Hello
Readers!
I can’t believe it’s
already been eight weeks since I embarked on this journey to seeking out the
best ways to eat healthy as a post-secondary student! It’s been an enlightening
and challenging experience, but I have learned a lot about a topic I am truly
passionate about! I couldn’t have thought of a better way to learn about a
Genius Hour than participating in one myself. For my last reflection, I just
wanted to share a few thoughts that I am having about my experience as a whole
and in specific regard to my Genius Hour question.
One really great tidbit to
remember when you are working towards any goal like this is not to be too hard
yourself. No one is perfect! You are learning new skills, and navigating
through new terrain. You are going to make mistakes, you are going to slip up
and that’s okay. What really matters at the end of the day is that you are
being conscience of your goals and you don’t give up! Having the awareness that
you need to make a change and why you need to make it is a huge step in the
right direction. As long as you are at that point, experience the journey as it
comes. It’s a lifelong battle to stay healthy, and it’s no easy feat while
facing all the pressures on a post-secondary student. Be flexible, and keep
trying to succeed as often as you can!
As I’ve worked my way
through this lifestyle change, it was difficult for me to separate my physical
appearance from just eating healthy. Looking at yourself this way is not
positive, and it isn’t going to do anything other than make you feel down and
negative about yourself. Trying to eat healthy is an act of self-love and
self-care, so don’t damper it by being too judgemental on yourself. Instead of
focusing on how you look, focus on how you feel! Eating healthy should be
making you feel better physically and mentally, use these indicators to monitor
your health and progress, not what you see in the mirror!
On a final note, despite
the challenges you might face with trying to eat healthy make sure that you
enjoy eating! Don’t make it a chore and don’t force yourself to eat things you don’t
like for the sake of being healthy. Take the time to explore the world of food
and cooking and make quality food that you love to eat! This will make you
enjoy healthy eating and increase your success. Food is a huge part of life,
make it a great part of life in a productive way! There are so many resources
out there to help you do this, don’t ignore them. I hope that the information
and resources that I have shared along the way can prove as helpful to anyone
trying to be healthy in this crazy life as much as it has helped me.
Thank you for joining me in this adventure!
Monday, 6 March 2017
Genius Hour Post #7
Hello
Readers!
If you can even believe it, this will be the final posting for my Genius Hour project! For this final week, I have decided to take a step back to the basics. I want to take you back into the grocery store and talk about what kinds of foods to look for when you are shopping on a budget and trying to avoid processed foods as much as you can. When doing my research on this, I found that many of the sites I visited listed the same things. Two lists of tips that I am drawing a lot of my knowledge from can be found on The Kitchn and Authority Nutrition.
When you are trying to determine what kinds of foods to buy on a budget with a goal of eating healthy, there are a number of things you should consider. Of course the main concern is that you are able to buy healthy foods that are relatively cheap! One way of doing this is by buying foods that are in season. Authority Nutrition explains that produce that is in season is both cheaper and typically at its peak of nutritional value! The Kitchn recommends this and also suggests that when you find a good deal you stock up and preserve it to use in the future. Another great money-saving tip is buy in bulk when you can (who doesn’t love a trip to the Bulk Barn?). It may be a good idea to buy grains such a brown rice, oats, beans, and nuts in bulk and store them in airtight containers to keep them fresh for a long time. Both of these sites also talk about looking at sales and planning your meals accordingly! When I was young my mother did this every week and it used to drive me nuts that she would only buy the sales because sometimes that meant I didn’t get what I wanted that week. Now being older (and more broke!) I understand that she was utilizing an amazing money-saving technique. Thanks mom!
