They stood frozen, and there was a long silence.

Finally, one man came forward and stood in front of the leader of the bandits. He said, “I love Jesus.” and he was roughly tossed to one of the bandits and taken outside to be executed. On seeing that several other people came forward saying the same thing, they, too, were taken outside to be executed. Then the sound of gun fire was heard. When everything was quiet, the leader of the bandits came back into the chapel and told the remaining people to go outside. He said, “You have no right to be here!” When they got outside, they were surprised to see the priest and the other people standing there.

The priest and those people who said they loved Jesus were ordered to go back into the chapel and to continue with the Mass, while the others were warned to stay out “until you have the faith to stand up for your beliefs!” said the leader. And with that the bandits disappeared into the jungle.

Hopefully, our faith will never be tested like that, but our faith in Jesus does get tested from time to time. For example, facing the future without know what task Jesus is asking of us; letting Jesus lead us without knowing where he is taking us; waiting for Jesus’ answer without knowing when; expecting Jesus to help us without know how; questioning Jesus as to why a particular thing happened.

Let us pray to Jesus that He gives us the courage to stand up to those what, where, when, how, and why questions when our faith is tested.

The day was sunny and beautiful when I kissed Ron and said, “I’ll see you later. I’m taking Mom for a doctor’s appointment.” I was sure I’d find him outside when I returned home. But July 16, 2020 turned out to be the darkest day ever. I wish I could erase it from my memory.

My husband, Ronald Hlavaty, was a very active 73-year-old. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and had overcome numerous health issues. He was an active member at the gym, a faithful church member, a father, and a grandfather. But most of all, he was an amazing husband. He even loved taking me to ballroom dance lessons. Since we were both retired, we were looking forward to doing some traveling and growing old together. But in a split second, all of our cherished dreams vanished forever.

On the distress call, Ron reported he’d been stung by a hornet! I’ll never know the exact sequence of events and what Ron actually experienced. It was reported that he went into anaphylactic shock, suffered cardiac arrest and lost consciousness. I can only pray that it happened quickly and that he didn’t suffer. My deepest regret is that I wasn’t there to help him, a pain I will always carry with me.

Ron was medevacked to an Allentown hospital, where he remained on a ventilator for five days, until doctors determined that my loving husband of 48 years was brain-dead. My family and I had to make the most agonizing decision to turn off all of the machines. Three days later my daughters and I formed a circle of love around Ron, and as we were shaving his beard, he took his last breath.

Now my mission is to promote awareness about bee stings and the need for an EpiPen for those who have allergic reactions. The cost for one EpiPen can be very expensive, and each one has an expiration date of one year. But because of my own terrible loss, I am trying to build a platform with others who have need for an EpiPen to try to bring down the cost.

For further information, you may contact me at my email address [email protected]. If my story helps just one person, I will be truly grateful.