Sunday Salon ~ eat, drink, exercise, and read

When I went to my doctor for a follow-up appointment, she said my blood pressure is up and put me on the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).  So I got a couple of books from the library:

1. The DASH Diet Action Plan: Proven to Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol without Medication ~ by Marla Heller, 2007, health
2. The DASH Diet for Hypertension: Lower Your Blood Pressure in 14  Days — Without Drugs ~ by Thomas Moore and three others, 2001, health

I ran across this online list of ten warning signs that about being dehydrated and decided to make sure I'm drinking enough water, especially since I woke up one day last week with severe cramps in both my legs (see #4):

1. Increased heart rate
2. Bad breath and dry mouth
3. Sudden food cravings
4. Joint and muscle pain
5. Intense headaches
6. Upset stomach
7. Fatigue
8. Infrequent urination
9. Dry skin
10. Trouble focusing

I thought I was drinking plenty of water, but now I'll start counting how much water I actually drink each day.

Clawdia is a friendly cat — here she's visiting a neighbor in the hall.

Besides watching what I eat and drink, exercise is the other component of getting healthier.  I've been attending an exercise class twice a week, but maybe I should exercise more often.  I guess I could do more walking, though I already walk around the Crown Center each day for the activities I've signed up for, go shopping for groceries and other necessities, run errands with and for some of the people who live here, and take my cat for a walk at least once daily, though I admit we stop a lot so she can investigate smells and look at everything dropped on the carpets and visit anyone who invites her to be petted.  Maybe I can get in the habit of doing a short exercise routine every morning.  Maybe.

Bloggers gather in the Sunday Salon — at separate computers in different time zones — to talk about our lives and our reading.