Simple HEALTH tips that that just may change your life! (Part 1 of 3) #Replay

Are you ready to turn your hot mess into hot success? I'm Rebecca Santos, your fellow Hot Mess Mom and health enthusiast, here to share some life-changing insights that will give you an energy boost and transform your daily routine. We kick things off by tackling the chaos of Daylight Savings with humor and survival tips, then dive (ahem, gracefully step) into the world of hydration. It's not just about guzzling water; it's about integrating it into your life so skillfully that your body thanks you with every sip. And wait until you hear how sidestepping dehydration can save you from the dreaded overeating trap!

Moving beyond the water bottle, we'll explore vitamin D's critical role in our well-being and how to keep our levels in check when the sun plays hide and seek. Then, we'll confront our screens' sneaky blue light—yes, the one that's messing with our sleep—and arm ourselves with some stylish defenses. I'm talking about blue light-blocking glasses that are as much a statement piece as they are a shield. Wrapping up, I'm all about making this journey interactive. So, I want to hear from you! Your thoughts, your struggles, and the health topics you're itching to hear more about. Together, we're turning our hot mess into a harmonious melody of health and hilarity. Don't forget to share the love with a review on iTunes!

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:03

Hey there and welcome to the Hot Mess Mom Health Podcast. I'm your host, rebecca Santos, a wife, working mom of two littles, certified health coach and self-proclaimed hot mess mom. Do you find yourself on the perpetual struggle bus trying to juggle it all and your health is the last thing on the to-do list? But you feel like crap. I can relate because I've been there. The reality is, you can get healthy and it doesn't have to be overwhelming. If you're looking for some education, inspiration, accountability, a kick in the pants or I'm not gonna lie some tough love, you're in the right place. So pull up a seat, grab a nice coffee and join me on this journey to better health. Hey there and happy Monday. Welcome back to another episode of Hot Mess Mom Health.

Speaker 1 0:59

If you are hearing this on the day after Daylight Savings Time and you have young children, I understand Yesterday was horrific, right Like the kids wake up. Everyone's kind of all out of sorts. It seems like the longest day in history and you kind of don't even know what to do with yourselves. I mean, for me, my kids were fighting so much. We tried to go out for lunch and, because of the way the world is, lunch took forever. We got home, we were like what time do we eat dinner, what time do we put the kids to bed? Because we need things to go back to normal tomorrow and I don't know. It's just a mess. So I feel your pain. I was in it yesterday too. And when you, you know, daylight savings time in the fall, when you don't have kids, is glorious, right, you get an extra hour, you get to sleep in, but when you have kids, holy crap, it's a different animal, right. So I get it. I'm in the midst of that as well. It is because of the hot mess mom that I am. It is Sunday night before this episode goes out, as per usual.

Speaker 1 2:02

So I've had my notes all week for this episode and for what we're going to be talking about, but actually sitting in front of the mic to do it just didn't happen. So here we are, friends. This is keeping it real in real time. So this week, what I want to chat with you guys about and this is going to kind of be a three-week series this is part one of three, and I'm going to give you guys some little quick health things that I think could potentially change your life, depending upon you know where you are in your health journey. But these are things that I kind of think everybody needs to know, and everyone can kind of just, you know, reintroduce themselves with some of these things and add them to your life. If you've kind of just you know, reintroduce themselves with some of these things and add them to your life, if you've kind of just put them on the back burner or you've kind of just you know, not really thought about them for some time. But I'm going to talk to you about some things that I think maybe everybody needs to know. So here we go.

