Greetings and Happy Almost Spring!
You may be relaxing into this year that is now about 75 days old. And you may have left your New Year’s Resolutions behind you in the dust of winter. But as you stretch into Spring and begin to enjoy the newness of this season, let’s dig out those New Year’s goals.
Sometime between January 1 and now, I learned that it is appropriate to continue saying “Happy New Year” until you’ve reached everyone you know! And I believe that New Year’s resolutions should enjoy the same latitude; ie, who said they begin January 1 and once we break them we need to wait a whole year to start again? Honestly, I am pretty sure I compromised my resolution about cutting out processed sugar right there at midnight with the lovely little chunk of sweet handed to me to ring in a sweet new year! So, let’s press that rewind button and start over, shall we?
What were YOUR new year resolutions (NYR)? At Healing Waters, we committed to New Year’s Resolutions that will REDUCE STRESS and ENHANCE WELLNESS. But, it all comes back to wellness, doesn’t it? The habits you may have resolved to change such as smoking, overeating, panic attacks and fears may be caused by stress, and failed attempts to change them just enhances stress. Even if your resolutions are about getting rid of the clutter, whether in your basement or on your phone or computer or anywhere else, that clutter is causing stress. (Like the stress I endured last night when I walked into a dark room and had a close encounter first with my suitcase and then with the floor! Fortunately, all of the stretching I’ve learned on my wellness journey paid off well and nothing hurts today!).
Hypnotherapy in an individual, customized program that we call HypnoFusion™ at Healing Waters, is a great approach to Stress. It is our goal to help you recognize the symptom of your stress which may show up as smoking or other addiction, food use, anxiety, habit, mood, and so on, and then work with you to manage not just the symptom, but the root cause. HypnoFusion™ can include Hypnotherapy, wellness coaching, health coaching, Tapping, Yoga poses, and more, depending on what works best for you!
Was your NYR diet based? Have you resolved to drink more water? Remember, according to water.usgs.gov, “Up to 60% of the human adult body is water. According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31% Jul 23, 2018”. So, if we are about 2/3 water, how much water should you be drinking? And why are we hinting that a water resolution would be a good place to start?
Good Question!:). We need to stay hydrated for our digestion, our heart health and circulation, and brain function. According to bbcgoodfood.com, “losing as little as 1% of your body weight in fluid may reduce mental performance, as well as potentially inducing fatigue and headache”. Being dehydrated “can also affect our mood and mental wellbeing” including energy levels, cognition and emotions. And we all know that dehydration impacts our ability to exercise well. You may even know someone who passed out on a hot day due to dehydration. Drink Up!
My friend in Florida reminds us to, “Pay attention to your body! Hear those messages and act on them”. The signs of dehydration are lethargy, dizziness, dry mouth, and dry lips. And a loud and clear sign is the color of your urine. Your goal is urine that is light yellow to clear. Darker yellow is that sign from your body that it is not hydrated and is at risk! Other signs of thirst include headaches, exhaustion, lack of sweat, dry eyes, and sometimes, when we feel hungry, we are actually thirsty! I will say it again, Drink Up!
The “How much?” question is not as easy to answer. It IS more than the 8 cups we’ve been told. And it does NOT include coffee. It does depend on your health, age, size, weight, where you live, your activity level, and more. According to WebMD A good rule of thumb is a half-ounce to ounce of water per pound of weight. Drink often throughout the day, pay attention to what your body is telling you and, when you notice any of those signs of dehydration, DRINK UP!
We are so hopeful that your 2019 is off to a great start, and we are confident that staying hydrated and paying attention to your body will make it an even better year!
For help with your journey to wellness: Bev@HealingWatersSolutions.com