Grumpy Old Man Tip #1

When I was young, I bemoaned health tips from oldsters. Now that I'm aging and becoming an oldster, I understand the purpose behind why oldsters do this. We only want to pass on useful information to people who still have time to make use of this information. So here is my first tip to pass on as an oldster:

Drink 6 to 8 eight-ounce glasses of water, daily.

This seems obvious, not really even worth saying. Eventually, I get thirsty, and I finally gulp a glass of water. What I didn't realize was what happens to me if I don't drink enough water consistently. Or if I try to somehow derive my needed water from things which are abundant in Switzerland, like beer, wine, Coke Zero, exceptionally strong coffee, wasser mit kohlensauer, or a bowl of Cookie Crisp with odd tasting Swiss milche. I've read dehydration can lead to most diseases. Don't know how true that is, but if it is even almost true... it's worth the preventative measures.

I tried something, as an experiment. I have a history of mild depression, and I know people also with these symptoms who describe it to me the same way... mild depression. For me, it's been showing up at odd times in the past 6 weeks since moving here. Nothing serious, just blah-ness. Most people tell me it's very normal to experience this after a move to a different culture. They even have a phrase for it, they call it "culture shock". I noticed it seemed to correspond with my face getting blotchy, a sign I am not drinking enough water, or too much coffee along with other body things I shouldn't describe. The first time it showed up here, I pulled out my toolkit for managing it. I don't take medication for these symptoms, although I know some who do take them with good success.

So as part of my experiment, I started rehydrating, monitoring how much water I'm drinking during the day, replacing whatever coffee I or beer or wine I drink with the same amount of water, or more. This tip lands me again into a restroom, frequently. But I feel a ton better mentally, my face isn't (as) blotchy, and my other functions aren't so unfriendly. I tried this a couple of times, dehydrating, not paying attention, back came the mild depression, and it went away after I rehydrated.

Feeling blah? Try rehydrating for a few days.