If you do Only ONE thing for Your Health...

Now that I am starting to swim into the pool of the natural medicine community and healing with food, I get a lot of questions and comments regarding you and your health. You see, the problem for me is that I don't believe in any ONE answer to health. There are three faucets (mindset, movement, food) that I choose to focus on because I believe they lay a real good foundation for your health and when incorporated appropriately tend to clear up lots of ailments. However, there are so many contributing factors into why your body may be having the reaction it is, that I cannot and will not tell you what to do for your health, besides finding what works for you. If you're not willing to take the time and energy to truly get to know yourself better, for your health, then you are not willing to truly get healthy. That's a hard truth, but there it is. You didn't become "sick and tired" overnight, you're not going to become "healthful and energetic" overnight either.

There is one thing I will recommend to you though. I don't care who you are, where you are in your life, what your diet is like, your social situation, your habits, your mental health -- you can start incorporating this right now and it will for sure help your health. Let me make sure you read that clearly: you must start incorporating it into your life. It's not a I remembered today so I'll do it or a I'll do it when I feel like it type thing. In order to set yourself up for success you need to have a plan of action and track yourself to make sure you are keeping up with those goals. Again, true health doesn't come over night and it doesn't come on the days you decide you want to be healthy. Actually, some might say, it's the hard days that really make the difference. Either way, it's a work in progress, something you must commit to. Commit to the process, track your progress, and before you know it, you'll be showing up more days than not. That is where the magic truly starts to happen.

So what is it that you can do to help your health starting right. meow?

Drink Water.

Hey now! I can hear that eye roll from here! I know this statement is over-used, I know you want to try (and hear) something different, but don't be another one of those peeps who say, "My water intake is fine," or "I eat pretty well," and just go on your merry way continuing to look for your next quick fix, because I guarantee if you are not tracking and specifically paying attention (or have not at least dedicated time like this at some point in your life) then you are not drinking enough. (I use the eating excuse with this because 99% of the time when people tell me that they eat 'pretty well' they are still consuming refined carbohydrates and sugar. And if you say, "I eat it, but not a lot" chances are you're consuming it more than you think you are.).

Back to water.

I've learned a little equation for drinking the proper amount of water. I was feeling pretty resistant on this at first, because I am a person that is now moving away from numbers and encouraging others to tap into their health away from them as well. This means no scale, no counting calories, taking body measurements once per month (until you feel like you don't want to anymore), and a big yes on non-scale victories, like positive self talk, how you FEEL, how your clothes fit, etc. It has dawned on me though that everyone has some idea of what their weight is. SOME IDEA. Even myself, though I don't even remember the last time I stepped on a scale, I have an idea. If you don't know what you weigh, go on that idea and it never hurts to round up. Yeah, I know, who wants to round up on their weight? Well, when we're moving away from numbers and talking about hydration, that's when you do it. 

The formula is simple.

Take your body weight and divide it in half, the answer is how many ounces of water you should be drinking. 

160 ÷ 2 = 80 oz
170 ÷ 2 = 85 oz
120 ÷ 2 = 60 oz
200 ÷ 2 = 100 oz

You get the idea. You can't stop there though! There is an important other aspect. For every eight ounces (that's one cup) of a diuretic beverage you'll want to add approximately 12 oz to that original number. 

Timeout.

What's a diuretic beverage? Well...it's going to sound like anything but water. Herbal tea and coconut water are two examples of non-diuretic beverages, but coffee, alcohol, juice, soda, milk, and even kombucha are all diuretics. Don't be dismayed, this really helps hold you accountable to staying hydrated. Obviously, some days you go right ahead and make your own conscious decision about being unbalanced in this department, but if you are serious about your health you won't bah-hum-bug this whole idea and go chug a pot of coffee. I am not telling you to stop drinking some of your favorite beverages. I would never do that. I don't do it to my clients, I don't do it to my friends, and I wouldn't do it to you, dear reader. C'mon now! This is your life, you make your choices. 

So, my brain gets instantly scrambled when it comes to math, so let me help you understand exactly what this calculation really looks like.

8 oz diuretic consumed = 12 oz added to your water goal
12 oz consumed = add 18 ounces
16 oz consumed = add 24 ounces
20 oz consumed = add 30 ounces

You can do this calculation by taking the total number of ounces you've consumed of the diuretic beverage, divide it by eight (because the calculation is for every eight ounces consumed), then multiple that by 12.

I track my water as I drink throughout the day and I use an app that allows me to manually change my daily water goal at any time, so if I decide to have an eight ounce morning cup of coffee, I will add 12 ounces to my overall goal for the day in the app right then and there. This tracking thing sounds annoying but it actually really comes in handy and is pretty much second nature to me at this point. Obviously, don't let it control your life, though. If for some reason you can't get to your phone to track your water, that doesn't mean you shouldn't drink the water. The app I am currently using to track my water is called Water Drink Reminder, it's real simple and straight forward, but it does give you the option to add in your tea/soda/other beverages and does not calculate accordingly as I've stated here, so I simply only track my water with this app. There are lots of apps out there, some fun ones that do things like every time you drink and track it you help a little plant grow. Find what works for you and use it. 

This guideline will help you to get hydrated without over flooding your body, because yes, it is possible to drink too much water. See my hydration chart in this article to help avoid that. If you're feeling ready to get a little more particular with what kind of water you're drinking and how to make it taste delicious, see my blog post on Not All Water is Created Equal.

*Remember!* And this is important because so often people tell me how they chug water all day long the day of a race and it messes with their bladder or they're on vacation in a hot climate and they chug water before they leave the house to explore for the day. Hydration is NOT a same day process, just like your health. It takes up to a full week (and even longer) for your body to adjust, your cells to suck up all that goodness, and for you to actually be feeling a difference. When it happens, you will know. There's no doubt about that. Commonly people tell me they just FEEL better, their skin is clearer, they have a clearer mind or (the most surprising response) other people have noticed 'something different'.  There is a laundry list of positive side effects that could take place and if you're super excited about all of this, try reading the book Your Body's Many Cries for Water - You're not Sick; You're Thirty. Don't Treat Thirst with Medication by Fereydoon Batmanghelidj. Despite the long ass name of this book, it is a simple,  straightforward, and interesting read. 

The reality is that at first, drinking water feels like you're drowning yourself and it's kind of annoying, but then, before you know it, you'll be starting every morning with a tall 16oz (or maybe even 30) cup of lemon water and find yourself wondering who the hell you are!

Happy healing friends ❤

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