Blog | Live Young - Lou Ann Donovan

Healthy Habits: Hydrate with Drinking Water

November 7, 2011 by Lou Ann Donovan

Top 5 Healthy Habits to Living Young series kick-off article – Hydrate with Drinking Water. Check back for future posts to read more about my top healthy habits.

Why Hydration is so Important

The body is comprised mostly of water so keeping hydrated is essential to staying alive! Water is the best choice because it is cheap and has no calories or added ingredients. In addition around twenty percent of your water will come from the foods you eat.

Water hydrates your skin to look younger, keeps the body nourished, flushes out the toxins, controls body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure.

Tip: Before strenuous activity, drink at least 12 to 20 ounces of cold fluids two to three hours before starting your activity.

Avoiding Dehydration

Only 34 percent of Americans drink the 64 ounces of water per day recommended by the USDA. As a general rule drink enough water so you go to the bathroom every two to three hours.

The body hides mild dehydration very well, and it can take hours before you recognize that you are dehydrated. A new twist on dehydration is fatigue! If you are tired all the time there is a good chance one of the reasons is you are just not getting enough water into your body.

Tip: To stay hydrated, drink before you get thirsty — if you are thirsty, then you are starting to get dehydrated.

My Dehydration Story

Just a few months ago I headed to the ER with some unusual symptoms. We ate dinner out that evening; me eating my usual fish meal. A few hours later I spent half the night in the bathroom. Finally woke my husband when I started feeling dizzy, blurred vision and racing heartbeat. I had no idea I could dehydrate that fast! They gave me two bags of fluid to rehydrate me!

10 Tips for Drinking More Water

Begin your day with two 8-ounce glasses of water to rehydrate your body after sleeping all night.
Each day fill a 64-ounce or larger container with water. When the container is empty you have met your daily water intake of 8 to 12 cups depending on your weight.
Before meals drink a glass of water to help fill you up.
Want a hint of flavor to your water – add a slice of lemon, lime or orange.
Always on the run; reach for bottled water instead of soda in the convenience store or vending machine.
Drink water before, every 15 minutes during, and after your physical activity.
Start your meal with soup occasionally.
Social gatherings have a glass of water instead of alcoholic drinks, or alternate them to stay hydrated.
Traveling by plane; drink 1 cup of water for every hour of your flight.
Continue drinking water throughout the day until you have consumed half your body weight in ounces.

So what do you think – do you drink enough water every day?

Back to School: Staying Healthy Tips for Your Children

October 30, 2011 by Lou Ann Donovan

We all know that healthy kids are happier and more productive at school. So now that school is in full swing all parents know that the germ exposure increases around large group of children. Let us take a look at the some of the key health tips to keeping our children well this school year and for years beyond.

Healthy balanced diet will keep your children’s mental alertness in balance. When getting nutrients from each of the food groups daily your children will have longer attention spans and retain more information. Be sure to check out the resources below for the top 10 brain foods which can help with their memory and concentration.

Nutritional supplements are more important than ever before to protect your child’s immune system for prevention and boost their overall health. Current research is finding that our modern day diet and lifestyle is not meeting the dietary needs of our children. Experts now agree that everyone should be supplementing for optimal health and longevity. As our children excel through their school years these are also the critical growing years for keeping their body and mind healthy.

Plenty of sleep is an important piece for your child’s overall health. For peak performance both physically and mentally make sure your child is getting plenty of sleep each night. Ask your physician how many hours a night your child should be getting based on their age.

Routines also play an important role in staying healthy. Teach your children at an early age to be consistent with their bedtime, washing their hands, brushing their teeth and eating healthy meals. Forming these habits early teaches them a lifetime of healthy habits.

So help shape the future of our next generation by developing healthier habits for your children today. Follow the above health tips to super-charge their immune protection and provide nutritional support for their brain development and growing bodies.

Here’s a list of resources, all worth checking out.

HealthyChildren.org – Healthy Living for our children. Powered by pediatricians. Trusted by parents.

Top 10 Brain Foods from WebMD – Give your child’s brain a nutritional boost.

Ready, Set, Breakfast from KidsHealth.org – Jump start your day with a healthy breakfast.

Best Food Choices for Anti-Aging

October 19, 2011 by Lou Ann Donovan

Did you know that wrinkles and fine lines can be reduced by what you decide to put in your refrigerator? So let’s turn back the clock and reduce the signs of aging both on the inside and outside of your body. Consume plenty of these low in calories, high in nutrients and tummy filling anti-aging foods.

Best Food Choices

A few of my favorite anti-aging choices and their benefits are; spinach for sharper vision, avocados for potassium and healthy fats, blueberries for memory boost, vitamin C and antioxidants, omega-3 salmon anti-inflammatory effects, yogurt for healthy gut and gums, almonds, green tea and turmeric for cancer prevention.

Choose some of these best foods for anti-aging to help you live young:

Best carbohydrate choices include artichokes, avocados, dark-green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, romaine lettuce, cherries, berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.), apples, pears, barley, bean spouts, endive, eggplant, kale, red and green peppers, bok choy, celery, cucumbers, kidney beans, pinto beans, chick peas, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, honeydew melons, lentils, mushrooms, tomatoes, turnips, snow peas and slow cooking oatmeal.

Best protein sources include wild Alaskan salmon, halibut, trout, poultry, yogurt, high EFA (essential fatty acid) eggs, kefir, cottage cheese and tofu.

Best fats include extra virgin olive oil, flax oil, flax seed, nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts and macadamia), pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds.

Best beverages are spring water, green tea and white tea.

Best grains include buckwheat, whole oats and barley.

Best spices are turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, oregano, basil, thyme and cayenne.

Where is your favorite place to buy whole foods?

What are a couple of your favorite anti-aging foods?

Welcome to Living Your Life To The Youngest!

October 17, 2011 by Lou Ann Donovan

Hi I’m Lou Ann Donovan. Welcome to my blog about Living Your Life To The Youngest! Let me ask – do you want to add years to your life and life to your years? Then follow along as I share my personal research on how to reach optimal health, longevity and Live Young every day!

Let’s get You started on the road to living young. Here is a brief summary of my top 5 healthy habits. Check back for future posts to read more about each healthy habit in detail.

Top 5 healthy habits to living young:

Hydrate – begin your day with two 8-ounce glasses of water. Continue drinking water before meals and throughout the day until you have consumed half your body weight in ounces.
Whole Foods – choose live foods; antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables such as berries especially blueberries, apples, carrots, tomatoes plus pecans and beans.
Supplement – fill in your diet’s nutritional gaps with an antioxidant supplement to maintain healthy organs, immune system protection and cancer prevention.
Activity/Exercise – use your body or you will lose it! Pick an activity or exercise that you like and will stick with such as; walking, bowling, biking, yoga, golf…
Mind – challenge your mind and keep learning something new every day! Read, learn a new language, play card games with others, start a blog…

So don’t fall into the trap of only taking action when you are sick – be proactive, develop healthy habits and you will be delighted with the results!