I’m back. After a stint as primary caregiver for my parents, I am participating in the…
(For more info about UBC, click here: Home | Ultimate Blog Challenge )
My goal is to blog about a different healthy habit each day of May to inspire you to take small steps toward your own health goals.
I’d like to take a moment for the usual disclaimer. I am not a doctor. Please consult with your own physician to clarify best practices and protocols for your optimal health.
The topics shared on this blog are based on my own experiences as a student (of holistic health practices), as a caregiver (for my parents), and as a patient (of both western and eastern medicine practitioners).
Let’s get started with today’s topic…
Hydration
“Drink your way to better health. Drink water!” – author unknown
One of the simplest ways to improve our health is to drink more water. As our bodies are made primarily of water, replenishing ourselves with this elixir can keep us running smoothly, just like motor oil lubricates and cleanses various parts of an automobile.
In basic terms, we get dehydrated when the body loses more water than it takes in. Sweating during exercise is one example.
Some dehydration symptoms may include dry mouth, dry eyes, headache, stomach ache, urinating less frequently, and even fainting. However, symptoms may not always be easy to identify, based on age (very young or very old), or the use of certain prescription medicine, for example.
The textbook, Integrative Medicine by David Rakel, MD reviews some of the benefits of hydration, related to specific ailments. Here are a few…
For cataracts (chapter by Robert Abel, Jr, MD): “The patient should be encouraged to drink plenty of water. The lens of the eye is a dehydrated tissue much like a fingernail.”
For gallstones: “Drinking 6-8 cups of fluid a day will ensure the water content of the bile and prevent crystal agglomeration.”
For urinary tract infections (chapter by Susan Hadley, MD): “Hydration is essential in the treatment and prevention of UTIs.”
Many of us recognize that we are thirsty when our mouth feels parched. That is one way the body signals this issue to us. But, by this time, our body is already dehydrated. Why not be proactive in taking in fluids before the onset of hydration symptoms, to avoid them in the first place. And this may also lessen the effects from more serious ailments like the three examples above.
When I took each of my parents to their primary care physician for different complaints, on a few occasions, the doctor would simply say “drink more liquids”, give us a bunch of protein drinks, and send us on our way, even as they were still in pain or discomfort.
One major downfall to drinking more water is the challenge of finding bathroom facilities when away from home, especially during the pandemic, when many public facilities are closed. So it may be helpful to plan drinking around your travels. However, I have discovered the benefits of taking a plastic bottle with me in the car as an emergency backup plan (sorry, TMI). Yes, this may be a more difficult challenge for the female population, although female-related products are available that do the job.
Additionally, I personally do not drink immediately after a meal to allow for proper digestion. Pick times that work for you.
Do you drink enough water? What is one small step you can do to take in more H2O?
Feel free to share any comments below.
I drink a lot of water… although probably not enough. I had/have an app on my phone to remind me to drink more, but I ignore it – LOL.
This is a great reminder to drink more. Starting tomorrow I am going to track how much I drink. I read you should take your body weight and multiply it by 2/3 to get the number of ounces to drink a day. I also hear you multiply by 1/2…. Do you have a # that you like to use?
Paul, thanks for your post. You are doing great! I am familiar with the same calculation that you provided (weight times 2/3). One additional factor to consider is adjusting that number based on how often you work out, as that leads to expelling more water. Add 12 ounces of water to your daily total for every 30 minutes that you work out.
Oh I’m going to love your daily posts on healthy habits! I started my healthy eating plan in 2018 after being diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. I’m happy to say my diet plan changed my health and I’m sticking to it. I basically only drink water (gave up McD sweet tea when I realized I was drinking a giant cup of sugar!!!) but I do like to add froze fruit or mint to my water just for a hint of flavor. Thanks for this great tip!
Hi Martha! Thanks for your post. Congrats on your switch from sweetened ice tea to water with frozen fruit or mint (great idea!). It is unfortunate that restaurants feel the need to spruce up their food and drink with high calorie, unhealthy ingredients. Keep up the great work. Drinking more water, eating a whole foods diet, and limiting processed foods is a good way to help cleanse the liver and body. I will address eating whole foods in a future post. Wishing you well.
I would be interested to hear about your caretaker role for your parents, too. I appreciate you talking about one health habit at a time.
Hi Lily, thanks for your post. I am happy to share my caretaker experience. Perhaps I’ll do a post on that topic. I will say here that it was the most challenging job I’ve ever had. While I knew at the time that “caring for the caregiver” is very important, I had a difficult time caring for myself during this time. I am, however, grateful to have had this experience, participating in my parent’s end-of-life care. I learned a lot.