Mornings can be hazardous to our health
What are your mornings like? Do you crawl lazily out of bed, shuffle and groan your way through your morning routine? Or do you run around like a mad chook, gulp down a coffee and skip breakfast because you’re running late?
Either way, there are a few things we need to know about mornings and their effect on our health.
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Dehydration
When we wake in the morning, chances are we’re dehydrated. If we’ve slept through the night, we haven’t had anything to drink for maybe eight hours. If it has been a hot night we’ve sweated, losing even more fluid. If, like me, you wake several times to visit the bathroom you’ve lost fluids in that way, too. Conclusion: The first thing we should do upon waking is drink water.
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Blood Sugar
We can also experience a drop in our blood sugar level while sleeping. This is especially worrying for diabetics. Conclusion: A good breakfast is important for stabilising our blood sugar, ideally containing protein with maybe a little fat.
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Low Blood Pressure
When our body is at rest, our blood pressure lowers. It begins to rise just before waking, but if we are disturbed suddenly or rise too quickly, we may feel faint. Consequently, the act of urinating can also create a drop in blood pressure. I have a friend who passed out on the loo while peeing at night and her doctor pointed to this as the cause. Conclusion: Take care when getting up and moving around during the night or first thing in the morning; give your body time to adjust.
High Blood Pressure
There are those who like to jump straight into a shower in the morning, which, while it helps to wake us up, can also cause a spike in blood pressure – especially if you like the water hot. This combined with dehydration can be a dangerous mix. Conclusion: Have a glass of water before showering, lower the temperature of your shower. If you have problems with blood sugar, perhaps eat breakfast first – then shower.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Caffeine can cause a temporary spike in blood pressure – and don’t be fooled by de-caf options; they still contain caffeine and although it is in lower doses, it can still affect those with blood-pressure issues. Conclusion: Limit or eliminate that morning coffee.
Exertion
If you’re a keen exerciser you may think that a run or a workout first thing in the morning is good for you, but considering all of the above, it may pay to re-think this and postpone it until after breakfast or at least until after a glass of water and a slow stretch.
Conclusion:
If we’re sensible and listen to the signals our body is sending us, we can do the right thing and survive mornings unscathed. Then it’s only the rest of the day we have to worry about.
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235972 - 2023-07-18 00:28:47