Eat, drink, pee: Basic life functions we screw up

As you putter through the day tackling your to-do list, do you ever stop and wonder whether you do the little things right? You know, basic life functions like drink, pee and breathe. (Come on. No one really stops to consider if they’re peeing correctly.) Here’s the scoop on whether you’re bungling the basics:


Your first mistake: Not peeing enough
Health fallout: The bladder is an extremely adaptable organ. Cells in the bladder actually have elastic properties and are stretchable and forgiving so periodically holding urine like when you’re on a road trip waiting for the next rest stop, or in the middle of an episode of “30 Rock,” shouldn’t cause significant problems. “But repeatedly or chronically holding it might increase your risk for urinary tract infections or even incontinence,” says Dr. Doug Hansen, medical director at Altitude Family and Internal Medicine in Denver and assistant professor of family medicine at University of Colorado. The bladder is like a rubber band. If you keep stretching it out by "holding it," at some point it won’t spring back by emptying fully. The remaining urine gets trapped leading to infection and incontinence issues.
The fix: Hit the restroom six to seven times per day when you have the “got-to-go” feeling, no matter what. When you have to go, go!
Your second mistake: Forgetting to daydream
What you’re doing wrong: “We spend most of our time in this brain state called the beta brain wave, which is associated with our logical thinking but it’s not a very inspirational state,” says Hansen. Daydreaming puts you into an alpha state where you are much more capable of creativity and inspiration. This is the feel-good state you’re in when you just wake up or fall asleep. It’s the same state a person reaches during meditation.
Health fallout: If you never daydream, zone out or chill long enough to enjoy this state, you never fully recharge, become inspired or have creative ideas. The alpha state can not only improve your emotions, but it can also improve your physical health. There are studies in the works that show reaching the alpha state through meditation specifically might lower the risk of both heart attack and cancer.

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