Hydration tips

When my mother was living with my niece, she was taken to the hospital twice. The problem: Dehydration. She wasn’t getting proper hydration. Mother has some memory issues and does not like to drink water. She was not well supervised and was left to sit on the sofa all day in front of the television. She was given a bottle of water but seldom finished it by the end of the day.

When I ask my clients how much water they drink a day, the answer is most often, “A lot. I get enough water.” After they spend a day or two measuring the water they actually drink, a majority of them are shocked at how little they really are taking in.

I am currently in a group that is working on getting enough water and developing habits to make sure that we reach our water intake goals each day. You might be surprised at how easy it can be, once you know and practice the steps.

Here are a few things to help you get there:

Plan for at least 64 ounces of water per day. ( the pervasive rule of thumb is divide your body weight by half and go for that many ounces.)
Drink water first thing in the morning, before any other beverage.
Drink 4 to 8 ounces of water before breakfast.
Drink 4 to 8 ounces of water before snacks.
Drink 4 to 8 ounces of water before dinner.

As you can see, it is a simple process. It only takes the effort to make it a habit. And habits develop at different rates for different people.

You might be thinking, wow 64+ oz is a lot of water, how am I going to drink that much? Well, we’ve got lots of tips!✨

First, let’s talk about how much water your body actually needs.🤔 While the EXACT amount you need depends on your activity level, health conditions, height and weight, gender, and even fiber and caffeine intake, there are some general guidelines. According to the Institute of Medicine‘s recommendations:

Men should drink 13 cups (about 3 liters) of water each day.
Women should drink 9 cups (just over 2 liters) of water each day. Pregnant women should drink 10 cups of water daily, and breastfeeding women should drink 12 cups.
Kids and teens should drink 6 to 8 cups of water a day.

💧 HOW HYDRATED ARE YOU?

A practical way to track your hydration level is to note the color of your urine right after you get up in the morning. Straw or lemonade-colored urine is a sign of proper hydration. Dark-colored urine—closer to the color of apple juice—indicates dehydration. Let’s see how getting more water might change the color of your pee. Don’t be shy––we’re all in this together!

One thing that helps me drink more water is having a nice water bottle that shows how much water I need to be drinking. It is also a good way to keep measurement of your intake.

If you don’t measure, you don’t really know. After a while, you will have a feel for how your hydration level is.

June 13, 2023

high food costs

Dollar signs in an orange circle. Depicting the rising high food costs We have all experienced the sharp increase in the high food costs these last three years. But in the past few decades the nutritional value of our food has decreased dramatically. Even when we select good foods we have to make very careful choices and pay more high food costs for a cleaner option. It does cost more to go organic. It does cost more to go non-GMO in our food choices. And it is more expensive to select meat products that do not contain growth hormones.

There is one food that can check all the boxes for eating clean and optimal nutrition. That food gives 20 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, 24 vitamins and minerals, Omega 3 fatty acids, ancient grains that provide prebiotics and it’s non-GMO. It also contains healthy digestive enzymes and it’s powered by leucine.

As a side note:

Prebiotics provide food for the healthy bacteria in your digestive tract.
Enzymes help with the overall digestion process.
Leucine is an amino acid that helps to preserve lean muscle mass.
The protein also contains all 9 essential amino acids, those your body cannot produce.

That is a lot of bang for your buck when it comes to selecting food. It’s difficult to get a food this clean and this nutritious in one serving. So why wouldn’t you make this a selection for part of your daily food intake?

February 26, 2022February 27, 2022

Demands of caregiving

The day to day demands of caring for a loved one or patient can get to be overwhelming. It can creep up on you and effect you in surprising ways.

In my last email, I wrote about checking in on your body and discovering areas of tension or stress. This email will be about looking at triggers that may happen to you during your day.

One thing that gets me is the repeated statements or questions that my mother makes. Because of her loss of short term memory, the same statement can be made within seconds of the first time she said it. Instead of just answering her, I will let aggravation take over and I begin to resent having to be the caregiver and the brunt of all the repetition. And then the guilt kicks in.

How do I work though the feelings I have when this happens?

1. The first thing I do is take a breath. Really let the air in deep. This helps to calm me physically, because I am certainly aware of tension that builds in my muscles. Ususally I feel it in my neck and shoulders.

2. Second, I remind myself that this is not my mother’s doing. It is the dementia. I have to keep reminding myself because my mind goes back to who my mother was, not how the decline has effected her. Also, taking the breath above gives me time to not react instantly.

3. Third, instead of the aforementioned reaction to the repetition, I find a way to RESPOND. Sometimes it is a simple un-huh. Sometimes it is a diversion to a different subject.

If you can relate to this scenario, hopefully this information will be helpful.

Enjoy your day.

Peace be with you.

February 19, 2022

CareGiverFatigue

Giving care to a loved one or even a patient can be exhausting. Whether the subject is an elderly individual or a child, the constant need for care is daunting. It is so important that those of us who are supplying that need take care of ourselves and avoid caregiver fatigue.

We must be mindful of our inner feelings as well as our physical status. Letting either of these go unchecked can lead to a burnout condition where we feel trapped with no way out. It is important to stop and take an inventory of our emotional state as well as our body’s condition.

If you are a caregiver, please take a couple of minutes to center yourself. Wherever you are, sit comfortably and take a couple of deep breaths. Notice how your body reacts to the easy breaths. Continue the breathing at a deep and satisfying rate. Check in with your body again and be aware of the positive changes that are happening with this breathing pattern.

Please use this technique frequently.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, please reach out to someone for support. Remember: If you are in a poor condition of health you will not be able to fully care for those in your charge.

Peace be with you.

February 17, 2021

Feel warmer in a cold house

Feel warmer in a cold house

During this trying time of cold weather extended over a period of time, it is important to do our part to lessen our impact on the energy grid and hopefully increase the chances that others will regain or continue to have electric power. Let’s all work to decrease the strain on the grid.

We are keeping our thermostat at 65 degrees to conserve energy and hopefully allow others to get some power. But it seems cold in the house and no one likes to be inconvenienced.

Here are a couple of things you might try to be more comfortable in the cooler temperatures.

Layers

Layer up. Wear more clothes than you normally do. Add layers that are thin. More layers seem to be warmer than one or two thick layers. They are also easier to move around in.

Confine the heat

If you find one room is warmer than others, go there. Close the door and contain the heat there.

Move it, move it

Do some exercise. Anything. Lunges, push ups, walk around, whatever. You don’t have to have a gym or specialized equipment to get your blood flowing. Just get some body heat going by moving around.

Humidity is good

Because more humid air holds heat better, you may want to break out your humidifier. It will feel warmer and you will loose a bit less water from skin evaporation. Think of it as a beauty treatment, keeping your skin from drying out and encouraging wrinkles. No humidifier? Simmer some water on the stove. Just make sure you watch it closely.

Drink freely

Related to number 4, keep drinking water. Dehydration can happen easily in cold dry weather. Being hydrated will help maintain good blood flow, keeping circulation to your extremities ( feet and hands) and thus, keep them warm.

These ideas are my own musings. You may or may not agree. You may find opposite theories online or elsewhere. The bottom line is to do what you can to stay warm while conserving energy. Others will thank you and your power bill will thank you, too.

As always, Be Well. Perform Well. Stay well.