Two Healthy Living Lessons Learned
Happy Friday, everyone. Today, I want to share with you my important two healthy living lessons learned…not always the easy way.
Healthy living lessons for me have mostly happened on the road to healthy living over age 58.
I think that is why the majority of us begin to really pay attention to healthy living…though I am glad to see my children beginning much younger.
For so long, I thought healthy living was primarily about what I eat and how I exercise.
But, I have learned it is much more complex than that.
There are many lessons for us in a journey toward healthy living, but today, I am sharing the two which I have learned do make a huge difference.
At the end, I encourage you to share the important healthy living lessons YOU have learned.
TWO HEALTHY LIVING LESSONS LEARNED: DEHYDRATION MATTERS
Since I entered well into my 60s, I have gone to the Emergency Room twice…and almost gone to the Emergency Room several times.
During the two times when I was there, I was shocked to discover that I was severely dehydrated and hooking me up to bags of fluid made a difference.
The symptoms that took me there were…extreme dizziness and rapid heatbeats.
Both times the doctors surprised me, because I am a water drinker and felt like I had it covered.
Obviously…not
This ugly cup is my daily friend when I am home…I fill it with water several times a day and take it with me….everywhere.
Each time I have been to the hospital, I have made adjustments with my hydration.
The first thing every day I arise is to drink a full cup (this cup) of water…before anything and I have seen benefits from doing this.
But, my biggest dehydration healthy living lessons learned have been to pay attention to everything else I do…though I am drinking water well.
Here are daily things I do that require more hydration: take sinus medications, take probiotics, include Apple Cider Vinegar in my daily eating, eat a protein focused diet, cook with lots of spices….
All of these can dehydrate and I have learned to be aware that I need more water because of them…add in exercise, heat outside, etc.
Since I started paying attention…I have not experienced dizziness in a long time.
If you suffer from constant dehydration, I encourage you to look at everything and research if your lifestyle, habits, diet may be part of the problem.
TWO HEALTHY LIVING LESSONS LEARNED: REGULATED SLEEP MATTERS
For most of my life, I did not pay attention to those who claimed that regulated sleep makes a difference in healthy living.
As a professional woman who worked two occupations for years, it was difficult to go to bed at the same time on a regular basis.
But, I have learned since coming home to work that regulating my sleep …go to bed about the same time every night and arise about the same time every day….makes a difference for me to feel my best.
Regulating sleep patterns is most often called sleep cycles which allow the brain and body to recover and rev back up again in a healthy way.
And a regulated sleep cycle does help with weight management and memory…two areas very important to me.
Now, when I get off my sleep pattern, I do not feel well and it takes me awhile to snap out of it.
Mr. B is a night owl, so this means I usually go to bed without him and with Tux…but Tux is on this schedule for sure and will hold me to it.
I think one of the reasons the early days of recover were so difficult was because my sleep cycles were off.
For me to live my best healthy-living-life, I need to stay on schedule.
And stay hydrated!
So, what about you…what are biggest lessons learned in order to have your best healthy living life.
Please share…and I truly hope this helps some of you watch these two areas closely…thanks for being here….until I see you Saturday….
STAY STRONG & KEEP SMILING
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Oh yes- I’m with you totally on these! If I don’t drink adequate amounts of water ( 1/2 my body weight in ounces) every day I just feel “off” somehow once evening kicks in. I tend to develop Kidney stones so this is imperative. Because my stones have been analyzed they are of Oxalate, so a lower oxalate diet too. That combined with my no gluten Celiac disease diet truly rules my life. Water is king!
And yes adequate sleep. I aim for an early bedtime – cool, dark room. Seven or more hours is my goal.
My health problems tend to all be skeletal problems. If I don’t walk my “ cemetery mile+” every day, my arthritic knee and foot still recovering from surgery will often awaken me in the night hurting. If I am in the car traveling for long periods of time, I hurt in the night so I know I need to exercise every day. I also have gone to yoga fusion classes for almost ten years and know my flexibility at 77 is due to this body movement and stretching every week. I also no longer drink anything except coffee in the morning and then water the rest of the day. I always have my Yeti mug close by and fill an old juice container which is the amount of water I’m supposed to drink each day so I know when I haven’t drunk enough daily.