Speaker 1 2:58

The first thing, and I mean this super nice, but drink more water. And it sounds so simple, right, like, drink more water. Duh, we all know it, but are we drinking enough water? Are we truly getting hydrated every single day? I'd be willing to bet and, based on some of the statistics I saw online when doing some homework that were a little bit frightening. They were saying upwards of 75% of Americans are somewhat dehydrated, whether it's slightly or severe, that's pretty much a crisis, how I see it, if 75% of people are walking around dehydrated, that's not good. So definitely want you guys drinking more water, so trying to make swaps for things that you typically are drinking. If you're drinking a lot of caffeinated beverages, sodas especially, they got to go. But make swaps for water and try to just add more water into your daily life. So I kind of look at it and I'm like I know people have their thoughts about different cups and this and that and plastics and what they can do to you and all that stuff. I understand that and I'm sensitive to that stuff because that's kind of where my mind goes with things. But if you're not somebody who drinks a lot of water, a tip that I would have for you is find a cup that you absolutely love. I don't care what it looks like, I don't care what it's made of, but find something that you absolutely love the way it looks, that will make you happy to drink the water. Right Like, step one is just getting yourself used to doing it and getting in a habit, and you can worry about moving from plastic to glass later, but let's just get you drinking more water. So, and also some other things.

Speaker 1 4:34

So like a study from the British Journal of Nutrition found that mild dehydration can impair your mood and energy levels. So what about the times that you think you're hangry? But what if you're not even hangry at all? What if you're thirsty? What if your energy is so low that you're like, oh, I'm hangry, you think you're starving, but you're actually thirsty, right, if you take some time and you actually get a you know big glass of water, put a little bit of lemon in it or you know some fruit to make it taste flavorful, drink that and then see how something that can help a lot of people too.

Speaker 1 5:11

I have a big appetite personally, and I can eat a crap ton of food in one sitting, for, being this petite person that I am, I can take in a lot of food. So a tip that I used to use and I still use it occasionally if I know I'm going out to a big dinner so I don't overeat is I will drink a big glass of water first, so that I'm kind of like I'm making sure I'm hydrated, I feel a little bit fuller, so I'm less likely to like shovel in all the pasta and all the bread, right? So that's also a trick. And then one last thing about why you should drink more water, which I think is important. Right, I know we don't want to talk about poop, but, like, if you drink more water. It will help with constipation and keep things moving along, and that was a trend that I saw in a bunch of different articles, but especially on one from Harvard Health. So definitely drinking your water, keeping yourself hydrated, you're going to feel better, your skin's going to look better, you might eat less, you might just feel more satiated because you're actually thirsty and not hungry, and it'll keep your poop moving along. So there's a bonus. So there you go. That is number one for today. Number two and this one you may or may not have heard before, or you may not even really be aware, but I would say get your vitamin D levels tested. So there's a ton of studies out there, a ton of research.

Speaker 1 6:31

I'm going to go through some stuff that I've picked out that I think is relevant. I'm not going to get too stuck in the weeds with you guys, but just higher level. I'm not a doctor, right? Definitely not a doctor. I'm a health coach and I'm super nerdy with all this stuff, but I'm not a doctor. So please talk to your doctor about this. But next time you go in for labs, or even if you just want to have your vitamin D level ran, I think it's a good idea. I'm getting mine done a lot more regularly than I used to because I've become a lot more aware of how important vitamin D truly is to our body and how it functions. So I'm really doing some homework of keeping my vitamin D level where I feel is comfortable, where my doctor wants it. So I strongly advise everyone listening to go talk to your doctor, see what he recommends for vitamin D.

Speaker 1 7:17

But the reason behind knowing where your vitamin D is so deep. So there's a bunch of different studies out there. The one that I saw most recently was saying 77% of Americans potentially could be vitamin D deficient. So obviously this play like dependent upon where you live in the country, dependent upon your skin tone there are different things that play a role in this, but that is a crisis too. I mean, if that many people truly are out there with a vitamin D deficiency, that's a problem. That is a big problem that you know. You really need to become aware if you're one of those people.

