5 Healthy Summer Habits to Maintain this Fall
Don’t let healthy summer habits fade away as you move into the fall. Fall often means shifting gears from summer activities into a more structured fall routine. How can you maintain healthy summer behaviors while stepping into fall?
#1 Complete Your Workout First
Summer is hot. You don’t want to be outside working out in hot mid-day temperatures, so you complete that workout early in the day to avoid the heat. Maintain this habit in the fall. By completing your workout first thing every day you are more likely to complete it versus waiting and having other priorities bump it off the to do list.
#2 Eat Breakfast Daily
More relaxed summer routines allow more time for a leisurely morning breakfast. Don’t push breakfast aside in the fall time crunch of getting kids out the door for school and yourself off to work. Breakfast “breaks the fast”, meaning it is the jump start your metabolism needs daily.
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Water is the most essential nutrient. How much water do you drink?
When it comes to heart health, what you drink is just as important as what you eat.
Many adults struggle to consume enough fluids daily. A study using NHANES data found adults on average consume about four, 8-ounce glasses (32 fluid ounces) of water daily. The Institute of Medicine recommends approximately 91 ounces daily for women and 125 ounces daily for men. Exact fluid intake needs vary between individuals. Keep in mind these values, 91 and 125 ounces, account for ALL fluid intake throughout the day, not water alone. Fluid needs increase with exercise and hot climates.
Water is the most essential nutrient.
Water is needed for every cell in the human body to function properly. The body is comprised of 50 to 75% water. Water regulates body temperature, cushions and protects our joints and organs, aids in digestion, forms the basis of blood, and is contained in lean muscle, fat, and bone.
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Tips to Recover from Holiday Overeating
Why does holiday overeating make it hard to return to normal eating habits?
1 – Stomach is physically larger – Overeating causes the stomach to become enlarged and it can take more food to provide the same feeling of satisfaction.
2 – Lack of sleep – This is probably the biggest culprit for me. I do not usually get good nights sleep during the holidays as we travel between families. A lack of sleep leads to elevated levels of the hormone ghrelin which causes you to feel hungry.
So, what can you do to recover from holiday overeating?
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High Blood Pressure and Dehydration
When you think about water and blood pressure the link between dehydration and low blood pressure probably comes to mind. Dehydration is a potential cause of low blood pressure due to resulting decreased blood volume leading to reduced pressure against artery walls.
However, did you know not drinking enough water can lead to high blood pressure?
When you do not drink adequate water the body will compensate by retaining sodium. That should be a red flag. Sodium is directly related to high blood pressure.
While this sodium retention takes place, the persistent dehydration will lead the body to gradually ‘close’ some of the capillary beds. This leads to increased pressure places on arteries and a rise in blood pressure.
Here are three steps you can take to prevent high blood pressure that is caused by dehydration.
2010 Dietary Guidelines to Implement
On January 31, 2011 the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans was released. This is the 7th edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are the federal governments evidence-based nutritional guidelines to promote health, reduced chronic disease risk, and decreased prevalence of overweight and obesity through improved nutrition and physical activity.
Here are three clear steps you can implement now to promote heart health today.
1. Calories in equal calories out.
