Ask Dr. Etingin: Ways to better hydrate; Lose weight through meditation

My doctor says I need to hydrate more. I’m not a fan of plain water and I don’t want to drink too much coffee. Any suggestions?

Don’t worry, you have many options. First, are you consuming your daily requirement of fruits and vegetables? Most foods, but particularly fruits and vegetables, are high in water content and are very important to hydration. At every meal, half your plate should be fruits and vegetables, and an apple or a few carrot sticks are great for snacking as well.

You should still set a goal of consuming eight 8-ounce glasses of liquid a day. Try infusing water with a variety of flavors, such as strawberries or raspberries, cucumbers and mint, or cinnamon and chives. Milk, coffee, tea, seltzers, and broths also count.

Setting goals can really help. For instance, at the beginning of each hour, fill your glass. Then every time your phone rings or texts, or someone rings your doorbell, take a sip before answering. Every time you stand up take a sip. If that’s not enough to get you to the bottom of the glass each hour, set the timer on your phone to beep every 10 minutes, and every time it does, take a sip.

Dehydration can lead to many critical health problems, including dizziness, nausea, fatigue, mental confusion, and muscle cramps. You may even faint. If you are on medications, dehydration could affect their effectiveness. To ensure you are fully and properly hydrated, reach out to your health-care provider for advice that is specific to your personal health.

I need to lose weight, and my doctor suggested meditation. I’m skeptical. How can that help?

It actually can help in two ways. There are so many reasons why people eat, but not all of them are because we are hungry or thirsty. Some people eat when they’re frustrated, angry, bored, or anxious, or simply because a food smells or looks good. And often, when we eat for emotional reasons, we reach for easyto- grab unhealthy foods.

Research has shown that meditation can have a near-immediate effect on our emotional and mental state. Meditation allows us to stop the fast-paced environment we live in and take a mental break. This makes it easier to soothe our various emotions and bring us to a calm, happy state of mind. Meditation also can help us evaluate whether we are truly hungry or simply looking for a quick salve to cover up emotional stress.

When you feel like reaching for something to eat, get up and find a quiet corner where you can sit and close your eyes. Try to be present in the moment; think about something happy and listen to your breathing. After 10 minutes, you may find that the urge to eat has passed, your stress level is down, and you feel more focused. Also, stress and other emotions can cause us to not enjoy or engage with the food we’re eating, so when you do eat, be mindful of the taste, the smell, and the feeling of the texture in your mouth as you chew. Slowing down and listening to internal hunger cues not only provides a more satisfying eating experience, but it also can eliminate false eating cues.

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