Key Tips on Nutrition and Hydration

Last month, in our 2-part series on burnout, we discussed six key areas that we can focus on for better health as a path to avoid or reverse burnout. Our last article covered sleep as the first area of focus. Hopefully, you’ve incorporated those suggestions as part of your overall wellness strategy as a first responder.

Today, we will focus on the next two areas, nutrition and hydration. These topics go hand in hand because what we take in daily for fuel is linked to physical and behavioral wellness.

I have previously covered nutrition in-depth, and you can go to the blog and find the three part series on the Standard American Diet and how to improve your health by moving away from that type of eating.

The truth is, First Responders suffer from obesity at rates higher than the public. In the United States, 73% of adults are overweight or obese. A federal government study said 80% of police officers were overweight. Another study showed 40% of police officers were clinically obese. 

The good news is that 80% of your body composition is determined by how you eat. The other 20% is determined by healthy lifestyle habits like minimizing stress (proper mindset) and exercise, as well as genetics.

The other good news is that changing your food intake for lasting and successful results is the easiest change you can make in taking control of your life. You can start with dinner tonight!

Changing what you eat might seem challenging at first. It’s natural to feel an internal resistance or concerns about missing things you like to eat. It’s ok to feel apprehensive about not knowing exactly what to do to make improvements. I want to encourage you that once you change your thinking about food as fuel, you’ll rapidly get to the point where it becomes easy to make better choices. You don’t need to follow a fad diet.

WHAT TO AVOID: 

Avoid processed foods. Your best approach is to eat food that looks like what it is. Beef, chicken, non-farmed fish, whole fat dairy, fruit and some vegetables. Bread can be made with 4 to 5 ingredients, one of which is water. Pick up a loaf at the store and read the ingredients label and see how many additives are in it. This applies to every label. You’ll see all kinds of chemical names and preservatives. Your body is not designed to digest and use all those ingredients. Practice reading labels on your food and avoid chemicals.

Avoid foods that have artificial sweeteners and food coloring dye. These chemicals are linked to a variety of health issues from gut disruption to cancer.

Avoid industrial seed oils. These contents are literally garbage. The history of industrial seed oil is products made as machine oils and repurposed for food ingredients by the food industry to make money. Industrial seed oils are disruptive to your gut, can cause many health problems and cause inflammation throughout your body.

Industrial seed oils to avoid: Soybean, corn, canola/rapeseed, cottonseed, sunflower and safflower. Don’t eat anything containing these products even if it's organic.

HOW TO SHOP:

I recommend the strategy that you stick to the perimeter of your grocery store for the majority of your food purchases. Again, that means protein, produce (fruit and vegetables) and diary. The processed food and junk are in the middle aisles.

Stick to whole foods. You’ll get everything you need nutritionally from these things without all the extra sauces, flavorings, colorings and additives.

HYDRATION:

Optimal hydration is important for your overall health. Hydration regulates organ function, joint lubrication, digestive function, mood, sleep quality and cognition. When your systems are functioning properly you’re less likely to experience symptoms of burnout.

One gallon of water is 128 ounces. On average, women need 88 ounces of water per day and men need 120 ounces of water per day. Of course, individuals may need a little less or a lot more depending on activity level and weather, as well as perspiration rate.

It’s important to note that if you sweat heavily, your body is not just losing water, you’re losing electrolytes as well. Signals of dehydration include fatigue and headache. You can make sure you’re staying hydrated by adding electrolytes into your water. The medical establishment calls for you to reduce or limit sodium, but your body will regulate your salt level in your blood if you’re healthy. If your system has too much salt, you’ll eliminate it in your urine. Studies show that up to 5 grams per day are safe if you don’t have other health issues. If you add some Celtic sea salt to your water, you’ll get electrolytes and other minerals. Don’t use regular table salt.

Coffee and tea won’t harm you, but keep in mind caffeine is a diuretic which means it increases urine production. Some researchers think the fluid in caffeinated drinks balances out the diuretic effects. Just remember to limit these types of drinks and make sure you get enough water. 

Back to the point that 80% of your body composition is based on your food intake, I suggest getting rid of energy drinks, soda, etc. and don’t rely on any of those beverages as a hydration tool. There is nothing good in those drinks that your body needs. I’ve previously covered energy drink health hazards in a blog article if you want to go read more information. 

The takeaway is that optimal nutrition and hydration puts you in control of your overall health. Your overall health directly impacts your mood and behavioral health. When you’re on top of your game with physical and behavioral health, you’re more likely to be resilient and that leads to the ability to manage stress and avoid burnout.

Disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional. I provide information for your education. I encourage you to research these topics further for yourself in your journey to healing and health. If you have significant physical or behavioral health concerns, you should see a qualified medical provider and preferably one who specializes in holistic health. Understand that medicine is oriented toward pharmaceutical remedies for what can be organic physical health issues. Don’t accept a medical band-aid to cover symptoms when you can fix the root cause. I urge people to do their own research or ask someone for help. 

If you or a family member are having any issues with mental health or relationships, please reach out for help. Responder Health (responderhealth.com) is an organization that offers resources specifically for first responders and their families. Responder Health provides confidential and full-service solutions that support first responders through stress and traumatic events, and provides them with the education, resources, and community they need to live healthy, happy lives. Our peer advocate hotline (206)459-3020 offers a confidential 24-hour crisis referral service for all public safety employees, all emergency services personnel, and their family members nationwide.