Hydrate Those Kids!

Today is my nephew Max's birthday.  Happy Birthday, Max!  So, in honor of Max and all the other kids in my life, I wanted to add a p.s. to my last post about hydration.

People in general are pretty bad at correctly gauging thirst.  We often mistake a feeling of thirst for hunger.  And once we realize that we are really thirsty, we are already dehydrated.  This is especially true, and unfortunate, for kids.  Our brains are 90% water, and hydration is important for proper brain function, thinking and learning, and development.  One way to ensure that the kids in your world are hydrated is to get them in the habit of drinking water before, after, and during play/exercise, and also at regular times throughout the day.  The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that an 88-pound child should have 5 ounces of water (or sports drink, but this seems like a lot of potentially harmful artificial sweetners and colors, doesn't it?) every 20 minutes.  Maybe they'd even like to try some coconut water?

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  Hydrate Those Kids!

Agua de Pipa: Nature's Sports Drink

Back in 1996, I lived in Costa Rica for 5 months.  It was wonderful.  It was awful.  I have stories that consistently make people, including myself, cry laughing, seethe with jealousy, or gasp in horror.  Two of those stories involve the two most wonderful, natural drinks I've EVER had the pleasure of sipping: fresh jugo de sandia (watermelon juice) and agua de pipa (coconut water).  I'll save my watermelon juice story for another time, but I will tell you that it involves 5-foot long iguanas, excruciating heat, Pacific coast sunsets, and a glorious hammock.

So, what about the coconut water?  While in Costa Rica, I went to a school for Latin American students studying sustainable agriculture and natural resources.  We spent many days out in the fields cutting back weed plants with machetes (organic farming).  It was hot and so we took frequent agua de pipa breaks to refresh ourselves.  We drank a lot of coconut water!  We would grab some pipas (coconuts), cut off the end of the pipa with a machete, and drink straight from the pipa.  At the time, I thought it was fun, tasty, and a novelty....except for that day I watched as one of the Guatemalan students cut off his thumb while opening his pipa!  No, I'm not kidding.  

As is true of many traditional practices, drinking the coconut water during our breaks from working in the hot sun was very smart.  I learned 10+ years later that coconut water is truly Nature's sports drink.  Coconut water is isotonic, which means that it has the normal salt concentration that occurs in the cells of the body and blood, and so it can replace the fluid and minerals lost during physical activity.  Unlike its manufactured competitors (e.g., Gatorade, Vitamin Water, Propel, etc.), coconut water is free from refined and artificial sugars, artificial colors, and really anything other than, you guessed it....agua de pipa.  Now that's the way to hydrate and revitalize!

In Sanskrit, the coconut palm has been called kalpa vriksha, which means "tree that gives all that is necessary for living".  So, other than electrolytes, what all does it have to give?  As for food, the coconut palm provides coconut water, coconut milk, coconut meat, coconut palm sugar (one of the lowest glycemic index sugars out there), and coconut oil.  But that's way too much to cover in this post.  For now, let's keep our attention on the awesomeness of coconut water.  In addition to its isotonic hydrating properties, coconut water has been said to raise metabolism, control diabetes, cleanse and detoxify, fight viruses (because of its high lauric acid content), ease digestive problems and heartburn during pregnancy, help fight fatigue, serve as a substitute for IV hydration fluids, and improve HDL cholesterol levels.  Not too shabby.

Though sipping some coconut water may not evoke your own memories of good times, machetes, and lost thumbs in Costa Rica, it certainly won't disappoint.  Next time you're looking for a refreshing and healthy drink, a high dose of electrolytes, or a hangover cure, try some coconut water.

What's your favorite food/drink from the coconut palm plant?  Are you willing to try some nice healthy coconut water in place of your (current) favorite energy or sports drink?  (I'm drinking some right now!)

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  Hydrate Well.

A Sense of Place and a Scarlet Tanager: Two Reasons I Got Up at the Crack of Dawn!

