This weeks edition of Hood Health 101 delves into the benefits of sweat!
As we approach the second week into the New Year, I will that those of you who made resolutions to be healthier are sticking to them. I know that many of you are exercising like crazy. This is the time of year that gym memberships go through the roof and rightfully so.  Now although I’m aware that you know the benefits of regular exercise, I thought it would be interesting to point out the benefits of your sweat. Yes, you read what I said correctly. Sweat itself has many benefits that can assist your body with a great deal of things. Below are some great reasons to get hydrated and get moving.
Boosts your endorphin levels
Prolonged exercise stimulates the brain causing the increase of endorphin levels. The increase of these endorphins helps reduce pain by acting as natural pain killers and it increases the feelings of happiness.
Releases Toxins
Sweating eliminates clogging substances from the body. It can flush salt, alcohol, and cholesterol from the body. Sweat also opens up your pores and eliminates the dirt that was trapped within them that causes pimples and blackheads.
Decreases Risks of Kidney Stones
Sweating eliminates salt that could otherwise accumulate in your kidneys and urine.
Regulates Body Temperature
Exercise keeps the sweat glands in good shape which assists the body in maintaining or regulating your body’s temperature.
It’s an Antibiotic
Sweat has the ability to destroy bacteria that can cause infection because it contains dermcidin. Dermcidin is an anti-microbial peptide secreted by sweat glands onto the skin as a part of the defense of the immune system.
Our bodies can produce up to 1 liter per day of sweat which can give us healthy looking skin and help to strengthen our immune system. So, even though you may have a negative view of sweat, my advice would be to workout frequently to see the benefits of sweating. If you find that your sweat has an offensive odor it could be from the lack of water and the buildup of toxins from the foods within your diet. Increase your water intake, eat a clean healthy diet and it should help with the odor that you may be experiencing. At the end of the day I think we all can agree that when we exercise regularly we feel mighty kick ass. So if nothing more, exercise to feel dope and think of all of the additional benefits as icing on the cake. Don’t forget to drop a line and show me love on Twitter @NakeashaJ and Instagram @Melanated_Beauty.
-Nakeasha Johnson (@NakeashaJ)
