Tag Archive for ‘Sleep’ rss

WFMW: Getting over that cold

July 08, 2009 5 comments

Its Works For Me Wednesday over at We Are That Family, hop over and join in the fun!

wfmwbannerKRISTEN

So…

I’ve been feeling like a ton of bricks has been sitting on my head, doing the cha-cha.  Stuffy nose, coughing, aching, headaches, just feeling like BLAH!

So I thought I’d share with you what’s helped me get over this junk…

SLEEP:

I did Rest, Rest, Rest, got lots of sleep, which we know I never do.

SleepI was definitely forced to slow down and rest, because the foggy feeling and headache wasn’t letting me get anything done. But, I do think rest/sleeping is the fastest way for your body to recover. So go ahead, take a nap!! :)

FLUIDS:

strawglasssmalll_Full

I’ve had so much water I could float away. I love water. Water is my favorite thing to drink, next to Green Tea. :)
here are some great tips about Water I found from this website:

  • 1. Get healthy skin. Drinking water moisturizes your skin from the inside out. Water is essential to maintaining elasticity and suppleness and helps prevent dryness.
  • 2. Lose weight. Increased water consumption can help you control weight by preventing you from confusing hunger with thirst. Water will also keep your body systems working properly, including metabolism and digestion, and give you the energy (and hydration) necessary for exercise.
  • 3. Flush toxins. By helping to flush toxins, appropriate water intake lessens the burden on your kidneys and liver.
  • 4. Reduce your risk of a heart attack. Researchers at Loma Linda University in California studied more than 20,000 healthy men and women and found that people who drink more than five glasses of water a day were less likely to die from a heart attack or heart disease than those who drank fewer than two glasses a day.
  • 5. Cushion and lube your joints and muscles. Water makes up a large part of the fluid that lubricates and cushions your joints and muscles. Drinking water before, during, and after exercise can also help reduce muscle cramping and premature fatigue.
  • 6. Stay regular. Water helps prevent constipation by adding fluid to the colon and bulk to stools, making bowel movements softer and easier to pass.
  • 7. Stay hydrated, get energized, and be alert. On average, most adults lose about 10 cups of fluid a day through sweating, exhaling, urinating, and bowel movements. Even minor dehydration can cause impaired concentration, headaches, irritability, and fatigue.
  • 8. Regulate your body temperature. Perspiration is your body’s natural mechanism to control body temperature. And to sweat, you need plenty of water.
  • 9. Reduce your risk of disease and infection. Water can help prevent kidney stones and reduce your chances of getting bladder, kidney, and urinary tract infections. One study found that women who drank more than five glasses of water a day had a risk of colon cancer that was 45 percent less than those who drank two or fewer glasses a day.
  • 10. Get well. The traditional prescription to “drink plenty of fluids” when you’re sick still holds strong. Water can help control a fever, replace lost fluids, and thin out mucus.

Another thing I did to try hydrated and get goods in me was JUICING, used my handy dandy Juicer and made lots of Watermelon juice…recipe116Have you ever tried it? SO GOOD!! I found some good stuff about Watermelon Juice at this website here.

MEDICINE:

I’m not a big fan of taking lots of medicine, I prefer to take vitamins {which I am} and attack a sickness a healthier way. But when your cough just won’t shut up and you want to get some sleep, I HIGHLY recommend this bad boy…

2639532Robitussin DM, makes that cough calm down, quick! My doctor recommended it to me, and I’m so glad. Cough attacks are the worst. {Side note: of course always consult your doctor before taking any medicine and don’t just listen to me. I am so not a doctor. :) }

TOOLS:

puffs1Need I say more?

So my friends, this is what works for me when I’m sick. :) You may be thinking “You wrote a post about tissues & cough medicine”… heck yes I did. That’s all that’s been on my mind for th past 3 days. :)

So, I’m happy to say I believe I’m on the other side of this ridiculous cold and definitely ready for my trip to Tennessee & Kentucky tomorrow!! You may not hear from me for a few days…  but I’ll be back Tuesday next week!!

So tell me, what WORKS for you when you’re sick?

You: Go to Sleep.

July 07, 2009 4 comments

All day morning, I fought with myself. Not literally, but mentally.

I wanted to go to WORKOUT, but the “cough-cough-ACHOO!” and pounding sinus pressure, kept me from doing so.

Sometimes it’s OK to listen to your body and REST. I’m really bad at this. I push myself and push myself. I always have, just ask my mom. She always would tell me to slow down and rest… I’d be out the door before she could finish her sentence.  If I’m awake, I should be doing something.

Even though, Monday I had a plan, I thought I’d finish the massive amounts of laundry, vacuumed, cleaned both bathrooms AND cleaned the kitchen {which I did finish ALL of it} and then head to the gym for a light workout, which mentally would make me feel good about myself, always does… I never ended up leaving the house. Crashed on the couch for a bit after all that house work and realized, “It’s OK to rest.” I never nap, I’m just not a napper. :)

Here’s some benefits on Sleep, from FitSugar.com:

  1. Health: Not getting enough Z’s can compromise your immune system making you more susceptible to viruses. Plus, living in a constant state of sleep debt can contribute to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
  2. Smarts: Even though your body is at rest, your brain is buzzing. During sleep is when the brain sorts and processes information you absorbed while awake.
  3. Weight Control: Recent research indicates a relationship between insufficient sleep and inability to lose or even maintain weight.
  4. Coordination: Trying new activities that require coordination like step aerobics and playing the piano can be made more difficult after a bad night’s sleep.
  5. Beauty: They don’t call it “beauty sleep” for nothing. While you sleep, your body repairs itself. Experts say you need 8 hours of sleep to avoid puffy, bloodshot eyes, as well as dark under-eye circles and a pale washed-out complexion.

So #1 totally is true, this past weekend I went to bed past 1:00AM each night and woke up at least by 7:00AM. Not enough rest. I’ve heard that your body gets the best sleep before Midnight.

I don’t know about you, but I need to work on resting and getting enough sleep, but it is hard in the Summer, so much fun stuff to do!!

So tell me, are you good at resting, love to sleep and could nap anytime? Or are you like me and napping is such a foreign concept to you? What do you do to REST?

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