The Water Balance

 A really good healthy lifestyle tip for anyone is to drink water throughout the day. I definitely can feel the difference - when I drink more water (four or more cups daily) I think more clearly, move more easily, breathe more freely, and generally have more energy. When I don't, I get sluggish and tired and congested. So this water thing is important! 

The tricky things is - and this is getting a bit personal - the more water I drink, the more often I have to use the bathroom. You've probably noticed this in your own practice: what goes in must go out... and water moves through you faster than some other things, especially when you consume it frequently. And because I'm getting older, my bladder is not as strong as it once was. So if I am alone for 3-5 hours during the day, I have to be really careful because I need someone around to help transfer me to the toilet when nature calls. 

My short-term solution to that this summer was to just not drink much water. A half a cup with my meds in the morning, a cup after lunch, and a cup after dinner, carefully timed so I would need to "go", but not desperately, when my next caregiving friend arrived. And heaven help me if that poor friend is unexpectedly delayed by more than a half hour! 

This isn't a good habit for me to have long-term, so I may need to work out something to add in another break time in my day... which means I need to make a few more friends who have availability during the day. And also I need to figure out how to fit that in to my already-full schedule - I literally feel like I am too busy to go to the bathroom! Isn't that ridiculous?? But there you have it... that's just one of the weird and awkward dilemmas I am sorting out in my crazy and beautiful life. 

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