One step at a Time

     When a baby is learning how to walk, how do they do it? One Step at a time.  And before that, it's a crawl. And before that? It's just holding up your head longer than before.    We seem to have this black and white approach to Being Healthy. As if you are either Healthy or you are Not.  There are many degrees of healthy!  As long as we are striving to move forward, a step at a time, then we are doing exactly what we need to do.

     More often than not, we decide.. "Okay.. NOW! I'm starting to be healthy NOW." And we start a workout routine. And we cut out all of our favorite foods. And we are TIRED because we are probably dehydrated and are getting fewer calories than we are used to, sometimes too few while trying to maintain a higher activity level.  Does that sound like a recipe for Success?
 
 Every change we make, we want it to be sustainable. Something that we can add in now.. and just keep it in the mix.  I highly advocate starting with something as simple as adequate hydration.  The benefits to  proper hydration are so extensive! While estimates vary, it is thought that anywhere from 50% to 75% of Americans are Chronically dehydrated. Chronic dehydration has a myriad of side effects. 

 

• Fatigue: Dehydration causes the enzymatic processes in the body to slow down, causing tiredness and fatigue.
• Constipation: The colon is the first place that the body pulls water from when dehydrated. Dehydration will slow digestion.. or bring it to a standstill altogether.
• High Blood Pressure: The blood is  about 94 percent water when the body is hydrated. When dehydrated, the blood thickens, causing resistance to blood flow, which raises blood pressure.
• High Cholesterol: Your body produces more cholesterol to seal off water loss from cells.
• Asthma and Allergies: Another way that the body preserves fluid is by restricting airways when hydration is poor to prevent loss of water through respiration. According to Water for Health, for Healing, for Life, chronic dehydration "is the primary cause of allergies and asthma in the human body."  The rate of histamines that your body produces raise exponentially with dehydration. 
• Weight Gain:  The body will not metabolize fat unless there is sufficient water to flush the toxins that are stored in fat cells. 
• Joint Pain or Stiffness: Cartilage is comprised primarily of Water. When dehydrated, cartilage weakens and joint repair is slow. 
• Skin Disorders:  Dehydration affects the skins ability to eliminate toxins. Skin disorders become more prevalent with dehydration.

 These are just a few of the problems you can have if you are one of the majority of dehydrated Americans.  So what can you do about it?

     Determine when you can fit more water into your day. First thing in the morning, a glass of water helps prepare the digestive system for the day. The majority of your immune system is based in your intestinal Flora, and drinking that glass of water first thing in the morning prepares your body to wake up and be on the job.  Can you drink water at your Desk all day? Or make sure to drink a lot of water on breaks and lunches?  Look at your day, and decide where you can fit in more. And then, Do It!  Your body will thank you in a million ways!

     How much water is enough?
There are a lot of factors that influence how much you should drink.  The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day. Remember, that's TOTAL BEVERAGES, so it isn't so far from the old "drink 8 8 oz glasses of water every day"  If you are active, drink more. If you are in warm or cold or dry climates, aim higher as well.  Water intake suggestions can be found online as well.  Hydration Calculators like this take into account weight and activity level in the equation and tailor the number more specifically for you. 

     There will be days when you don't hit your goal for water intake. As you increase your water intake, you will start to notice that you ache more on days you skimp. You will notice that your skin is dry, or allergies are really bad.  As you maintain hydration more consistently, you will also start to recognize what it means when you fall below the line again.  It's a learning curve, but your body will remind you when you are slipping. With summer right around the corner, there couldn't be a more perfect time to improve your hydration habits!


 *  I do want to say, it's possible to drink TOO MUCH WATER.  Chugging gallons of water when your body doesn't have sufficient electrolytes can be dangerous or even fatal.  With over half of our country suspected to be chronically dehydrated, this is a relatively rare thing of course!  Staying within normal drinking guidelines is a pretty lofty goal for most people, but being an overachiever and trying to make up for lost time is simply not an option.