This post is so on point for me: I am constantly fighting dehydration and with your information today I am seeing areas where that is exacerbated. I take a sleep medication that includes an antihistamine. And I take probiotics, etc,etc. I really thought that I had a handle on this, but obviously not.
Now I can better address the dehydration problem and really start to hydrate on an effective level.
Thank you,
I drink coffee, green tea and water…very similar. I now understand why my aging mother always had a glass of water in her hand. Thanks Celia!
You are welcome, Rhoda. I thought I had a handle on it and that my symptoms were from somewhere else. Since learning more, I haven’t experienced dizziness in a long time! Conversations with your personal physicians help as well.
Now I need to research oxalate…thanks for sharing Paulette. I want to understand what we all deal with at this time of life!
Pam, these are important tips. I also feel better if I eat small meals often. Eating a huge amount of food and then not eating for another 8 hours is bad for me. Eating normal/smallish meals at meal time and then eating healthy snacks between keeps the blood sugar and everything regulated.
Thanks for sharing your tip, Marcia!
Drinking a substantial amount of liquid makes a huge difference for my blood pressure. After one cup of tea in the morning, I make hibiscus tea in a great big cup. It’s very strong and sour on its own, so it gets mixed into several glasses of water during the day. I learned that with age, you often don’t feel thirsty and it’s easy to forget to drink. In the morning, I make sure my liquid for the day is sitting ready for me on the kitchen counter, and I keep bottled water in the car for meetings and appointments. I also make a big thermos of water for my husband to drink when he’s out working in the yard. He resisted at first because he has to move the thermos from place to place but discovered if he drinks the entire thermos-full during his projects, he feels much better and has more energy.
I agree heartily with everything said here today. I also think mental health contributes to physical health so I would like to add meditation as a healthy living strategy. I use the Calm app for this and it has helped me tremendously. I sleep better and have lowered my blood pressure with just a few minutes of guided meditation per day. There are many ways to meditate, one just needs to find the right method that helps. My cardiologists have recommended this for decades as a way to reduce stress and improve heart health. Thanks for the wonderful tips today Pam – and for reminding me to actually DRINK the water I always have nearby!
It does give us energy! You are so smart to do that for your husband. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Anne…praying throughout the day is so helpful to me.
I also think I get enough hydration throughout the day. But I am on some blood pressure medication that decreases swelling and it will cause dehydration. I do get dizzy at certain times during the day. Maybe I should try drinking more water. I do like water so why not drink more. Some good things to bring to our attention today.
Hope it helps Paula!
I totally agree — adequate water intake makes a huge difference! My doctor is a strong believer in this, and I find I am not dizzy when I drink a lot of water. It’s hard for me because I don’t really like plain water, but it works. (You can tell if you aren’t getting enough by urine color … just saying) I am one of those who needs 8 hours of sleep, and I try to be consistent as to when I go to bed and get up in the morning. (Parenthetically, Marcia’s tip may work for her but for me, so timing, consistency, and smaller meals are essential. What may be a “healthy” snack for some is not healthy for others – for ex., apples spike my blood sugar. Always talk to your doctor before doing something like this. I agree about “huge” meals, but as I have to limit carbs per meal, it’s hard to overeat. BTW, “carbs” include ALL veggies and fruit not just starches like bread, pasta, and rice.)
Thanks Maeve….I have come to really like plain water. I am not a fan of sparkling water…but it must be on ice. I like it really cold. Right now, I do not get 8 hours of sleep because of Mr. B’s alarm…but it is the goal!