Another really helpful
thing to consider when grocery shopping is trying to buy produces and foods
that are really versatile. There are many different food items that are most
commonly found in healthy meal recipes. By stocking up on these items
regularly, you will find yourself prepared to cook a variety a healthy meals at
home at any point in the week. This leaves you more room to experiment with new
meals and find some new dishes to cycle into the rotation! Teacher candidate
Julie Brum actually investigated this particular topic for her own Genius Hour
project and shared her findings with us on her blog Learning with Miss Julie
. In her final Genius Post she provides a list of ingredients that she found to
be the most used in the healthy recipes she studied. The list includes the
following items:
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Cumin, Paprika, Cayenne Pepper, Chili Powder, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley, Sage, Cilantro
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar
- Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli, Spinach, Carrots, Tomatoes, Avocado, Bell Peppers
- Bananas, Blueberries, Apples
- Chicken Stock, Soy Sauce, Tomato Paste
- Chickpeas, Black Beans
- Brown Rice, Quinoa, Whole Wheat Pasta, Tortillas, Rolled Oats, Bread Crumbs
- Chicken Breasts, Ground Turkey
- Natural Peanut Butter, Pure Maple Syrup, Pure Vanilla Extract, Honey
Consider stocking up on some of these items over time and you will find that you are fully equip to prepare a wide variety of healthy recipes at home! If you are interested in looking at all of the great recipes that Julie tested out during her Genius Hour, check out her Pinterest page here.
Pro-Tip!
At Brock University they now offer a weekly shuttle to and from Sobeys from the campus for students who don’t have access to a car to go grocery shopping!
If you can even believe it, this will be the final posting for my Genius Hour project! For this final week, I have decided to take a step back to the basics. I want to take you back into the grocery store and talk about what kinds of foods to look for when you are shopping on a budget and trying to avoid processed foods as much as you can. When doing my research on this, I found that many of the sites I visited listed the same things. Two lists of tips that I am drawing a lot of my knowledge from can be found on The Kitchn and Authority Nutrition.
When you are trying to determine what kinds of foods to buy on a budget with a goal of eating healthy, there are a number of things you should consider. Of course the main concern is that you are able to buy healthy foods that are relatively cheap! One way of doing this is by buying foods that are in season. Authority Nutrition explains that produce that is in season is both cheaper and typically at its peak of nutritional value! The Kitchn recommends this and also suggests that when you find a good deal you stock up and preserve it to use in the future. Another great money-saving tip is buy in bulk when you can (who doesn’t love a trip to the Bulk Barn?). It may be a good idea to buy grains such a brown rice, oats, beans, and nuts in bulk and store them in airtight containers to keep them fresh for a long time. Both of these sites also talk about looking at sales and planning your meals accordingly! When I was young my mother did this every week and it used to drive me nuts that she would only buy the sales because sometimes that meant I didn’t get what I wanted that week. Now being older (and more broke!) I understand that she was utilizing an amazing money-saving technique. Thanks mom!
 |
| Soler, Yvette. (2011, November 21). Bulk Food Goodness(Online Image). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/jesseyvette/6394920667 |
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Cumin, Paprika, Cayenne Pepper, Chili Powder, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley, Sage, Cilantro
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar
- Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli, Spinach, Carrots, Tomatoes, Avocado, Bell Peppers
- Bananas, Blueberries, Apples
- Chicken Stock, Soy Sauce, Tomato Paste
- Chickpeas, Black Beans
- Brown Rice, Quinoa, Whole Wheat Pasta, Tortillas, Rolled Oats, Bread Crumbs
- Chicken Breasts, Ground Turkey
- Natural Peanut Butter, Pure Maple Syrup, Pure Vanilla Extract, Honey
Consider stocking up on some of these items over time and you will find that you are fully equip to prepare a wide variety of healthy recipes at home! If you are interested in looking at all of the great recipes that Julie tested out during her Genius Hour, check out her Pinterest page here.
Pro-Tip!
At Brock University they now offer a weekly shuttle to and from Sobeys from the campus for students who don’t have access to a car to go grocery shopping!
Reflection Post #6
Hello
Readers!
