At EHS, we care about the health and wellness of you and your family. Each of our Health Hub newsletters is designed to share attainable ways to maintain healthy habits and improve your overall quality of life. This issue provides tips for taking care of your mind and body.
Hydrate To Healthiness
We all know that drinking water is essential to staying healthy but when it comes to just how much water you should consume, there are several factors to consider. For example, your current health status, activity level, and climate all play a part. While there isn’t one single formula that fits all, it’s good practice to drink half of your weight in ounces of water each day in order to maintain optimal hydration.
When you’re spending time outdoors, it’s especially important to monitor your fluid intake. From hotter temperatures to higher humidity to being more active, many become susceptible to dehydration.
Did You Know…
- One glass of water can eliminate hunger pains?
- Approximately 60% of your weight is water?
- Every system in your body depends on water?
- Water aids the digestion process?
- The most common cause of daytime fatigue is dehydration?
- Water can actually help you feel more alert?
- Water can prevent and ease headaches?
- Lack of water can lead to fatigue, dizziness, cramping and other symptoms?
Make The Most Of Soundful Sleeping
Sleep is essential for maintaining a healthy, productive, and low-stress lifestyle. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults ages 18 or older should get seven or more hours of sleep each night. Severe lack of sleep can cause significant health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, depression, and obesity.
There are many health benefits to getting sufficient sleep. Here are a few:
- Increased productivity and work performance — Allowing your body enough time to go through all of the sleep stages is necessary for energy, muscle repair, a sharp memory, and the release and regulation of many hormones that help the body function.
- Decreased weight gain — According to the National Sleep Foundation, depriving your body of rest can lead to an increased appetite. The hormones that give you the feeling of being full or hungry can become irregular, which may cause increased hunger and lead to weight gain.
- Improved mental health — Getting enough sleep can help alleviate the fatigue that may contribute to stress, depression, and anxiety. Symptoms of fatigue include drowsiness, loss of energy, and even mood swings.
Quality of sleep is just as important as getting enough sleep. Improve how you slumber by exercising regularly, avoiding stimulants such as coffee or caffeinated tea before bed, and putting away electronic devices at least an hour before your sleep. You will find that you’re able to sleep more deeply and wake up feeling refreshed!
Exercise Your Mind: Learn Something New
Albert Einstein once said, “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.” One of the benefits of growing intellectually is that we are actively exercising our brain – an important part of our overall wellness! Here are four great reasons to try and learn something new every day:
- Brain chemistry changes – The more you practice a new skill, the more dense the myelin (white matter in your brain) becomes, which helps you learn more efficiently!
- Your learning speed increases – By stimulating neurons in the brain, neural pathways form. The more pathways in your brain, the faster the impulses, which allows you to learn things faster over time.
- You could reduce your risk of dementia – Those actively learning new skills do not give their brain a chance to undergo demyelination, which decreases their risk for dementia.
- Learning something can bring happiness!
Whether it’s through cooking a new recipe, working on a house project, or listening to a podcast, stimulating your brain is essential to good health and makes life more enjoyable!