Could It Be Water and Vitamin D?
December rolls around and as a Health Coach I think of 2 things, besides gearing up for all the family fun and craziness that happens during the holidays!
Water and Vitamin D.
This is a wonderful time of families coming together and celebrations. With that comes a few more cocktails and not to mention the weather turning a little chilly outside and unfortunately less sunny days.
Water is our friend and it is something we forget about as the weather gets little colder. But, this is the time we probably need it the most. The heat goes on in our house, meaning dryer air and just because we aren’t sweating everyday like in the summer doesn’t mean our body doesn’t need the extra water. I would say the dry air and adding a few extra cocktails during the month of December means we need more water. :)
The human body is made up of 60% water. The brain and heart alone are made of 73% water.
Just think of what kind of changes take place when we don’t drink enough water every day?
A few examples of what you may feel if dehydrated - our brain will become foggy, not thinking very clearly or our heart might skip a few beats and muscles can feel week or tired. Our body will try very hard to compensate, so it will take from other areas of our body, such as our skin to keep the main organs working efficiently as they can, which means our skin can become dry and itchy. When water is pulled from our intestines/colon, then it becomes harder to go to the bathroom. We all know that’s not very comforting. So what do we do to plan for the amount of water our body needs? We drink 6-8 glasses of water a day and maybe more if we are working out, running the heat in our home or taking any medications that are dehydrating us.
1 simple plan to get more water in: Keep a full glass of water, 8-16 ounces, near your bed. In the morning, don’t allow yourself to come out of your bedroom until you have drank that glass of water. A glass of water first thing in the morning fires up your metabolism and rehydrates your body and brain after a long sleep. Check out this Water in the Morning article to see all the benefits. You may not be able to drink all of this water at first, so start slow and drink what you can when you first wake in the morning. Then build up to 16 ounces every morning. Next find that fun stainless steel water bottle with or without a straw and keep it with you all day, drinking a few sips every hour and a full glass before every meal. You will see your energy soar when you keep up this simple habit.
Have you ever had your vitamin D checked?
Well if you haven’t, now is a good time to check it out. Levels can range between 30 and 90. Living in the northern hemisphere we are all lacking in vitamin D in the winter. That doesn’t mean we have to be lacking, but yet we need to know so we can better supplement ourselves during these cold and less sunny days.
Talk with your doctor about your blood levels and if adding a good quality and daily vitamin D supplement is right for you. Vitamin D is one the best supplements to improve your immunity in the winter and support thyroid and hormone levels. Be sure to follow up with your doctor if you start a supplement and have your blood levels checked again in 6 months.
My high school daughter had a blood level of 30 of Vitamin D a few years ago. With all of my research and asking questions with western medicine doctors and holistic doctors, our vitamin D levels should be around 55/60 to be at a supportive level. Our pediatrician said the numbers were fine at 30. In my gut I knew that 30 was not acceptable for my daughter. She has fair skin, acne issues, increased allergy symptoms and increased anxiety. Once we got her on a good quality supplement through the winter, her number increased to the acceptable level of 55 and her allergy symptoms lessened, her anxiety was better and she wasn’t sick the during winter. FYI, we have never gotten the flu vaccines in our house either. I feel better and she feels better knowing that her body is bettered supported with a Vitamin D supplement.
Check out this article with 3 surprising benefits of Vitamin D.
What are you going to this winter to help build your immunity?
Water and Vitamin D - 2 simple tools to keep you feeling your best!