Just checking in to reflect on my progress and experiences with my Genius Hour over the last week. With all the positivity surrounding the idea of the buddy system, I have been exploring doing this with my boyfriend because we live together. He has known that this has been the overarching topic of my Genius Hour and I explicitly asked him if he would get in on it with me even though he’s not a student so he could help me stay on track and motivated! He has always been healthier than I have, and I have found that just by spending time with him I have cut down on my unhealthy snacking and picked up healthier habits. So now that we are explicitly using the buddy system I believe that I will see some really positive effects on my day-to-day eating habits. Even if it’s just asking me if I packed a lunch or eaten today!
Just checking in to reflect on my progress and experiences with my Genius Hour over the last week. With all the positivity surrounding the idea of the buddy system, I have been exploring doing this with my boyfriend because we live together. He has known that this has been the overarching topic of my Genius Hour and I explicitly asked him if he would get in on it with me even though he’s not a student so he could help me stay on track and motivated! He has always been healthier than I have, and I have found that just by spending time with him I have cut down on my unhealthy snacking and picked up healthier habits. So now that we are explicitly using the buddy system I believe that I will see some really positive effects on my day-to-day eating habits. Even if it’s just asking me if I packed a lunch or eaten today!
Genius Hour Post #6
Hello
Readers!
As I have been working through my Genius Hour for the past 7 weeks, I have come to learn that one of the most effective strategies for achieving any of your personal goals is using the buddy system! Chances are, you’ve been acquainted with the buddy system since you were in kindergarten or daycare and learned that if you needed to go to the bathroom (or go anywhere for that matter) that you needed a “buddy” to go with you! You’re likely also familiar with the age old saying that “there’s safety in numbers”. Guess what? Your parents and teachers are right, there is safety in numbers and having a designated buddy is important! In this context however, it’s less about getting lost on the way to the bathroom, and more about accountability with specific regard to your personal goals!
The buddy system has
proven to be an effective way to achieve your goals, whatever they be! In
particular, having a buddy along for the ride with you when you have health
related goals has proven to be beneficial. When you have a buddy, you tend to
operate as a single unit and assume shared responsibility by monitoring and
helping each other. When it comes to health related goals, it’s all too easy to
slack off and slip up. By having another person in on the goal with you
provides more motivation to work hard to stick to your goals both for your sake
and for the sake of your partner. Mark Sisson of the blog Mark’s Daily Apple
cites research that has shown that people are more likely to stick with a
health routine over time if they part of a formal group or partnership. Also, he argues that it has even been shown to improve relationships.
There are similar benefits to be shared when it comes to cooking with a friend! The Care2 website shares a piece that talks about this specifically. The first benefit shared is that you will be able to strengthen your relationship. Another being that you can learn some new things when cooking with a friend, which is always good! When you’re trying to eat healthy, you can never learn enough different ways to cook chicken, or incorporate your favorite foods into a good meal. Additionally, they discuss how cooking with a friend can help you take risks and prepare dishes that you may not have attempted or given a chance on your own. This will help you add new foods into your repertoire so you don’t get tired of the same old meals you always make and give in on fast foods to change it up easily!
I think that using the buddy system is really applicable to students because we are surrounded with peers that are all facing the same struggles and challenges that we are when it comes to many things, but especially self-care. Eating healthy and eating enough food to nourish and fuel your body is a big part of self-care. When it is viewed this way, we are surrounded with a large pool of people that we can buddy up with to take our self-care seriously! It is also really beneficial for anyone living on or off campus with roommates because you can really keep connected with each other and keep each other on track the best! I highly encourage you try out the buddy system!
As I have been working through my Genius Hour for the past 7 weeks, I have come to learn that one of the most effective strategies for achieving any of your personal goals is using the buddy system! Chances are, you’ve been acquainted with the buddy system since you were in kindergarten or daycare and learned that if you needed to go to the bathroom (or go anywhere for that matter) that you needed a “buddy” to go with you! You’re likely also familiar with the age old saying that “there’s safety in numbers”. Guess what? Your parents and teachers are right, there is safety in numbers and having a designated buddy is important! In this context however, it’s less about getting lost on the way to the bathroom, and more about accountability with specific regard to your personal goals!
 |
| Grantham, George. (1915). New York City school children. 2 girls "with shining faces, opening day(Online Image). Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_York_City_school_children. _2_girls_with_shining_faces,_opening_day.png |
There are similar benefits to be shared when it comes to cooking with a friend! The Care2 website shares a piece that talks about this specifically. The first benefit shared is that you will be able to strengthen your relationship. Another being that you can learn some new things when cooking with a friend, which is always good! When you’re trying to eat healthy, you can never learn enough different ways to cook chicken, or incorporate your favorite foods into a good meal. Additionally, they discuss how cooking with a friend can help you take risks and prepare dishes that you may not have attempted or given a chance on your own. This will help you add new foods into your repertoire so you don’t get tired of the same old meals you always make and give in on fast foods to change it up easily!
I think that using the buddy system is really applicable to students because we are surrounded with peers that are all facing the same struggles and challenges that we are when it comes to many things, but especially self-care. Eating healthy and eating enough food to nourish and fuel your body is a big part of self-care. When it is viewed this way, we are surrounded with a large pool of people that we can buddy up with to take our self-care seriously! It is also really beneficial for anyone living on or off campus with roommates because you can really keep connected with each other and keep each other on track the best! I highly encourage you try out the buddy system!
Reflection Post #5
Hello
Readers!
I am reporting to you with my fifth reflection post on my progress with my Genius Hour thus far, and I must confess, I have made a slip up! I may or may not have binged on a ridiculous amount of chocolate chip cookies over the weekend and I was super disappointed in myself!
You may notice I used a past tense word when describing my feelings on this cookie-binging incident, and I’ll tell you why after I give you the play-by-play of how this happened.
Essentially, I was at a Shoppers Drug Mart waiting for prescription to be processed. There were issues with my benefits and the prescription form being lost, so I had some time to kill while I waited for everything to get sorted out. As I’ve talked about previously, wandering in the grocery store is not a good idea! You are vulnerable to impulse buys that put you over your budget and/or buying unhealthy things that you didn’t plan to get. In my case, it was my favorite brand of chocolate chip cookies on display and the end of the aisle AND on sale! Talk about my kryptonite, chocolate cookies on sale. So against my better judgement, I grabbed a bag with the ever-so-common mantra of “treat yourself” in mind. I thought, hey I’ve been good! I’ve barely had any sweets in weeks, even months! Every once in a while it’s fine to indulge. Unfortunately, this indulging turned into basically eating the entire box with my boyfriend with milk while watching Netflix that night. Talk about indulging and treating yourself!
Immediately after the binge, I felt so crappy about it! I made the mistake of looking at the nutritional information after we finished and that certainly didn’t make me feel any better. I was shaming myself for even buying it in the first place, and being disappointed in myself that I didn’t contain myself and only have a few. I spent some time reflecting on my Genius Hour journey thus far, and that’s when I had a change of heart and decided to take it easy on myself. I realized that it’s not really realistic to cut all the unhealthy things you enjoy out of your life altogether permanently! Balance is important, and indulging in little bits sometimes is fine. It’s not going to totally derail your health to have a few cookies here or there or a chocolate bar every once in a while. I’ve been considering that it might be better to have that period indulgence so that you don’t overdo it when you finally let yourself have a “weak moment”. I think that if I take on this perspective, I will be healthier in the long run because I won’t overindulge at random times like I did that night.
I think my overall lesson from this experience is, don’t be too hard on yourself! We’re not perfect! Unless you’re trying to become a body builder or have serious fitness goals, the occasionally sugary snack is not the end of the world!
I am reporting to you with my fifth reflection post on my progress with my Genius Hour thus far, and I must confess, I have made a slip up! I may or may not have binged on a ridiculous amount of chocolate chip cookies over the weekend and I was super disappointed in myself!
You may notice I used a past tense word when describing my feelings on this cookie-binging incident, and I’ll tell you why after I give you the play-by-play of how this happened.
Essentially, I was at a Shoppers Drug Mart waiting for prescription to be processed. There were issues with my benefits and the prescription form being lost, so I had some time to kill while I waited for everything to get sorted out. As I’ve talked about previously, wandering in the grocery store is not a good idea! You are vulnerable to impulse buys that put you over your budget and/or buying unhealthy things that you didn’t plan to get. In my case, it was my favorite brand of chocolate chip cookies on display and the end of the aisle AND on sale! Talk about my kryptonite, chocolate cookies on sale. So against my better judgement, I grabbed a bag with the ever-so-common mantra of “treat yourself” in mind. I thought, hey I’ve been good! I’ve barely had any sweets in weeks, even months! Every once in a while it’s fine to indulge. Unfortunately, this indulging turned into basically eating the entire box with my boyfriend with milk while watching Netflix that night. Talk about indulging and treating yourself!
Immediately after the binge, I felt so crappy about it! I made the mistake of looking at the nutritional information after we finished and that certainly didn’t make me feel any better. I was shaming myself for even buying it in the first place, and being disappointed in myself that I didn’t contain myself and only have a few. I spent some time reflecting on my Genius Hour journey thus far, and that’s when I had a change of heart and decided to take it easy on myself. I realized that it’s not really realistic to cut all the unhealthy things you enjoy out of your life altogether permanently! Balance is important, and indulging in little bits sometimes is fine. It’s not going to totally derail your health to have a few cookies here or there or a chocolate bar every once in a while. I’ve been considering that it might be better to have that period indulgence so that you don’t overdo it when you finally let yourself have a “weak moment”. I think that if I take on this perspective, I will be healthier in the long run because I won’t overindulge at random times like I did that night.
I think my overall lesson from this experience is, don’t be too hard on yourself! We’re not perfect! Unless you’re trying to become a body builder or have serious fitness goals, the occasionally sugary snack is not the end of the world!
Genius Hour Post #5
Hello
Readers!
I can’t believe I am already this far into my Genius Hour! It has been a very enlightening and challenging journey. But so far so good! It looks like there is some hope for us crazy busy, broke post-secondary students! In this posting, I want to talk about some 21st century tools that you can use to help track your eating habits. But first, let’s talk about why you would even want to take the time to log your food intake in the first place! We’re busy enough already, right? Why add more responsibility to your plate?
One reason that it’s a good idea to keep a digital food journal is that it keeps you accountable for eating enough food in one day! It can be easy to slack off or skip a meal when you’re busy or on the go, but having a digital food journal will remind you of the nutrients your missing out on in a day and that will help to keep you motivated and on the track to staying healthy. Another good reason to keep track of your food intake, as explained by Marc Perry of Built Lean is that you will get a better idea of the source of your calorie intake. This can help you determine just how healthy the foods you are eating actually are, and may even show you what important nutrients, vitamins, and food groups you are missing in your diet. Also, Shape Fit explains that this activity provides a good way to track your water intake as well! So using a food journal can also help you stay on top of your hydration goals as well. Additionally, if you have any additional goals to gain or lose weight, these digital food journals typically have programming to set goals for calories, protein, carbs and more to attain those goals!
One program that I would recommend based off of my research and personal experience is the app called My Fitness Pal. It is undeniable that for doing something like food journaling in the 21st century, having the journal at the touch of your fingertips no matter where you are is essential for your success in accurate, detailed tracking. This is a free app that I have been using on and off for a while now. What I like about this app is that it goes beyond just tracking my food and liquid intake by getting my personal information in order to recommend dietary goals to achieve my ultimate goals. You input your starting weight, your goal weight, the number of pounds you wish to gain or lose weekly, and your activity level in your current lifestyle. From this, I not only see where all my calories are coming from and what vitamins and nutrients I am gaining, but I also see them in a perspective relative to my fitness goals. For anyone with fitness goals, it is impossible to separate your diet from them!
Another great aspect of this app is that it provides a function to add in exercises you do in a given day. This logged exercise will adjust your daily calorie intake limit/goal based on your output of energy accordingly. When you exercise, you need more calories to fuel your body before and after the exercise. This adds even more clarity and accuracy to the picture! I will also get push notifications send to me on my phone if I have forgotten to log a meal, as well as congratulatory messages for achieving multiple day streaks of tracking my meals! Another feature of this app that I like is that you can add “recipes” to a library. So if there’s a meal or recipe you make often, you can get the nutritional information on your specific cooking, and add it to your journal with ease any time you eat it! Furthermore, this app also has a lot of food brands/companies in its database, from fast food to restaurants or different brands of food you buy in the grocery store. So no matter what you eat and where you eat, you can input it into your journal with the most accuracy possible.
Caroline Bearden of Built Lean provides a review of the My Fitness Pal App that sheds light on some other pros that I have explored personally, but also some cons you may want to consider. Despite its cons, I still believe it can be a good aid to ensuring you are eating enough food in a day and gaining all of the vitamin and nutrients you need to be healthy!
Buzzfeed also had a list of 17 different mobile apps that people who are seeking to eat healthy can use to help seek out the right foods, recipes, and locations to eat!
I can’t believe I am already this far into my Genius Hour! It has been a very enlightening and challenging journey. But so far so good! It looks like there is some hope for us crazy busy, broke post-secondary students! In this posting, I want to talk about some 21st century tools that you can use to help track your eating habits. But first, let’s talk about why you would even want to take the time to log your food intake in the first place! We’re busy enough already, right? Why add more responsibility to your plate?
 |
| Vigneault, Elaine. (2008, February 10). Vegan Food Diary (Online Image). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/elainevigneault/2254477481 |
One reason that it’s a good idea to keep a digital food journal is that it keeps you accountable for eating enough food in one day! It can be easy to slack off or skip a meal when you’re busy or on the go, but having a digital food journal will remind you of the nutrients your missing out on in a day and that will help to keep you motivated and on the track to staying healthy. Another good reason to keep track of your food intake, as explained by Marc Perry of Built Lean is that you will get a better idea of the source of your calorie intake. This can help you determine just how healthy the foods you are eating actually are, and may even show you what important nutrients, vitamins, and food groups you are missing in your diet. Also, Shape Fit explains that this activity provides a good way to track your water intake as well! So using a food journal can also help you stay on top of your hydration goals as well. Additionally, if you have any additional goals to gain or lose weight, these digital food journals typically have programming to set goals for calories, protein, carbs and more to attain those goals!
One program that I would recommend based off of my research and personal experience is the app called My Fitness Pal. It is undeniable that for doing something like food journaling in the 21st century, having the journal at the touch of your fingertips no matter where you are is essential for your success in accurate, detailed tracking. This is a free app that I have been using on and off for a while now. What I like about this app is that it goes beyond just tracking my food and liquid intake by getting my personal information in order to recommend dietary goals to achieve my ultimate goals. You input your starting weight, your goal weight, the number of pounds you wish to gain or lose weekly, and your activity level in your current lifestyle. From this, I not only see where all my calories are coming from and what vitamins and nutrients I am gaining, but I also see them in a perspective relative to my fitness goals. For anyone with fitness goals, it is impossible to separate your diet from them!
 |
| Oklancia. (2005, August 5). My Fitness Pal Logo(Online Image). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/oklanica/7717137562 |
Another great aspect of this app is that it provides a function to add in exercises you do in a given day. This logged exercise will adjust your daily calorie intake limit/goal based on your output of energy accordingly. When you exercise, you need more calories to fuel your body before and after the exercise. This adds even more clarity and accuracy to the picture! I will also get push notifications send to me on my phone if I have forgotten to log a meal, as well as congratulatory messages for achieving multiple day streaks of tracking my meals! Another feature of this app that I like is that you can add “recipes” to a library. So if there’s a meal or recipe you make often, you can get the nutritional information on your specific cooking, and add it to your journal with ease any time you eat it! Furthermore, this app also has a lot of food brands/companies in its database, from fast food to restaurants or different brands of food you buy in the grocery store. So no matter what you eat and where you eat, you can input it into your journal with the most accuracy possible.
