Categories
Health

What You Didn’t Know About H2O

I chose one of the least popular topics to write about for this next blog, but I truly believe that the details I have found on drinking the appropriate amounts of water daily will WOW you. Water is not the number one choice of beverage for most people and I honestly can’t say I blame them. Now, I know water can be boring and have “no taste”, but don’t be fooled into falling into that trap…. Add lemon, kiwi, strawberries, even honey to your water and really quench your thirst. Plus, reap the benefits from it and if you do not know what benefits I am talking about just keep reading and be flabbergasted!

Some of the information mentioned below are those that have been told to us by our parents who tried to get us to drink water as much as possible when we were kids riding our bikes in the blasting summer heat, and they weren’t fibbing. However, some facts that I have gathered for this particular piece, I hadn’t learned up until now and am excited to share with you.

The advantages to drinking H2O:

1. Water Helps avoid headaches
With summer here, the heat is a constant bother, now add dehydration and you’ve got a big problem. Mild dehydration may trigger headaches. It is said by experts that a loss of electrolytes cause nerves in the brain to produce pain signals- hence your headache. Staying hydrated is key to keeping the troublesome aches away as well as treating it. Room temperature works best as cold water will only intensify the pain.

2. Relieves constipation
It is no false claim that water helps keep the GI tract moving. If you are not drinking water as much as you should, you might be suffering from mild to severe constipation. Water helps loosen stools sending them on their way.

3. Pass and avoid kidney stones
People who produce 2-2.5 liters of urine are less likely to develop kidney stones than those who produce less. In order to produce that amount of urine it takes eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water. Drinking water helps move stones through the urinary tract and flushes toxins out avoiding new formations.

4. Aids in weight loss
Water helps boost your metabolism and makes you feel fuller; suppressing your appetite. Drinking more water keeps your body from retaining water, ironically. Which leads to the loss of water weight. Replacing a soda or other sugary drinks such as lemonade or sweet tea with water will also cut down your calorie intake.

5. Boosts skin health
Due to the ability of flushing out toxins, water helps in calming skin irritations such as eczema, wrinkles, psoriasis, and acne resulting in enhanced complexion and gleaming, healthy skin.

6. Regulates body temperature
Body temperature must remain regulated in order to function properly. When the body temperature is unable to be maintianed, the human body becomes impeded causing blood flow reduction and possibly a stroke. That is why heat strokes are so common during the summer. In order for the body to stay regulated, water intake is imperative. Even while working out, you are expelling water through your pores. Stay hydrated!

7. Maintains blood pressure
If you are at a constant battle to lower your blood pessure then look no further! Water is one of the best ways to lower your blood pressure naturally. Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. On days you workout, ten 8-ounce glasses of water are necessary.

8. Washes away cavity causing bacteria
Not only is swishing water after eating perfect for washing away left over food and residue that can cause cavities, but also drinking water regularly keeps teeth clean for the meantime until you are able to brush again.

9. Produces saliva reducing dry mouth
Dry mouth is most times a side effect from medications one is taking. Saliva contains substances such as electrolytes, mucus, antibacterial compounds and enzymes. It helps you chew, taste, and moisten your food to swallow down, preventing choking incidents. Drinking water assists in producing saliva at an ideal rate lessening dry mouth.

10. Strengthens your teeth
Fluoride is a cavity fighter. I know nobody likes to drink tap water, but it not only helps fight cavities it also helps keep your teeth strong. Your local tap water is the most cost effective way to prevent tooth decay!

11. Washes away bacteria that causes bad breath
The primary cause of bad breath are food particles that are sticking to your teeth and gums. When there is no way for you to floss all that junk out from your mouth, the next best thing would be to drink water. As mentioned before, water washes away food particles and fights bad breath.

12. Helps the brain react faster
Our brains work 24/7 to keep things running smoothly within our bodies so we must keep it hydrated. We want to make sure that when a message comes into the brain from anywhere in our bodies, our brain reacts quickly and correctly.

