In a previous post, I talked about ways to avoid getting dehydrated. This time, let’s look at the symptoms of mild-to-moderate dehydration, the kind you are most likely to experience.
*Thirst – that’s right, by the time you are feeling thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Your body is trying to conserve water by releasing less of it, and you notice you are thirsty.
*Dark urine – it should be clear, pale, or straw colored if properly hydrated
*Decreased urine output
*Few or no tears
*Sweating may stop
*Sleepiness or tiredness – and children may be less active than normal
*Muscle weakness
*Headache
*Dizziness or lightheadedness, especially when standing
You may experience one of these symptoms, or several, and there is no specific order they will occur in. You can become dehydrated any time of the year, but the current weather conditions make it even more likely. If you experience ANY of the above symptoms, begin taking in extra fluid (see this post for suggestions), and try to get to a cool, shady place. If you symptoms do not improve, or if they worsen, seek medical help.
Get plenty of fluid, watch what your body is doing, and avoid getting dehydrated!
I want to tell you about a book which details the 9 common habits of the longest-lived population groups in the world. The book is The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest by Dan Buettner. The book was published in 2008 by National Geographic.
The 9 habits are:
1. Engage in physical activity as a regular part of daily life
2. Have a mission or purpose to give meaning to your life
3. Enjoy life! Slow down, rest, work less, play more
4. Stop eating when you are 80% full
5. Eat more fruits and vegetables, less protein and processed foods
6. Drink red wine in moderation
7. Create a healthy social network
8. Participate in a spiritual life
9. Prioritize family
These should sound familiar readers of this blog, or our Habituator newsletter, but is is important enough to keep repeating.
A study in the November 2009 issue of The British Journal of Psychiatry found that eating whole foods like fruits, vegetables and fish seemed to protect against depression, while eating more processed foods seemed to increase the incidence of depression. This study had 3400 people in it for 5 years. Healthy food for a healthy mind …. and body. What processed foods in your diet could you replace with a whole food?
Gobbling = Gain
Another study, in the October 29, 2009 online version of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, was the first to measure how appetite and hormonal responses after meals affect weight gain. Basically, the study results show that eating quickly slows down the release of the hormones that make you feel full, so you eat more because you’re not satisfied. When it comes to eating Slowing = Loss.
We all know that we get too much salt, but we also enjoy the way our food tastes with it. Some salt can’t be avoided in the common processed foods we use. So, how to have tasty food while cutting salt where we can?
Here are some tips on what to substitute for salt:
* Herbs can add taste, especially to soups, sauces and chili. If using dried herbs, crush them in your fingers as you add them to release the full flavor. It’s easy to grow your own herbs too. My wife grows basil, rosemary, and sage in a small plot in our backyard, and they are GOOD. Herbs also grow well in small containers, so the lack of a yard or garden is no excuse.
* Spices can kick up the flavor, like Bam! Try cardamom, cumin and ginger with roasted vegetables, meat or seafood.
* Lemon or lime juice or vinegar can be great as salad dressings, marinades and condiments instead of high salt bottled versions.
* Citrus rinds or peels add a zesty flavor to many recipes.
Go forth and salt no more. And share any other ideas you have for adding flavor and cutting salt.
Last post we talked about ways to avoid dehydration, and the importance of proper fluid intake. Another way to get more fluid is through what you eat.
Some foods have a high water content and estimates are that you can get 19-25% of your daily fluid intake from food. Some examples and their water content:
Iceberg lettuce 96%
Squash 94% when cooked
Cantaloupe 90%
Orange 87%
Apple 86%
Pear 84%
By the way, these are also low calorie foods. So, go ahead and eat some water.
As spring moves into summer, and the temperatures climb, you need to be aware of the risk of dehydration, and take steps to prevent it.
What is dehydration? Simply, it is when you lose more fluids than you are taking in. That means your body is operating with less water than needed for normal body functions. Dehydration can be prevented, however, and here are some tips to help.
1. Drink a lot of fluids, especially on hot, dry, and windy days.
2. Drink fluids, even if not thirsty. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already starting to get dehydrated.
3. Drink fluids before exercising.
4. Drink fluids early and often during exercising. 8-12 ounces for every 15-20 minutes of exercise are recommended.
5. Drink fluids after exercising.
6. If taking medications or over-the-counter supplements, check to see their effects on fluid retention. Some may pull fluid from the body and contribute to dehydration.
7. Wear loose-fitting clothes and a hat. These will keep the body cooler and help the body lose less fluid through sweating.
8. Avoid alcohol and drinks with caffeine in it, as these can pull fluid from the body and contribute to dehydration.
9. What is the best fluid to drink? Water is always a good choice, but check with your trainer to see if they recommend a sports drink when doing heavy exercises.
Follow these tips and help keep your body properly hydrated no matter what the conditions.