Speaker 1 7:51

So 90% of our vitamin D comes from the sun and because everyone is sunscreening and wearing clothes, wearing hats, keeping their skin safe from skin cancer, if you will, we're not getting the vitamin D from the sun that maybe, like billions of years ago, people used to. So 90% of it comes from the sun, only 10% is coming from our food. So, knowing that supplementation here is extremely important if you are deficient in vitamin D. So I would definitely say get your test, get a baseline of where you are and then talk to your doctor about supplementing with vitamin D. So obviously, some of the foods that you could eat that are high in vitamin D are going to be like a wild salmon, a wild halibut, some wild mushrooms, but vitamin D isn't in like a ton of foods in a large quantity. I think egg yolks have some, but it's rather low.

Speaker 1 8:44

The other thing is, too like vitamin D, and then there's vitamin or D2 and D3, sorry, are the two different types? So vitamin D2 is going to be, it's going to be, fortified in some foods and then vitamin D3 is found more naturally in the food. So it's just, you know, talk to you know. I see different experts saying one is better than the other and one will actually affect your blood serum levels differently. I personally take a D3 liquid drop that I put on my tongue before I go to bed. Also, you know, what you should talk to your doctor about is how much of it you should take, depending upon what level you are at and what level you want to be. You know how many international units do you need a day? Highly recommend speaking to your doctor about that and kind of, you know, taking supplementation if need be. Because again, I'm going to go through some things.

Speaker 1 9:33

But vitamin D has been linked to helping your immune function. It is. There's been some studies out there from Harvard Health as well that show it can aid in cancer prevention, which I mean is huge. And vitamin D is an immunomodulator, so it helps regulate your immune system. So you probably, you know, probably maybe have seen in the news there's been some link to COVID-19, again, various studies all across the board. But I feel like, hey, if there's a link to it and it could show some positivity, I'm all about that. So making sure your vitamin D levels are good for your immune system is amazing as well. And obviously the regulation and uptake of calcium, which is huge, a lot of calcium that you take. If your vitamin D level is also not where it needs to be, you might have some issues with their body actually absorbing and taking that calcium. So, again, making sure that vitamin D level is where it should be is of utmost importance. So, again, I saw different things about where it should be. The most recent one from Harvard Health that I was reading said the recommended dietary allowance for adults and older is 600 international units daily for men and women, and then for adults over 7,800 international units daily.

Speaker 1 10:47

But I still would strongly advise you speaking to your doctor. Like I said, I'm not a doctor, I'm a health coach and I love learning about this stuff. But I just want to share with you, like I said, I'm not a doctor, I'm a health coach and I love learning about this stuff. But I just want to share with you what I know and, I think, what I've read and seen in some medical journals and studies recently, but strongly suggest talking to your doctor about your vitamin D levels and seeing if it is indeed where it should be. So, basically, the vitamin D level that you will so get on your test. The test would be ran with your regular labs. It's just a simple blood test. It's nothing crazy. Like I said, I'm getting mine done like every three to four months now just to check it, because I'm kind of crazy, I know, but it's not a bad thing. So, basically, some studies out there are saying that you should be at less or greater than 30. And then I've also seen you know upwards of like 50 to 70. And then the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says optimal levels are upwards of 75. So it's kind of all across the board.

Speaker 1 11:47

Honestly, mine always has tended to be really low. I've always been deficient, and just recently, with supplementing, with those drops that I'm taking, I have been able to get it closer to 50, just me personally. But mine is. I'm pretty much like see-through skin here, and if I go outside I'll burn. So you know, being outside for a couple of minutes is probably all I'm going to get before I will start turning red, which is definitely not. You know, something that you want to do on a regular basis. So, again, in a nutshell, wrapping that up in a pretty little bow go get your vitamin D levels tested, talk to your doctor about supplementing if need be, and add it to your regular labs if you're going in for regular labs too. So that's that.