13. Think with more clarity and creativity
Have an important exam tomorrow morning? Drink water and pass with flying colors. Your brain works 14% faster when you drink just 3 glasses of water in the morning. Even a 2% drop in hydration can make it hard for us to focus and concentrate. Therefore, hydrated brains tend to work with more creativity and think with more clarity.

14. Helps balance your mood and emotions
Lack of water can leave you feeling restless, fatigued, and just not your best. Taking in the right amounts of water help you feel calm and ready to get things done. You are more prepared to accomplish things leading you to feel positive and upbeat about your day.

15. Helps manage anxiety
Water has natural calming components that are extremely useful when you suffer from anxiety. If you are in the middle of a panic attack/anxiety attack, sit down and drink some water. You will see what a difference it makes in helping you get out of that scary feeling. Drinking water is salient in controling your anxiety.

16. Improves sexual performance
This is a touchy subject, but if it helps why not bring it up? If you are having difficutly in staying lubricated during sexual intercourse and are not really wanting to depend on the types of lubricants that are out there, then this will def be helpful to you. Tissue dehydration can lead to vaginal dehydration and water is a natural lubricant that has come to your rescue!

17. Experience better and longer orgasms
When the body is hydrated properly, there is more blood flowing to the genital areas, which lead you to have better and longer orgasms! Bet this is one fact you didn’t know of!

18. Assists with hair growth
Drinking 2 liters of water a day supports the vitamins that are needed for hair growth and also helps with the strength of it from root to tip. It helps prevent split ends and brittle hair texture.

I hope this was as interesting for you as it was for me. Drinking water really has tons of benefits and it really does the body good, inside and out. If there are any fruits that you are crazy about remember you can throw them into your water to add that taste that you love. I know that there are recommendations on about how much water you should drink, and I also know that not every body is the same. The amount also varies on your age and weight and has factors that play into it. To further help you on how much water YOUR body requires you can visit GIGACalculator.com and fill in your weight, activity level, and age and it will enumerate the amount of water you should be drinking. Give it a try and good luck!

Categories
Family

25 for your 4th of July

Just when we thought things were improving, COVID-19 came with a vengeance. It seems like 2020 has a mission to drive our children and us crazy. The kids are getting a little restless with not much excitement going on these days, especially those toddlers. And who can blame them?!

Holidays were something we looked forward to, spent with other family members and friends while enjoying a barbecue. Now, we are left with having to come up with new ways to entertain the little ones when we ourselves are longing for (with great reason) a break. Even us adults are staring out our windows waiting for the green light back to some normalcy. I have faith that things will get better soon.

However, in the meantime, I decided to create a list with 25 outdoor activities that even COVID-19 cannot take from us. I hope your family enjoys it as much as I enjoyed creating this for you all.

25 Outdoor Activities

1. Play with the yard-hose pretending to be Firemen/women (You might want a water hose nozzle to help save water).

2. Play in the kiddie pool with all the superheros (Yes really, superhero figurines join in on the fun, too).

3. Jump on the trampoline while sprinklers are on (SOOOO fun and tiring).

4. Run around the yard pretending to be airplanes.

5. Feed the birds bread and wait with binoculars (We use them even though we are on the porch and have no need for them).

6. Play hide and seek (This is great because toddlers will tell you exactly where they will be hiding).

7. Water gun fights.

8. Water balloon fights.

9. Go for a walk with the wagon (Away from others).

10. Draw with sidewalk chalk (In our case, we draw Peppa Pig and her entire family ALL the time!).

11. Play hot potato with a water balloon (Have many on standby).

12. Play T-ball in the backyard.

13. Enjoy watermelon outside then plant the seeds.

14. Hunt for bugs (Really gross for me, but what can I expect from a boy?!).

15. Whipped cream fight (Everyone love this one. You’ll definitely need a rinse with the hose afterward. Another plus for the kids!).

