Why You Need Sleep, Mobility, and Hydration
More sleep, mobility, and hydration. Life expectancy increases as these increase; it decreases as these decrease. Think of Sleeping Beauty. Not for nothing was she a beauty. She had a nice long sleep, and woke up gorgeous, according to Prince Charming. Who are we to argue?
We already know that a significant number of us do not get the required amount of sleep: at least 6 1/2 to 8 hours per night. It takes it’s toll in productivity, food intake, and rational thinking. We know that if we don’t move all of our joints every day, soon it’s too much effort and discomfort to move. Everything hurts. We ache in the morning, our lower back hurts, our shoulders stay tense. An object at rest stays at rest. It takes inertia to get going, unless it’s a habit already established.
Finally, there is hydration. If we don’t drink enough water, it’s fatiguing to the brain, which then doesn’t function as well as it might. Lack of fluid causes the brain to slow down and lose synaptic connection between neurons, making thinking clearly an effort. It’s brain fog, and sometimes, all that is needed is some water. When you feel like you need a nap, try drinking water instead, to wake up the brain. Oftentimes, we eat because we think that we are hungry when what we need is fluid. Try a glass of water before eating more food. Lack of fluid is both physical and psychological. It can make you cranky, irritable, dizzy, have dry skin, and hurt all over.
We lose body fluid through skin evaporation, breathing, and waste elimination. Our body is composed of about 60% water, which needs to be replaced daily. Water flushes out all the systems, getting rid of bacteria, dead cells, and toxic build up. It helps with digestion, maintaining body temperature, absorption, circulation, delivery of nutrients to cellular structures, and producing saliva. Wonder why your mouth is dry? It can reduce joint pain, keeping the cartilage soft and hydrated. Water can sometimes alleviate headaches when the blood vessels constrict. Amazing, yes? And perhaps a quick and cheap fix. Drinking some water is worth trying first before heading off to see the doctor.
The pituitary gland in our brain talks to the kidneys, relaying how much fluid needs to be excreted, and how much to save for future use. Thirst happens when the brain realizes that we need more fluid, and triggers a thirst response. Pay attention to it, unless you like to feel like crap. Typically, we can go without food for weeks. Not so with water. Within days, without water, we die.
The best part is that water hydrates skin cells, giving you radiant skin and delaying wrinkles. It can improve the health of the skin by building new cells, and sloughing off and removing the old. For some of us who aren’t 17 anymore, that’s reason enough to drink more fluid. Oh yeah, that and the death issue.
That’s Aging Intelligently