Speaker 1 12:31

That's number two and number three, which you're probably going to get mad at me about, but stop looking at your phone before bed. I know, I know I'm guilty of this, I'm horribly guilty of this, and I even wear a sleep ring that tells me I shouldn't be doing it because my REM sleep is not what it needs to be. So there's a ton of evidence that shows. You know, your REM sleep will be decreased if you look at screens before you go to bed, especially immediately before bed. So not good, not good at all. So I would say there's multiple reasons for not looking at your phone before bed or even looking at screens before you go to bed. So blue light is harmful to your eyes. Looking at the light is going to increase your sorry, I cannot speak increase your alertness.

Speaker 1 13:19

So I know for me, if I look at certain things before I go to bed, I'm either not going to sleep well, I'm going to be all anxious, I'm not even going to be able to get myself to fall asleep, which is super frustrating when you need to go to sleep. You could actually like stress yourself out to the point of like you're just not going to go to sleep, which isn't good, right. It can increase your anxiety, your stress levels, all of these things when you're trying to be relaxed and getting ready to calm down. Go to sleep and get that restorative sleep that you need. You're really affecting that in a negative way. And sleep is so important, guys. It's so, so, so important. So I'm going to have to say it.

Speaker 1 13:56

But our smartphone habits are horrible. I mean mine's horrible. Mine typically is by my bed. I'm trying to get better with it. I get better, you know, I get better and then I get bad again. So put a book next to your you know night table. Try to read a book before you go to bed. Don't look at a TV or a screen on your phone. But I would be willing to bet just about every single person listening to this is looking at their phone before bed. I mean, it's bad habits, it's just bad habits that we've all gotten into. And I mean, for me, my phone is my alarm, so it's always by my bed and it's always the last thing I look at. So, although my volume is off, I still could flash in the middle of the night and interrupt your sleep and just knowing that it's there it's like the first thing I look at when I wake up. Also not good to you know. It affects your stress levels basically from the second you open your eyes or even before you open your eyes fully. So I know this one sucks, like I know it does. But stop looking at screens before bed, like, stop, it will help you, I promise, and I need to get better at that too.

Speaker 1 14:55

I'm putting this out there because I'm not perfect. I'm not perfect at all and I need to do all these things as well. I need to drink more water. I'm pretty good about getting my vitamin D tested, but I'm not good at the screen thing. Before I go to bed I'm not.

Speaker 1 15:09

So there is something that you can do about this. You can not that you want to, but you can get blue blocking glasses that will help block the light. So I actually do own a pair, and I'm not really good about even putting them on, because what happens is I take my contacts out and then I put my glasses on and then I can't see if I put them on. So I don't have prescription blue blocking glasses, I just have blue blocking glasses. So I might invest in a pair with prescriptions so that I can actually wear it, so that if I am looking at any screens before bed, or even a couple hours before bed, I could actually just pop on those blue blocker glasses, and at least I don't know the logistics of like, exactly what it's keeping out and how effective they are, but I know it's not gonna hurt, so that's an option. But again, really, really, really being kind to your eyes. The blue light is not good for our eyes, it's not good for our brain and it just keeps us so alert.

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Speaker 1 16:05

So, to wrap everything up, for today, my three health tips are drink more water, get your vitamin D levels tested, supplement if necessary, and put your phone away from your bed and don't look at the screens before bed. So that's that. I know some of these are not fun, but I'm going to have three little health tips for the next three weeks. I'm going to give you just three little doses of things I think could potentially change your life. If you're kind of ignoring them, which I know with our health, we always tend to put it on the back burner, so I want to change that. So if there's these three little things or three little steps that you can take and you could benefit your health, I think that's amazing.

Speaker 1 16:40

So please send me an email at hotmessmomhealth at gmailcom and let me know what you think of these. Please let me know what you think. Let me know what you wanna hear about. I would love, love, love to hear from you guys. So, with that, have an amazing week. I'll talk to you soon. Thank you so much for tuning in and listening to this episode of Hot Mess Mom Health. If you love this episode, please leave me an iTunes review. It would mean the world to me and it would help me get the word out about helping other moms reclaim their health. Thank you so much.