16. Potato sack races.

17. Read books while dressed as superheroes (A superhero voice is mandatory!) P.S. I just had to sneak an indoor activity in 🙂

18. Slip ‘n’ Slide fun with soap.

19. Fill eggs with washable paint and throw at a target on the ground (We have ours hung on our fence).

20. Paint on driveway or even on self (Washable paint, that is).

21. Try an experiment (Slime).

22. Glue a birdhouse together and paint it.

23. Watch YouTube Fortnite dance videos and challenge each other (Can be done indoor and outdoor).

24. Go out for a drive (I do this when I am all pooped out).

25. Indoor tag (Some days I really can’t take the heat).

*Toddler Bonus* My son and I do this activity often, because it is educational for him and restful for me: I draw squares vertically up and down on our driveway exactly like hopscotch. The number of squares will depend on what word I am going to spell out.

Example RED: I draw 3 squares with a large R written in the bottom square since that’s the first square he will jump into. E in the middle square, and D in the top and last square he will land on. As he jumps into the square, he yells out the letter he lands on, eventually spelling out the word (colors, numbers, his name, or any word I am trying to get him to learn to spell). By the end of the week, he learns to spell a new word. He loves jumping and sees it as a game so its super fun for him. Before we begin the activity, I tell him what the word is and I yell out the letters as I land into that square so he can know how it is “played”.

I know some of these are pretty basic and I did this with my readers in mind. Some of you may have only toddlers and some may have a mixture of teenagers and toddlers. I tried to make it fun for all.

Leave a comment and tell me which activities were a hit for your 4th of July celebration or just your typical summer day.

Have fun and stay safe, friends 🙂

P.S.

Here’s some fun products I recommend!

•Water balloons:

•An experiment book we use:

•The birdhouse we used (and it’s under $1):

Categories
Family

A Summer Challenge

Texas is well known for its saying, “Everything is bigger in Texas”, but has it been mentioned that it is also known for its muggy weather? Today had been utterly humid, to say the least. However, the day was beautiful and I was contemplating on what to do with the kid(That’s the nickname for my son).

Well, Whats the next best thing to do on an extremely hot and sticky day, besides staying in the house where the a/c works? GET WET- and that is exactly what we did! There is nothing like connecting a wiggling water sprinkler onto your hose and soaking up all the water that’ll make contact with your skin along with the beaming sun.

It was such a blast! We ran around the sprinkler chasing each other. We aimed the wildly wiggling tubes at each other. He and I danced to Alan Jacksons “Remember When”, (Which was totally adorable even though my 3 year old had no clue what the song was about). We searched for bugs in muddy puddles that had formed in the yard, and after washing some of his monster trucks under the sprinkler, we sat down and enjoyed some popsicles – blue for him and red for me. Even though it wasn’t the freshest day of the season, today was certainly fun and most importantly, it was spent with my most favorite person.

I know that some days you just want to stay inside and watch some television just to avoid the heat (and believe me I have many of those moments). But when you shake that feeling off and take your behind outside, turn up some jams, and run around as if you yourself were only 10, then you won’t think of being outside on a sultry day so much as a bad thing.

Sometimes, it is easier to let our kids be kids in the summer heat whilst joining in on the fun and also letting ourselves be kids. Afterall, we deserve to put a pause to adulthood every now and again just to inhale the beauty of Life and exhale the bullsh*ts of Life.

Anyway, I challenge you to wake the child from within and let loose. Have some fun, run around, and show your kids that life can always be a good time no matter the age (or weather). Drop a comment below and let me know how it goes and remember…. hot and humid days can still be refreshing 🙂

P.S.

Like one of the products mentioned? Buy it here!

• Wigglin’ Water Sprinkler: https://www.amazon.com/BANZAI-12ft-Long-Wigglin-Water-Sprinkler/dp/B06XJ99W2J