The Water Challenge

Ever since I donated my kidney in May, 2011, I have been much more aware of the need to drink more water. Water is so good for your kidneys and when you're down to only one, you feel more protective of that kidney.

I've known for a long time that I don't drink enough water and other fluids. For years, I've seen plenty of recommendations to drink 8-10 cups of water every day. There's some debate about those numbers but I have found that my body works well on that amount. I have lots of motivation to drink more water: it helps with digestion, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and blood pressure. When I have a cold, it seems like extra fluids help me feel better.

In addition, every month we do blood work for my daughter's kidney and if the creatinine in her blood goes up, which shows kidney function, they want to know if she's getting enough fluids. If I'm concerned about my kidney, I'm even more concerned (read: paranoid) about my daughter's.

But knowledge is not the same as doing it. I have times when I do better than others. Being on a trip or away from home or being super busy makes it harder. And sometimes I just don't think about it until I'm dying of thirst, and by then I'm already dehydrated.

I want to make drinking enough fluids a habit. My plan is to tie it to things I do every single day. I'm also going to measure and mark the cups I regularly use so I know how much a cup is. Here's my schedule:

Wake up: 1 cup
Breakfast: 1 cup
Shower: 1 cup
Brush teeth: 1 cup
Lunch: 2 cups
Afternoon snack: 1 cup
Dinner: 2 cups
Brush teeth: 1 cup

There it is: 10 cups of fluids (milk, juice, but mostly water) every day. Habits take 21 days to form. So for the next 21 days I'm going to keep track and I'll report on this blog, sometime around March 27. Check back!

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