Health: Balancing Your Health Part IV - Hydration

Do you think you hydrate yourself as much as you should consistently? What is hydration and what is the amount of fluid you should be drinking? Does any fluid we drink hydrate us?

What we eat, what we drink, how active we are, how we take care of ourselves, and what we expose ourselves in our environment affect our health and well being. We have to find a balance in order to remain healthy in our best form. Balancing life and how we take care of ourselves is a constant challenge that we all face.

I often find it hard to balance all of these things myself. The important thing to remember is that life happens and that's ok. We will not always maintain perfect balance, but we are a work in progress of creating our best self. It is not important that we may fail from time to time balancing our lifestyle. What is important is how we react to things that come up that knock us out of balance.

Think of balance as a marathon in which we continue to make small consistent changes over time to progress ourselves into a consistent healthier lifestyle. Stay positive and know that we won’t be perfect, but we will be our best self everyday striving to achieve more for us and our family!

Let’s consider a river. If we are in a drought and/or do not receive enough precipitation the levels of the river may significantly decrease or dry up completely. Water cannot flow well through mud and sludge with low levels affecting the animals and vegetation around it negatively. Water flows smoother and faster when full and “hydrated”.

The same is true of our bodies. We have so many muscles, tissues, and organs that rely on hydration to help us maintain movement, function, and overall health. Our veins and arteries are like our rivers and tributaries in our body. They help carry necessary fluids, oxygen, and nutrients to our tissues, organs, etc to help us function properly. If these run “dry” or are dehydrated we will not function optimally.

How is your river running today???

Hydration

We are made up of 60% water so hydration, especially with water is VERY important. We should drink at least 8 glasses of water a day or more depending on our environment, activity, and health status. It is important to note that drinking juice, soda, or other beverages are not the same as drinking water. Drink at least 8 glasses of water in addition to whatever else you are drinking.

Some people have fluid restrictions because of health conditions so it is very important the fluid that is taken comes from water in order to provide the body with optimal hydration. It is always important to consult with your provider to optimize your hydration.

Did you know that without water we would not be able to survive!

An easy way to determine if you are adequately hydrated is by looking at your urine – is it clear or light yellow? Then you are probably hydrated enough. Is it a little darker or really dark yellow? Then you need to pick up that water bottle and drink! How often are you urinating? Are you going at least 4-5 times per day or are you barely going at all? Please note that if your urine changes color, has a red tinge, or if you have painful or irritation with urinating you should see your provider to get checked out.

Water helps us to flush out toxins, maintain temperature, lubricate joints, among other things listed in the picture. We cannot see our rivers and how the level of hydration directly affects our inner body, but we can feel the effects through feeling fatigued, low energy, dark urine, feel thirsty, etc. We cannot run smoothly without proper hydration!

HOW CAN YOU STAY HYDRATED?

As a family there are many ways we have found that help us stay hydrated:

- We avoid high sugary drinks such as Gatorade or soda as much as possible.

- We drink water as first choice and always keep a water bottle nearby.

- We carry a cooler with us with extra water especially if we are going to sporting event, outdoor event, BBQ or get together, or a road trip.

- We love to add fresh fruit or lemon to our water.

- We love to add Lemon Lime Hydrate Sports Twist Tube to our Water to get the B Vitamins and Selenium we need to help hydrate us, fight off free radicals, and take in only 5 g of sugar and low calories versus Gatorade with over 100 calories and over 20 g of sugar per bottle. We can carry them in our purse, backpack, or vehicle wherever we go. Also gives water a nice taste if you do not like drinking plain water without artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

- We love drinking Perfect Water in addition to any other water, but Perfect water is great for when we need that little extra enhancement with molecular bound oxygen to help provide tissues with electrolytes, minerals, and oxygen they need to re-hydrate.

- Take frequent water breaks and avoid direct sun exposure for long periods of time.If we are active or exercising or weather is warmer than usual – drink more water.

- Plan to drink water first. If kids want juice let them have 4-5 oz of juice then have them drink 8 oz of water after that limiting juice and other beverages.

- Make water normal. After years of teaching our kids the importance of water they already know what they need to drink first or drink more of.

- Make it exciting and emphasize how good you feel when you are hydrated!

PRAISE. ENCOURAGE. STAY POSITIVE. FOCUS. PURPOSE. LIFESTYLE.