HEALTHYLIVING: Water Bottles

I recently made a visit to Salt Lake City, Utah to visit family. It’s a different world compared to Southwest Michigan: From the air, flying over the snow covered mountains and the Great Salt Lake is definitely a foreign, awesome sight. And the on-the-ground experience is equally eye-candy at street and trail level. So much to take in! And while there is much to see and experience, one thing struck me as fantastically awesome while I was out there: EVERYONE CARRIES A WATER BOTTLE!

I’m not even slightly exaggerating. Like an automatic appendage, a water bottle is either on each person or within reach. Young and old.

Now, obviously, there’s the Utah high altitude and dry air (did you know Utah is the second driest state in the U.S.?) that necessitates constant hydration. But there’s something to learn from the good people of Utah, and that is, that carrying your filled water bottle around (and drinking from it regularly!) can become a natural, automatic thing.

Case in point:

My two-year-old little twin granddaughters don’t leave home without them. It’s been instilled in them, and they know the consequences of being thirsty and not having their water bottle. Now, I know what you’re going to say, SW Michigan Friends, “We don’t have high altitudes and dryness in these parts; I really don’t need to carry one around all day long.” But my friend, here’s the thing: YOU DO!

Keeping our bodies hydrated remedies many health issues. Consider these point about how staying hydrated is critical to our health. Water*:

• Aids digestion and gets rid of waste.

• Works our joints by lubricating them.

• Makes saliva (which we need to eat).

• Balances our body’s chemicals. Our brain needs it to create hormones and neurotransmitters.

• Delivers oxygen all over our body.

• Cushions our bones.

• Regulates our body temperature.

• Act as a shock absorber for our brain, our spinal cord

• And, if pregnant, water acts as a shock absorber for the fetus. How many different ways do we need to hear about water being a remedy to many of our maladies, if only we would stay hydrated?

Signs of dehydration** include:

• Headache, delirium, confusion.

• Tiredness (fatigue).

• Dizziness, weakness, light-headedness.

• Dry mouth and/or a dry cough.

• High heart rate but low blood pressure.

• Loss of appetite but maybe craving sugar.

• Flushed (red) skin. Swollen feet. Muscle cramps.

• Heat intolerance, or chills.

• Constipation.

• Dark-colored pee (urine). Your pee should be a pale clear color.

A good article to consult on the internet about the importance of water intake is on the my.clevelandclinic.org site that shares important information about dehydration and the benefits of staying hydrated. I’ll let you pull that info up. For now, I’m here to tell ya: If two little baby girls can be brought up to know that “water is good for us”, well, then, surely, we can take queue and follow suit. Get yourself a cool water bottle (or two or three!) and get into the habit of drinking the suggested daily intake. The reasonable goal is eight cups of water per day. And, as with everything, you should talk with your doctor to get the best fit for yourself and your lifestyle. Take your water bottle with you everywhere you go. Whether you’re stepping out for a quick errand. Taking a walk around the block or taking on one of our beautiful Southwest Michigan trails exploring the awesome sites of spring and summer.

If the new generation in Utah has mastered the habit of carrying water everywhere and made it a natural, we can, too!

And our bodies will thank us for it, wherever on this Earth our feet take us.

*information taken from the my.clevelandclinic.org site

** information taken from mayoclinic.org

Vicky Kettner is the Association Director of Marketing, Community Relations, and Member Engagement for the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo.