YOUR 2024 BRAIN BRAWN MINI RESOLUTION: DRINK UP! WEEK 1

​Introducing Your NEW Mini Resolution: Drink Up!
 
We hope you had a nice weekend! What will we resolve to do this month? This month, we have hydration on tap—no pun intended!

The specifics of our resolution can be found below (scroll down past the blue box!). But first, let's discuss hydration and brain health.

You may be asking yourself, what does being well-hydrated have to do with cognitive decline? The answer is: quite a bit!
 
The brain is made up of 80% water. An episodic reduction in total body water hydration by just 1-2% results in impaired cognitive performance. This impairment to cognition is even more pronounced in older adults, so much so-that ruling out dehydration-related delirium is part of the differential diagnosis when a patient presents with neurobehavioral symptoms similar to Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia. This is especially meaningful when you consider dehydration is one of the top ten diagnoses responsible for hospital admissions in the elderly. (Next week we will dive into the reasons the elderly as so prone to dehydration)
 
What about folks who are chronically dehydrated? Maybe they are physically active, spend time outside, live in a warm climate or don’t like to drink water. Whatever the reason, these folks are at increased risk for developing cognitive impairments-the kind which cannot be reversed by restoring hydration status.  There is evidence that dehydration leads to the build-up of misfolded proteins in the brain (amyloid) which impairs communication between brain cells. Dehydration has also been observed to accelerate Alzheimer’s disease.
 
The National Association for Medicine’s general recommendation for adults is 13 cups a day from both fluids AND food. However, individual needs vary significantly. Variables impacting how much water an individual needs (more or less) to consume each day vary according to:
​

• Age
• Gender
• Weight
• Activity level
• Medical conditions
• Medications
• Altitude
• Climate

June's Mini Resolution Specifics

For our purposes this month we will be looking to consume and log 8 cups of water a day, and we also want you to become familiar with the color and odor of your urine, because it is a good indicator of hydration status.
 
A well-hydrated individual’s urine is ideally the color of lemonade or light beer with a slight odor. If it is darker than suggested or if it has an overly strong odor or one isn’t urinating with some degree of frequency, dehydration may have set in. (Alternatively, if you want to be more scientific, you can purchase urine sticks and review color changes in specific gravity section on the chart provided—this is NOT for everyone!)
 
Here is a link to understanding the color of your urine.

If your urine is consistently darker than you think it should be, here are a few reasons that may explain why.
 
Keep in mind, urine can also be red, brown, purple or green for reasons NOT related to hydration (foods, supplements, medications, infections, etc.). If in doubt, try contacting your concierge physician for guidance.
 
By the way, you CAN over-hydrate! This is why becoming familiar with your urine is so important!
 
Below is your logging calendar. Notice we continue to log sleep, exercise and meals with added sugar! Remember, these resolutions build habits that, if maintained throughout the year, contribute to optimized lifestyle actions that are beneficial for building brawny brains.

Feel free to email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele at [email protected] with your individual questions.

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS

YOUR MINI RESOLUTION: DRINK UP!
DRINK 8 CUPS OF WATER PER DAY*

*Log your water intake AND make note of your urine color
(ideal color = light, like lemonade; darker color may indicate dehydration)

Click to view and download the log.