As a mom, sometimes it’s hard to focus on your own health and taking care of your kids’ needs at the same time — but you’d assume that you’ve got the basics down by now. Don’t eat too much fat, exercise, get enough sleep, yada yada yada. Even so, you might still be committing little health “mistakes” in your busy daily lives. You may think that you’ve mastered these simple tasks back before, well, kindergarten. But keep in mind that you may be stuck in bad habits that could be detrimental to your overall health.
Fueling Your Body
Drink enough water. Well that’s simple enough. But most people don’t realize how much water they really need to drink on a daily basis. The average person loses 10 to 12 cups of water a day through various processes, and need 8 to 10 cups to replace this fluid. Don’t wait until your thirsty, because then you’re body is telling you that it’s been really dehydrated for a while. Try and drink water all day long to feel your best!
Slow down at mealtimes. Really. This isn’t an eating competition and swallowing your lunch whole because you don’t have time will only come back to bite you later on. Heartburn, gas, and indigestion may plague you after a few hours, or you may just have that uncomfortable too-full feeling because it takes your brain a little longer to communicate when you’re full. Enjoy your food, and know how much you’re actually putting in your stomach by taking the time to eat.
Go When You Gotta Go
We know you have those days where you can’t even seem to find time to go to the bathroom. But constantly holding it when you don’t need to can cause your bladder to stretch and lead to infection and other potential problems. Any woman who has had a urinary tract infection knows how painful they can be, so try and prevent them by emptying your bladder frequently – as in more than six times a day. Another hint: the darker your urine, the more dehydrated you are. You’ll know if you’re doing a good job drinking your fluids if your pee is nice and clear.
Take Time to Breathe and Mentally Relax
Experts believe that day-dreaming is actually good for your well-being. You might be perfectly focused on your to-do list for the day, but it’s equally important to take some time to zone out and just let your mind wander. Scientists call this the “alpha state” and believe that this mental frame of mind leads to more creativity and quality relaxation to help you reboot and function more efficiently throughout your day.
Along the same lines, you might need to work on your breathing. Chasing after kids all day may leave you breathless, but you might just have a problem with shallow breathing. Make sure to have good posture and, when you can, consciously focus on taking deep, full breaths. Throw some cardio into your daily routine and you’ll have deeper breaths without even thinking about it!
By monitoring what you put into your body (and the manner in which you do it), you’ll be able to better control how you feel day to day. Just as important, make sure that you empty your body of toxins frequently to maintain good internal health. Finally, never take for granted your mental health and make sure you give yourself some time each day to catch your breath and take your mind off work.