Yes, it's true...today I woke up at 4:45am.  Early for me.  Early for anyone!  Why, you ask?  This morning I headed down to Plum Island, Massachussetts, for a half day of birdwatching and picnicking on the beach with some colleagues from the University of New Hampshire. 

It was wonderful to smell the salt in the air as we approached the ocean.  We quietly piled out of our cars and began to test our memories -- which olivey-yellow warbler has the white eye ring? (yep, the Nashville Warbler)  We walked down the road and through the woods for hours, looking for new birds to identify and admire, and enjoying the beautiful, warm and breezy morning outside.  Lately I have been making a renewed effort to practice mindfulness meditation throughout my days, and I thoroughly enjoyed being present and mindful of every aspect of our walk: all of the gorgeous birds (including one of my favorites seen here, the Scarlet Tanager), the way the sun warmed my hair, the way the trail felt under my feet, and walking barefoot on the beach during lunch.

I personally love the ocean, especially up North.  I have always felt soothed and grounded when I smell the salty air, watch the constant flow of waves hitting the shore, or feel the ocean breeze.  Northern coastal areas are where I truly feel a sense of place.  I was purely happy being there today, and that feeling stayed with me all day, even once I found myself back in my office at the university.  And I never got that tired feeling in the afternoon!

So why am I sharing all of this with you?  To illustrate the point that good health depends not only on the food that we put into our bodies, but also on the other things in our lives that nourish us -- our environment, hobbies, relationships, physical activity, career/education, and spirituality.  In fact, my teachers at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition have asserted that these other lifestyle factors ('Primary Foods') can be even more important to our overall health than the foods we eat ('Secondary Foods').  I will return to the topic of Primary Foods in many future blog posts.  For now, I urge you to take a moment and reflect on the ways, other than eating your veggies, that you nourish yourself.

• Where do you find a sense of place?
• How do you practice self care?
• Are your relationships serving you well?  If so, give gratitude.  If not, how can you change this?
• What is the role of physical activity in your life?
• Do you love the work that you do?  If so, give gratitude.  If not, can you find new work that you love or can you find a way to love the work that you currently do?
• What is the role of spirituality (meditation, nature, religion) in your life?

 Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.

Happy Earth Day!

Today is the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. What a great day to set some new intentions about food and exercise. Maybe you can make personal committments to get outside to exercise and enjoy the warmer weather and to purchase local, sustainable, and seasonal foods as much as possible. Or maybe you'd like to take actions towards creating that backyard garden you've been thinking about? However you choose to honor yourself and the environment today, have a Happy Earth Day!

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.

The Science of Living a Healthy Life

Sunday’s New York Times Magazine (4/18/10) featured a collection of articles under the heading The Science of Living a Healthy Life. You can access these articles online and read about: (1) the importance of exercise for weight loss; (2) how the quality of your relationships can affect your physical health; (3) the effects of estrogen replacement therapy; and much more.

These are interesting articles, but as is always the case, it is important to read what these authors have to say and consider the information in the context of your own experiences. For instance, when reading “Weighing the Evidence on Exercise”, you may get the sense that there is a great range of responses to exercise in terms of its effects on weight loss, appetite, energy levels, and mood. This can be confusing, but it is not surprising because our responses to just about everything we experience in life can depend on our own unique collection of characteristics, including our gender, age, overall health history, diseases and medications, sleep patterns, and so much more. (By the way, read all the way through the “Weighing the Evidence on Exercise” article – I found the second half especially interesting.)

So then, what do we do when the information out there seems ambiguous? That’s when we need to read (or listen) mindfully, and to purposely not hold on to anything as “The Truth”. Take in what you read, consider how it relates to what you already know, and then listen to what your body and mind say is right for you.

What is true for you? ... What role does exercise play in your life?  Do you find that your relationships can affect your physical health?

Enjoy the day.  Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.