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Movin’ Together – Wonders of Water

by Sara Vogt - March 9, 2017

On today’s episode of Movin’ Together, Sara Vogt and Aimee Jones discuss the power of hydration, along with ideas to help build the simple (but not always easy) habit of consuming more healthy fluids on a daily basis.

The second tool in our healthy tool basket for the year—hydration—which we fondly call the fountain of youth, is critically important to well-being, but it is an element of health that is often overlooked or taken for granted, and it can take some real motivation to create the habit of consuming the optimal amount of fluids that your body needs.

How do we stay motivated to use the healthy tools discussed on Movin’ Together?  Motivation is another word for encouragement! As Morgan and I said in our very first feature last year, we want to cheer each other on! The dictionary describes motivation as a force or influence that causes someone to do something.

Our good friend Andrew, here at Home Page, knowing my desire to stay hydrated, encouraged me to purchase an app that has become a positive force in my hydration habit. Like many of us, I would realize at about two in the afternoon that I had not taken the time to hydrate. Now, with Andrew’s encouragement to use the app, I am given frequent reminders that reinforce my habit.

This app starts early in the morning, reminding me to hydrate with a little sound, and continues throughout the day. If I follow the reminders, I stay properly hydrated all day! I must admit that sometimes when my hydrating was not so good and the reminders kept coming, I was tempted to turn them off, but one of the main motivations for me to stay hydrated and healthy is my family—so I persisted. Two months later, I am still using the app and maintaining my hydration!

There are numerous apps available to help you with hydration, and with a little research you can find one that is right for you. Many are free or require a nominal fee. iDrated, for example, is a free app that will monitor how hydrated you are at any given moment, keep track of the last time you had a drink of water, and tell you when you are due to drink again. Daily Water is a free app that helps individuals set drinking water goals, provides reminders and offers a basic statistical analysis of water consumption over the course of a day, week or month. Waterlogged is another free app that makes it nearly impossible for you to forget to drink enough water and allows you to set scheduled or random reminders, tracks your success at reaching goals, and is customizable. Eight Glasses a Day ($0.99), offers a simplified way to keep track of how many glasses of water your are drinking in the form of a challenge, which may appeal to some people.

Consuming water-rich foods is another way to hydrate. These include fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, oatmeal and beans. Some of the fruits and vegetables especially high in water content are watermelons, cantaloupes, apples, oranges, kiwis, celery, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis, and carrots. Soup can be homemade broth or store bought according to desire for convenience, and made from chicken, beef, or vegetables according to taste. Adding onions and garlic can strengthen your immune system, as well; an excellent idea during flu and cold season.

Proper hydration is not only good for your brain, your mood, and your body weight, but it’s also essential for your heart.

When I think of heart disease in women, I usually think of women over the age of 40—and I am way over 40! However, the American Heart Association says you are never too young or too old to learn how to better care for your heart.  

The heart typically beats 70 times a minute and with each beat the heart pumps 60 to 90 mililiters (2 to 3 ounces) of blood out of the heart. It can move 5 to 7 liters of blood in one minute and 7600 liters (2000 gallons) per day. In a lifetime, it beats over 2.5 billion times and pumps over 200 million liters of blood. Proper hydration allows the heart to pump blood more easily, allowing the muscles in your body to work even better.  

To put it simply—and there are volumes of books written on the benefits of water—water keeps your organs functioning properly, clears toxins, eliminates excess sodium from your body, hydrates your muscle cells, nourishes your skin, and boosts your metabolism. Additionally, weight loss can only be accomplished when you are giving your body the water it needs in addition to proper nutrients. This is helpful information for those of us who would like to shed some pounds for a “healthier you” this year.

The habit of hydration can become a beneficial pattern that affects the rest of our lives, and is especially helpful as we get older. If you struggle with taking the time to hydrate, this is a great opportunity download an app or to connect with a friend so you can support one another to start this life-changing habit! Pursue it with intention and joy!

(Or, at the very least, a smile.)

Sara’s app used today in the feature is WaterMinder and can be find in the Apple App Store.

Sources:
http://www.wellsborohomepage.com/movin-together-the-fountain-of-youth/

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/PhysicalActivity/FitnessBasics/Staying-Hydrated—Staying-Healthy_UCM_441180_Article.jsp#.WMAFOxiZMcl

http://share.upmc.com/2014/09/importance-hydration-heart/

Credits:

Idea/Concept: Sara Vogt
Videography: Andrew Moore, Erin O'Shea
Video Editing: Erin O'Shea
Writing: Heather Weiner
Anchor: Sara Vogt, Amiee Jones

Produced by Vogt Media
Home Page Sponsors: Laurel Health Centers

 
 
 
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