What is Acid Reflux Disease?Written by Jeff Lakie
Acid reflux disease, also known as Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD, is a common ailment, affecting between 5%-7% of population. In order to understand what GERD is it is important to be familiar with how esophagus works. A long muscular tube, esophagus carries food and liquid from mouth to stomach. The average adult esophagus is around ten to thirteen inches long and approximately an half an inch in diameter. GERD is caused by backflow of acid from stomach into esophagus, usually because lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly. When this happens over a long period of time, lining of this tract becomes eroded, causing discomfort and pain. Symptoms of disease are fairly straightforward and are very similar to symptoms of heartburn. GERD often include a frequent burning sensation, right behind breastbone, which sometimes worsens when lying down for extended periods of time. While most cases of heartburn turn out to be non-life threatening, it is important that you visit your doctor at onset of symptoms. Unfortunately, symptoms of both indigestion and GERD can also imitate those of heart disease, so it is very important that you seek medical attention to make sure that you get correct diagnosis.
| | Water - A Life EssentialWritten by Art Waters
The key to good hydration is drinking a lot of water before, during and after any workout or activity. Water is essential for proper bodily function. Sports drinks aren’t only way to consume electrolytes. Eating a normal diet will provide body with more than enough electrolytes needed for exercising and physical activity.Energy drinks can be helpful to athletes who are exercising at a high intensity for 90 minutes or more. Fluids supplying 60 to 100 calories per 8 ounces helps to supply needed calories required for continuous performance. It's really not necessary to replace losses of sodium, potassium and other electrolytes during exercise since you're unlikely to deplete your body's stores of these minerals during normal training. If, however, you find yourself exercising in extreme conditions over 5 or 6 hours (an Ironman or ultramarathon, for example) you will need to add a complex energy drink with electrolytes. Does average consumer derive any real benefit from sports drinks? It's a marketing gimmick, pure and simple. Most health experts agree that sports drinks have electrolytes and sodium that are beneficial to professional athletes and marathoners, but have little value to average user. There's a certain appeal in drinking what Olympic athletes drink, but it should be just water if you're doing 10 minutes on a treadmill. And because many enhanced waters contain only small amounts of essential nutrients, consumers should look elsewhere for nutrition. That's what we have food for!
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