June 2023

 

YOUR HEALTH

 

          Summer is officially here, and as the temperatures rise, staying hydrated is even more important. Did you know most hunger pains are your body telling you it is thirsty? When you actually feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated.  Everyone requires different amounts of water daily depending upon their level of activity. A 98-year-old sedentary person doesn’t need as much water as a 30-year-old athlete.

        The best way to monitor your water intake is to peek at your pee. If your urine is dark, you are dehydrated and need to drink water stat! If your urine is clear, you are over-hydrated and are losing nutrients. Shoot for a light-yellow color every day and know what you eat and do will affect your hydration levels, aka high-sodium food.

        When we get hot, we sweat. This is our body’s way of cooling off. When we sweat, we lose electrolytes (essential minerals) like sodium, calcium, and potassium. If you are exerting yourself, plain water isn’t sufficient. You will need to replace those electrolytes. I put a package of orange-flavored Emergen C in my bottle of water. It offers tons of vitamin C, electrolytes, and is very low is sugar. Don’t buy Gatorade or Vitamin Water as they are packed full of chemicals and sugar, and they often have caffeine. If you don’t need flavor, simply purchase the Sam’s Club brand bottled water. They insert electrolytes into the water, and it is cheap.

       The key is to hydrate throughout the day. If you exercise, drink water before, during, and after. If you will be spending time outdoors, keep hydrating. If you aren’t a fan of water, try the flavored seltzer waters without sugar. Remember to drink water slowly to give your body time to absorb and use it. If you slam an entire bottle of water down, you will sweat it out immediately, and you will still be dehydrated!

      Still not convinced you need to drink water? Our brains and muscles are 75 percent water. Both need water to function properly. Short-term memory loss can often be attributed to dehydration, and you will have less muscle cramps when you have plenty of water in your system. Our skin and all other organs need water, too. Wrinkles appear worse when we don’t drink enough water, and constipation is often a result of dehydration.

     Drink it up and have a safe and fun summer!

 

YOUR LIFE

 

I worked hard to train my dog, Kuma so he would be well-behaved. I consider him a dog ambassador, and I know he’s turned some dog-fearing people around because he is polite and obedient. As we all enter the world around us, we must remember we are a reflection of our Creator.

I am forever grateful for the gift of God’s love, but it must not stop there. Each of us is called to be Christ representatives in the marketplace: our jobs, our neighborhood, our health clubs, and our community.

What example are you giving to the world? When people see you, do they wonder what burr is up your butt or do they wish they had your joyful spirit? We all had bad days, but we should be mindful of our behavior and interactions with others. We may be the only piece of Jesus they know, and how our time with them goes may draw them closer or push them away.

I’m not suggesting you stand on a street corner and preach the Good News, but I am reminding you (and me) how God is in the little things of life.  Smiling to strangers; saying please and thank you to cashiers; opening doors for others; and extending some grace on the freeways are a few small ways we can be a light in a dark world. Oooh, that last one is tough! I swear some people are out to kill me on the roads!

Our small acts of kindness are either planting seeds within others or watering seeds someone else planted. In both cases, no growth occurs without them! Helping people discover God’s gift takes all of us doing our part. Don’t’ be in such a rush that you miss the opportunities God places in front of you. Let us all be an example He will be proud of.

 

YOUR CAREER

 

How did you end up in your career? Did you want to be (fill in the blank) since you were a young child or did you stumble upon it? Perhaps a passion morphed into a business. God introduced me to the world of Christian publishing right out of high school, and early on I developed a love of marketing and communications…so much that I got my degree in business administration with double minors in marketing and communications. I wouldn’t have thought about choosing it, but stumbled into it and found a fit.

Most people fall into one of two camps: 1) They chose their career or 2) Their career chose them. Neither is better than the other; they are just different paths. However, I believe we need to be aware of these dynamics or we may lose out.

Those who chose their career were deliberate and intentional. They crafted a plan and worked the plan. They arrived at their desired destination, albeit with some detours along the way because life always has a way of being messy! Those whose career chose them didn’t necessarily have a plan, but they had a passion and desire they pursued. The road took many twists and turns, and their destination may not necessarily be where they originally thought.

Regardless of which route you took, you need to be mindful of the choices you are making today. Are they supporting your career goal or diluting your focus? When we don’t have a master plan to follow, we can make bad choices.

As a coach, I love helping people clarify their purpose and passion and create meaningful career plans leading to success. If you are feeling lost or stuck, give me a call!

MONTHLY FEATURE

No marriage is perfect, but you can continually improve and create a more loving relationship by speaking your spouse’s language. You discover the best way to communicate and show appreciation to your mate in my booklet, Staying Married with Style! Order your PDF today.