My youngest son suffered from dehydration caused by several months being treated for Lyme disease. It landed him in the urgent care treatment chair hooked up for IV restoration. Ever since that episode, he has taken great care to treat his body with TLC, starting with hydration and nutrition. He just sent me home with a huge bottle of Pedialyte for his grandpa, who spent several days in the hospital this week. You wouldn’t necessarily think a 29 year old carries a cold bottle of Pedialyte with him, but that’s what he has found works better than Gatorade, tea, or plain water. He does drink all those as well, but feels most restored with the Pedialyte. It comes in a variety of flavors, and my father loved the tropical version Ben sent.
As for me, I feel my best if I drink a small box of coconut water somewhere in my day, but I am a big water and herbal tea drinker. We have hot and cold bottled water service, which we’ve had for many years, that encourages lots of hydration. Our home has old pipes, and I was a bit leary about drinking household water.
Thanks for mentioning Pedialyte, Connie. I know more and more adults who drink this for hydration.
I allow my one big cup of Darjeeling tea every morning and the rest of the day it is cool fresh bottled water. Tap in this small town tastes like swimming pool water! I drink a glass of almond milk with lunch and dinner. If out for lunch, I may drink ice tea but I don’t count this as fluids as tea is a diuretic. I’m lucky that I love fresh cool water. Because my career for 30 years was either night shift or swing shift, it took years to find out my own circadian rhythm for sleep. I try to sleep 12:00am to 9:00am but sometimes it is until 8:00am. I set alarms on my phone for waking and for medications. I have a poor sense of time so this really helps me. I stretch regularly in my chair. We walk Trixy every morning before it really gets hot. Today is her 10th birthday and the grooming van arrived at nine. So no walk today as the heat is already here. I have 2 glasses of water waiting for me to drink while I read and comment. Because I have severe exercise intolerance as part of my chronic health issues, I have to be careful about not over doing. It has been my nature to push myself and then I pay for it for days of pain. I will be 80 in December and have gratitude for every single day. Meditation has many forms but it settles the mind and helps to calm all of those stress hormones that like to fly in me with too many doctor’s appointments. Spending a little time with a girlfriend is good for my soul. Sometimes we just need simple girl talk and laughter. My husband is a steady presence in my life and I’m grateful that he is still with me. Gratitude, everyday! I’m grateful for you Pam and all of the ladies who share such great things here. I’m grateful that the smoke has cleared this morning and I can see our beautiful mountains again. I
Feel deep empathy for all those impacted by the northwestern fires and in Canada. Drink up ladies, that cool glass of water is sitting right next to you!
I agree with you and all who commented. Sleep, hydration, and activity are so important. I would like to add to be curious. I delved more into painting after retirement which led to journal painting, collage, mixed media, block printing, marblizing paper, book binding and more. I now have my sewing machine back out when I thought those days were over. Not only are these creative projects satisfying, I meet the best people and that leads to new friends of various ages, ideas, and communication. Good brain power!
Thanks for sharing, Sydney!
Love your comment, Deborah!
I was on a cruise years ago and had a bad headache. I’d been outside for awhile. My daughter said I was probably dehydrated and to get some water. That was my lesson – headache eased off. Now I always have water or tea with me.
Thanks for sharing, Carolyn! Glad your daughter knew what to do.
You are so wise, Pam — a sleep schedule and plenty of water are important at any age, but especially as we get older. Thank you for addressing these. It’s a good reminder for all of us.
I am also a big believer in exercise. I love aerobics and walking. As my doctor says, “daily walking is the fountain of youth … and it’s free!”
Also important for my health: time in nature and time with family / friends. If I can get all of that in one day I am one happy and healthy 67 year old.
Sounds like you are doing great, Heidi! Happy weekend!
Pam, thanks for the post today. It is a constant challenge every day for me to drink enough water, but also to keep an eye on my husband and remind him, drink drink, drink.
Sleep is harder because of my husband’s health issues but I am learning to rest more in the afternoon.
The best always
I know we all have our challenges, Audrey…cat naps can really help!
Monitor your hydration by the color of your urine, the lighter, the better. Taking B vitamins will sometimes make the color bright yellow but that’s not the same as the orange of dehydration.