Easy Healthful Changes

Lately I've been reading a lot about healthful ways to improve one's life and I believe that one mistake people make is trying to change too many things at once and that becomes overwhelming.  If you never exercise or only do so once or twice a year setting a goal of daily exercise is probably going to be difficult.  If your diet comes mainly out of a drive through window you may want to take small steps before you swear to a vegan lifestyle.  Set doable goals and make small changes adding another change each week or every other week.  No one got where they are overnight so be gentle with yourself and change little by little.

Over the next 10 blogs I will have suggestions that help us get healthy or more so in baby steps.  You can't start doing yoga and immediately fold yourself into a pose that resembles a human pretzel or begin a running program and win a marathon.  So let's give it a try and know that some days will be easier than others and some days really hard or even a complete failure.  In case of the latter there is always tomorrow and then you just start again.  Here's a challenge!  See how many of these you can add and see how much better you feel.  Comments and feedback always welcome. 

Challenge # 1 is WATER:

Almost everyone is under-hydrated at the least or moderately to severely dehydrated.  You can read all sorts of amounts that are suggested as formulas to figure how much water to drink per day but for me the easiest one is weight in pounds divided in half = number of ounces per day.  In other words if you weigh 100 lbs then you need 50 ounces of water per day (I hope you didn't expect me to use my weight as an example.)  If you exercise, travel, live in a hot dry climate or drink alcohol you should increase by an additional 8 to 16 ounces.  It sounds like a lot but is very doable, just space it out.  First thing in the morning even before coffee or tea a big glass of water to start the day, then a glass every hour and remember only to count water (coffee, tea, soda, juice, etc. do not count).  Carry water with you when you are out and remember to drink before eating or snacking, before and after exercise and more when consuming alcohol.  If you want to change it up sodium free club soda or seltzer is a good option or add lemon, lime, or cucumber to water.  You may want to keep a water journal for a few days to see how you are doing.  Remember 70% of body weight is water, that's what we are made of.  To keep you in good working order and to flush toxins fuel up with plenty of pure, fresh WATER!

Here's to our health, I just toasted with a big glass of water.

Namaste' from the Naked Lady