Caroline Bearden of Built Lean provides a review of the My Fitness Pal App that sheds light on some other pros that I have explored personally, but also some cons you may want to consider. Despite its cons, I still believe it can be a good aid to ensuring you are eating enough food in a day and gaining all of the vitamin and nutrients you need to be healthy!
Buzzfeed also had a list of 17 different mobile apps that people who are seeking to eat healthy can use to help seek out the right foods, recipes, and locations to eat!
Reflection Post #4
Hello
Readers!
Just checking in again to reflect on my experiences working through this Genius Hour as I am learning more and more about how to stay healthy as a student! My last post on hydration really made me realize that I am not always on top of my hydration. So since that posting I have been aiming to increase my water intake and make sure I’m on track by checking in when I go to the washroom. I must say, it is a challenge to drink enough water in the day! I am definitely guilty of waiting until I am thirsty to drink, and now that I know this is a signal that I’m already dehydrated, I’m trying to avoid getting to that point.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I was gifted a pretty nice looking water bottle for Christmas! As silly as it may seem, this has been a great help in getting me on track with drinking water. It’s really cute and I probably wouldn’t have wanted to or been able to spend the money on a water bottle like this with my own money. Despite it looking nice, it also works really well to keep liquids hot and cold. This means when I fill up my water bottle with cold water in the morning, it stays cold all day long! I love drinking cold water, so this certainly encourages me to drink throughout the day.
When I monitor my hydration I am usually in the right zone, and if I’m not it’s a really great reminder to get on top of it. I think having the awareness in itself is a big helping factor! I’ve also looked over the different aspects of my body as outlined by the Mayo Clinic and in understanding that I have a higher level of physical activity from working out five to seven days a week, I know that I need more water than the average person to stay hydrated! I certainly have a ways to go, but as I said, awareness is a first and big step in being successful here. I can’t wait for the summer season to come around so I can indulge on some sweet watermelon to help me stay hydrated!
Just checking in again to reflect on my experiences working through this Genius Hour as I am learning more and more about how to stay healthy as a student! My last post on hydration really made me realize that I am not always on top of my hydration. So since that posting I have been aiming to increase my water intake and make sure I’m on track by checking in when I go to the washroom. I must say, it is a challenge to drink enough water in the day! I am definitely guilty of waiting until I am thirsty to drink, and now that I know this is a signal that I’m already dehydrated, I’m trying to avoid getting to that point.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I was gifted a pretty nice looking water bottle for Christmas! As silly as it may seem, this has been a great help in getting me on track with drinking water. It’s really cute and I probably wouldn’t have wanted to or been able to spend the money on a water bottle like this with my own money. Despite it looking nice, it also works really well to keep liquids hot and cold. This means when I fill up my water bottle with cold water in the morning, it stays cold all day long! I love drinking cold water, so this certainly encourages me to drink throughout the day.
When I monitor my hydration I am usually in the right zone, and if I’m not it’s a really great reminder to get on top of it. I think having the awareness in itself is a big helping factor! I’ve also looked over the different aspects of my body as outlined by the Mayo Clinic and in understanding that I have a higher level of physical activity from working out five to seven days a week, I know that I need more water than the average person to stay hydrated! I certainly have a ways to go, but as I said, awareness is a first and big step in being successful here. I can’t wait for the summer season to come around so I can indulge on some sweet watermelon to help me stay hydrated!
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