• Sit back into your chair. Your chair should have a bottom cushion short enough for your buttocks to reach the backrest while your back is erect.
• When sitting ensure that your hips, elbows (when flexed to 90 degrees), shoulders and ears are in vertical alignment to achieve best sitting posture. Use a back support that gently shapes your back when sitting if necessary.
• Ensure your feet are flat on the floor; otherwise you are likely to slump forward. Use a footrest if necessary.
• Adjust your chair height so that the underside of your elbows are at desk height and can rest on the desk surface when the elbows are flexed to 90 degrees and are in vertical alignment with the shoulders.
• Ensure that your monitor is directly in front of you, 50-70 cm distance from your eyes and the top of the monitor at eye level, to reduce eyestrain and neck strain.
• If using a laptop, use a raising devise with separate keyboard attachment to achieve optimal positioning.
• Ensure you take plenty of breaks away from your workstation, 2-5 minutes at a time and stretch and mobilise your shoulders, neck and upper back to relieve any tension.

Get posture advice from Fulham Chiropractic

020 7731 8777

The composition of the body is approximately 75% water.

Percentage water composition by body parts:

• Brain 85%
• Lungs 80%
• Liver 73%
• Skin 71%
• Heart 77%
• Kidneys 80%
• Muscles 73%
• Blood 79%
• Bone 22%
• Teeth 10%

The body’s demand for water is determined by environmental temperature, humidity and the degree to which you lose water as a result of exercise. On average the body requires about six to eight glasses that is two to two and a half litre of water a day .  Thirst is a late sign of dehydration and at this point the body is under stress and consequently is not able to function efficiently. The colour of ones urine should be clear or straw coloured.  The intensity of the yellow is a good indicator of the level of dehydration.  Best practice is to hydrate the body in measured amounts over the day and not to rely on thirst as an indicator. It is also important to note that whole foods which were designed for the human body; ripe fruits and fresh vegetables contain a high percentage of water, which helps hydrate the body. Processed foods are generally stripped of their water, along with their nutrients, and causes dehydration due to the high levels of processed salt, sugar and man-made carbohydrates that they contain.

When the body is dehydrated the brain can receive a hunger signal instead of one for thirst. This is because as the human brain, nervous system and body was evolving, the body would get a high percentage of it’s water from the foods we ate, since fresh water would at times be difficult to come by. Fast forward to present day living where the standard UK diet is highly processed and devoid of water, then these hunger signals contribute to even further dehydration and the added consequence of weight gain and obesity.

Increasing evidence indicates that even mild dehydration plays a role in the development of many diseases and pain syndromes. When you understand just how crucial water is to life this starts to make sense.

The body has a hierarchy of needs for water. The brain, and the vital organs get priority. This would make sense as these organ systems ensure survival of the organism.  The bones, the muscles and connective tissue (comprising our joints) and the skin are lower in prority and dehydrate very quickly. The majority of our sensory receptors which include our pain receptors are located in all of these tissues.  In a dehydrated state there is an increase in toxic substances which stimulate the pain receptors, and thus lead to acute and chronic pain states, particularly of the muscle and skeletal system.

The intervertebral discs are a major part of the muscle and skeletal system. They act as shock absorbers for the spine and are composed of a fibrous outer layer and a gel nucleus. They require an abundance of water as they support the weight of the body by hydraulic pressure. Approximately 75% of body weight is supported by the nucleus of the disc. If the body is dehydrated, and because the disc is low on the hierarchical scale for water, it quickly dries and fails to support body weight adequately. This leads to drying of the discs and the supporting muscles and connective tissue. If this drought state persists the movement pattern of the discs and other joints become faulty, leading to weakness, stiffness and hypersensitivity of the pain receptors. Persistent chronic dehydration leads to degenerative changes to the discs and joints and physiological changes occur to the muscles and connective tissue.

There is no substitute for water. Caffein drinks are diuretics and make us lose more water than we take in. Sugared drinks reduce the availability of the water between the cells, as when glucose (sugar) is taken up by the cells water follows. Artificially sweetened water poses a serious risk to the body’ as the artificial sweeteners metabolise into compounds that are known to be toxic and can cause neurological damage leading to chronic fatigue states, seizures and brain tumours, to mention but a few.

Water is essential in reducing risk of all illnesses including diabetes, allergies, pain syndromes, inflammatory and degenerative diseases. For a more comprehensive understanding of the therapeutic and physiological effects of water see Dr. F Batmanghelidj book Your Body’s Many Cries For Water.

As a footnote – be aware that too much water is also detrimental to health, as it can lead to hyponatremia (lowered sodium levels), a condition whereby your cells swell due to an increase in water. This is particularly dangerous if it affects the brain cells. It is therefore important to regulate your sodium intake and a dab of rock salt or sea salt on the tongue can be beneficial. It is important however if you are suffering with high blood pressure and on a low salt diet to discuss this with your medical doctor first.

The best way to monitor your level of hydration is to monitor the colour of your urine and then drink water accordingly.

It’s benefits also include; promoting a healthy heart – support for concentration, memory and learning – blood sugar health – healthy joints with an increase in joint comfort – fighting signs of aging – healthy brain and nervous system function and development – protection for cell membranes – cholesterol and other blood lipid health – healthy liver function – bolstering your immune system – healthy mood support -  optimal skin health.

Omega 3 acts as an anti-oxidant and therefore combats oxidative stress.  Oxidative stress occurs as a result of free radical attack on the body.  Free radicals are very reactive molecules that are produced as a byproduct of life (respiration).   Oxidative stress leads to silent inflamation in the body that over time causes degenerative changes, pain and diseases.

A whole food diet rich in fruit and vegetable fibre, vegetabal and fish omega 3 are abundant in anti-oxidants.  Omega-3 (anti-oxidants) act as the precursor for cell messengers called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins help mediate inflammation in your tissues and are essential for combatting chronic inflammation due to free radical attack. 

Omega-3 fatty acids are used in the building and functioning of cell membranes.  They are therefore essential for maintaining the integrity of the cell, by influencing the transport of life supporting molecules into and out of the cell, and acting as a barrier to unwanted molecules.  

Omega 3 is present in oily fish and krill as the active ingredients eicosapentaenoic acid ( EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid( DHA) and in plants such as flaxseed, hemp, and walnuts as the active ingredient, alpha-linolenic  acid (ALA).  Plant based ALA is converted to EPA and DHA by way of an enzyme mediated process. However age and well- being status reduces the efficiency of this conversion process and scientists believe that even though it is important to take in plant based omega-3, it is even more vital to get adequate level of fish or krill based EPA/DHA.

DHA is now thought to constitute the building blocks of the brain, forming about 8% of the brain by weight.  This is why it is important for pregnant mothers to maintain an adequate supply during pregnancy.  EPA is essential for the functioning of the brain and for nerve stimulation.

If you are suffering from a chronic pain syndrome you may benefit from supplementing with omega -3.  If you would like any further advice then feel free to call us at the Fulham Wellness Chiropractic Clinic.