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Guest Post: Nancy Whitman Klotz

Baby Girl Galloway is two and a half weeks’ old (and today is Small Thing’s third birthday)! To make my life a bit easier, I’ve reached out to some of the best voices in my sphere of influence and asked them to share their wisdom with you. Each guest author was chosen because I KNOW you’ll learn something from them.

Nancy also has a great gift for you that I want you to download here >>> Get Your Audio

 

How Much Hydration is Enough?

*** Note from Kim:

Hydration is on my mind! The pregnancy with Little Bean was… hard. Partly because I was MASSIVELY dehydrated and didn’t know it. Once I started drinking 128 ounces a DAY, life got better. Now, as a breastfeeding mom, hydration is still critical to our health and well-being.

Drink up! ***

My girlfriend, Pam, and I were walking out on a forest preserve trail. Pam was carrying her water bottle and I had one in a fanny pack. She said to me, “I was stupid about water yesterday. I woke up in the morning and it was a beautiful day. I had my cup of coffee and got on my bike to ride along the Prairie Path. By the time I was ready to turn around, I realized I didn’t bring my water, and I only drank my coffee before I left. I swear on the ride home things looked blurry and the trail seemed to shift under my bike. I started to feel panicky and wondered who I would call for help if I couldn’t make it back.” Pam made it back okay, but the ride shook her up.

It’s amazing how even a small change in hydration can detrimentally effect your performance.

How much hydration is enough?

How much water should you drink (or fluids should you take in) daily?

Many of us have heard >>> drink 8 – 8 ounces glasses of water (or fluids) a day. This is a helpful guideline, but each of us may require different amount of fluids. You can get fluids from other liquid sources such as tea, soups, and juices. Fruits and vegetables contain significant amounts of water. I think if you have a way to easily measure your fluid intake, you will be more successful at keeping yourself hydrated.

Water helps your body:

  • Maintain your normal temperature
  • Lubricate and cushion joints
  • Protect your nerves and muscles
  • Get rid of wastes through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements
  • Improve digestion
  • Control heart rate and blood pressure

Dehydration is when you lose more fluid than you take in.

Causes of dehydration:

  • Not taking in enough fluids
  • Vigorous exercise
  • Some medications, medical conditions
  • Fever, diarrhea, vomiting
  • Sweat, hot weather (You still need to hydrate in cold weather!)

Some symptoms of dehydration may be:

  • Thirst
  • Dark urine
  • Dry mouth
  • Fatigue
  • Headaches, cramping
  • Anxiety, confusion
  • Weakness

These are two easy ways to check your hydration level.

  1. Light or clear colored urine
  2. The need to go to the bathroom every 2 to 4 hours

Actions to take to stay hydrated:

  1. Set a daily water drinking goal (on purpose).
  2. Carry a water bottle with you.
  3. Avoid processed foods.

Myths:

Coffee is not a source of fluid intake. Coffee counts!

Fun Facts:

When you drink an iced beverage, your body needs to heat the fluid up to body temperature before digestion can take place.

Sometimes thirst may be confused with hunger. Try drinking water before grabbing a snack and see if you still feel hungry.

Things I didn’t know:

As you get older you may not experience thirst or have symptoms of dehydration. Take extra care to stay hydrated, your brain may not recognize that you need water.

Frozen fruits and vegetables can be just as hydrating and nutritious as fresh fruits and vegetables. Depending where your produce comes from, it may take long enough to get to you for oxidation to occur which can cause nutrient loss. Frozen fruits and vegetables are often frozen while they are still fresh after harvest.

Nancy Whitman Klotz is the founder of Balanced Health Yoga Therapy. She has been teaching yoga for ten years, and provides private and group class instruction. Currently, she is a Yoga Therapist in training, with Inner Peace Yoga Therapy, and promotes health and well-being for her clients by creating self-care programs that consider the whole person – body, mind, and spirit. Nancy has her Master’s in Education, is registered through the yoga alliance ERYT-200 RYT-500, and is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists.

Nancy lives in the Midwest, and along with most people around her, really misses the sun during the winter. She enjoys listening to people’s stories, and feels there is something to learn from everyone. She has two grown children who live in different parts of the country giving her the opportunity to visit fun places.

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Kim Galloway
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