I was playing golf at Stonebridge a couple weeks ago on a Friday afternoon. I had run into some acquaintances that I’d known for years on the first tee box. We shook hands and exchanged a few words, like we always do, but it went no further.
When we got to the 4th tee, we saw a guy on the ground out in the middle of the fairway, and another guy bending over him, giving CPR. The EMTs showed up right after and they continued working on him. It turned out to be one of the guys I knew had a massive heart attack. He’s still hanging in there, and we don’t know his prognosis, but at least he has a chance thanks to his fellow golfer, who kept him alive until the EMTs took over.
We often describe rescue workers as heroes, and they are, but it is their job. I think the greatest heroes are the people who don’t have to respond, but do. Who go out of their way in a crisis to help.
On behalf of everyone, I’d like to thank the guy who administered CPR out of his own sense of charity. I only hope I will respond like that in a similar situation.
I just attended the Green Shoe Gala Friday night 4/16 at the Visitors Center at Shelby Farms. What a blast! If you don’t know, it’s a benefit for the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, the non-profit group managing Shelby Farms. They are going to make a world-class park here in Memphis for us citizens, much like the Memphis Zoological Society did for the zoo. When we moved to Memphis in 1978, the Zoo was downright embarrassing. Now it’s a crown jewel.
But they need our help. Time, treasure, talent, whatever you can spare. The park is truly a gift that will keep on giving to this area for generations. Its great now, but it can be so much more. I know it’s not the Smokies or the Rockies, it’s not the Grand Canyon, but it’s what we’ve got. We have the Wolf River. We have the Mississippi River. And we have Shelby Farms Park, so lets make the most of it.
Yes, my wife is on the Conservancy Board, so I’ll get points for writing this. But actually, I have used the park more than she has. As a personal fitness trainer, I have taken clients there to run, bike, or walk, or recommended it to them for those activities on their own. I love it, and I’m going to help the Conservancy realize their vision for it. I hope you will too.
Whew, that’s the most cheerleading I’ve done in a while. Now get out and enjoy what Shelby Farms Park has to offer.
For years, I have been joking with my longtime clients about how my role has changed, at least in part, from – pick one: exercise guru, task master, drill sergeant, meanie, masochist, etc – to more like a bartender. Monday night on the Marketplace show on NPR, I heard a story about faith and fitness which quoted a personal trainer saying that she was a cross between a therapist and a bartender. She said she often prayed with her clients about some problem. I have never done that, but I have prayed for clients.
In addition to supervising exercise, stimulating conversation, and providing witty repartee, I listen. Clients tell me about work, family, friends – their lives – and I tell them about mine. Joys and sorrows, hopes and dreams, likes and dislikes, all kinds of stuff. Occasionally, we tread on dicey territory, but not often, and I’ve never had to tell a client they were out of bounds. Nor have they had to tell me.
In some of my trade journals, we are told to keep things strictly professional, keep it about exercise, don’t get personal! How can you not get a little personal with someone whose sweaty feet you are holding while they do oblique crunches on a stability ball? Its PERSONAL training, after all. I think we have to provide a sympathetic ear, be a sounding board, empathize with our clients and rejoice with them. We all need connections in this world. There are some days that I spend more time with any one client than I do with my wife.
But, I limit my advice and counsel to exercise and nutrition matters. I don’t do parenting or marital therapy, I don’t solve problems, and I only occasionally make suggestions. And despite the temptation, I never smack a client upside the head, even if that is what they need. I stay within my scope of practice.
I regard listening as one of my more important professional skills, but it’s not covered in any certification or continuing education curriculum that I know of.
As those who know me realize, I am a Costco addict – to the extent that I actually look through their magazine, The Costco Connection. Well, the April 2010 issue has an article on brain fitness, and it got me thinking… see, its working! I think, therefore my brain is fit!
Basically, the article says that there is much new research to show that we can keep generating new brain cells as we age, and that the structure and function of our brains can keep changing. But, for that to happen, guess what? We have to use our brains, we have to keep challenging them. A brain is just like muscle – use it or lose it. So, there are now gyms for the brain and personal trainers for the brain (personal brainers?). Of course, you can buy software and video games to stimulate your brain or you can go back to school or learn a new language.
The article recommends 5 healthy lifestyle factors for brain development:
Socialization
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (my personal favorite)
Spirituality
Mental Stimulation
Nutrition
Stop thinking about it and get busy! Wait, don’t stop thinking. If you’re confused, puzzle it out. Then leave a comment and let me know what ways you keep exercising your brain.
Healthy Habits offers 1 to 1 personal training, partner and group fitness programs, BioMetrics nutrition and exercise plans, golf fitness and weight loss programs, post-rehab clinical exercise, and beginner and intermediate yoga classes in Memphis, TN.
