Critical Reflections on Health Behavior Change Essay -- SES Impact Upo

The health behavior that I chose to modify for the better was to consume more water each day. My goal for the week was to drink 70 ounces or 8.75 cups of water each day. I chose this as my health behavior change because I know how important it is to consume water, yet I have always struggled with consuming an adequate amount each day. While growing up, I drank mostly milk and different types of juices while neglecting to drink any water unless it was before, during, or right after a sporting event. Although milk and juice are not necessarily bad for me, I know they should only be consumed in moderate amounts. As I became older and found an interest in fitness and nutrition, I realized the many benefits to drinking water. Some of the benefits include helping with weight loss, maintaining balance of bodily fluids, keeping your skin looking young and acne free, increasing brain activity, and most importantly keeping you hydrated. Most of the time I am dehydrated and I know this just by looking at the color of my urine. In the past, I’ve noticed that when I do not drink enough water I feel fatigued and have occasional headaches. When I feel fatigued I have little energy, so I usually just lay in my bed and either watch T.V. or browse the internet on my laptop. However, I soon began to realize that if I keep neglecting my body such a vital factor in keeping me a live, then I will continue to always feel fatigued and waste valuable time where I could be working out, meal prepping for the week, or catching up on my studies. Studies have shown that by not drinking enough water, a person can not only become fat, but they can also suffer many health issues. Some of these issues include asthma and allergies, high cholesterol, bladder... ...amilies may tend to go to fast food venues more often than not because of the convenient access, but also because the food is cheap. Nonetheless, every fast food venue allows free cups of water which means that even people living in a low socioeconomic area still have access to clean water. However, there access to clean water is still limited since they have to actually go to a fast food restaurant to get water instead of just being able to drink from it at home. Works Cited "Clean Drinking Water." UNICEF. United Nations Children's Fund, n.d. Web. 22 May 2015. Krueger PM & VW Chang. 2008. Being Poor and Coping with Stress: Health Behaviors and the Risk of Death. American Journal of Public Health 98:889-896. Mercola DO, Joseph M. "What Happens to Your Body Within an Hour of Drinking a Coke." Mercola.com. Mercola, 12 Jan. 2008. Web. 22 May 2015.