Fitness with Jesse James Fit

Are You Staying HYDRATED? IT’S SO IMPORTANT

by Jesse J. Leyva, Owner of Jesse James Fit & Outlaw Fitcamp

Your lawn isn’t the only thing needing more water in the hot summer months. Staying hydrated is crucial to your well-being year-round, but it can be even more of a challenge in the summer.

Why it’s so important to stay hydrated

Water is used by every cell, tissue, and organ in your body. It maintains your body’s temperature, removes waste, lubricates your joints, carries nutrients to your cells, flushes bacteria from your bladder, helps your heart pump blood, helps muscles work efficiently, maintains your heart rate and blood pressure, and maintains a healthy metabolism. Kind of important, right?!

Staying hydrated is necessary—not just for survival—but for good health.

A hydrated body

Giving your body plenty of fluids has the following benefits:

Better energy levels and brain function Prevent and treat headaches Skin stays healthier Prevent constipation Encourages weight loss Boosts your metabolic rate

A dehydrated body

On the other hand, dehydration can cause serious health problems ranging from swollen feet and headaches to lifethreatening illnesses such as heat stroke. It’s very important to be aware of the warning signs.

The difficulty with dehydration though, is that your body hides the beginning of dehydration very well. It can be hours before you start to actually have symptoms. By the time you’re feeling thirsty or experiencing other warning signs, you’re already dehydrated!

One of the best ways to recognize that your body is dehydrated is to pay attention to the color of your urine. Pale urine means you’re well-hydrated. Dark urine shows that you’re not taking in enough fluids. Watch out for these other common dehydration symptoms:

Thirst Headache Fatigue Weakness Dizziness Confusion

Take in plenty of fluids before you start experiencing the symptoms of dehydration.

How to stay hydrated

The best way to stay hydrated is to…you already know it…drink water. There are other healthy ways to stay hydrated, but it’s pretty hard to get the fluids you need without drinking water every day.

Keep a reusable water bottle next to you and keep it full!

If you have trouble drinking plain water, try adding some fruit slices to it or choose carbonated waters.

Get in the habit of drinking water with your meals instead of other drinks.

Besides water, other drinks and foods can also help you stay hydrated. Just make sure you’re not choosing drinks that add unnecessary sugar and extra calories to your diet.

Water, water, water!

When we get into these really hot days ahead of us, it’s more important than ever to remember to stay hydrated. But whether you’re inside or outdoors, exercising or relaxing, in summer or winter—you always need to pay attention to staying hydrated.

Now drink up!

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Masking THE ISSUE

by Jean Eisenmann | photo courtesy of Jean Eisenmann

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, I reflect back a couple of months to when we were told gloves were a definite deterrent to contracting the virus. Then once we loaded up on them, buying up every store’s inventories and stuffing them in every nook and cranny of the house, the new preventive became mask. And my house smells like a latex factory.

I’ve now become so overexposed to because I hadn’t realized that ripping it “mass mask marketing” that it’s had a off my face in one fell swoop might be profound effect on me. I seem to have causing observers to have nightmares. developed a bona fide mask obsession. Today, I watched a local morning show And to think of all the years I wasted where the hostess announced, “Coming coveting shoes. up after the station break, we’ll learn how It’s the new normal to have only half to make masks from your husband’s old your face exposed. Not wearing one in boxer shorts. One pair yields two to three public places draws more glares than if masks, depending on the size of the I picked my nose in church. People are shorts.” We’re getting pretty crafty with going about their lives wearing those our masks. Ah, American ingenuity and little fabric disguises and yes, even at entrepreneurial spirit, with a sprinkling of home; gardening, sunbathing, cleaning opportunistic greed for good measure. out the gutters, and jogging. And fainting, I am accumulating quite a mask collection because it’s just too hot to wear a mask to feed my new outdoors in Texas. fixation. I have masks On TV the other day, a newscaster conducted an AH, AMERICAN INGENUITY AND of every color for every occasion – even a night mask interview remotely with an “etiquette expert” who shared ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT, WITH A complete with blue half-moons and silver stars. It’s a with us the proper way to remove a mask without SPRINKLING OF OPPORTUNISTIC little intrusive to wear while sleeping because my husband offending anyone. You know, that really enlightened me GREED FOR GOOD MEASURE. said it not only makes my breathing sound like Darth Vader’s, but the iridescent silvery stars reflect on the ceiling and keep him awake. Can’t he just count them like sheep and nod off?

I wear masks with red and orange flames when I’m feeling rebellious, sequins for masked tie, uh, black tie events, ‘70s psychedelic when I’m feeling my age, gingham when I want to project innocence, and a red lip print when I don’t.

I removed my jewelry from its designated box and placed the pieces in a plastic bag. My grandfather’s college graduation ring from 1920 and my aunt’s engagement ring that she brought over from the old country don’t require the special container with satin lining that my mask collection does.

In addition to its health benefit of virus protection, I have come to feel virtually undressed without wearing a mask. I see it as a burgeoning fashion industry, not only developing as we live under health threats, but also as we become accustomed to wearing them as part of our wardrobes. However, there will always be skeptics who prefer to go commando.

In the future, despite whatever progressive designs may evolve from today’s mask, one characteristic can never be replicated, and that’s the beauty of seeing a warm, heartfelt – and unobstructed – smile.