Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water during this busy Labor Day weekend! 13 cups/3 liters each day is recommended for men and 9 cups/2.2 liters each day is recommended for women. If you’ll be out in the sun make sure to drink extra on top of the normal recommendation. 

Don’t like water? Or can’t see yourself drinking that much flavorless liquid? Then follow our lead in Tranquility (the Special Operations Massage Division of Balance); each morning we add some selection of fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, lemon, or orange, with any number of tasty ingredients. Favorites have been a combination of orange, lemon, and lime; orange and a cinnamon stick; and strawberry and mint leaves.

But, if that doesn’t do enough to convince you, then you may also consider drinking a beverage with electrolytes like sports drinks, enhanced waters, and electrolyte drink mixes if you have been sweating, just watch out for all of the sugars and other additives which come along with them!

Also, if you are drinking any amount of alcohol, step up you water intake! That delicious margarita will lead to rapid dehydration, and research suggests that beer may even be worse! Pre-game your day with plenty of good fluids and then go with a one-to-one ratio for alcoholic beverages. This will at least help keep you afloat while you’re enjoying your day.

Whatever you do, start your fluid intake before you spend too much time sweating. If you wait to long to start watering your body you may be too late… next stop, an IV bag in the ER. Sounds fun, right? 

For more information on staying hydrated, click here!

If you’re going to be outside, make sure you’re either appropriately covered (hats, glasses, and light clothing covering the exposed areas of skin), or re-applying sunscreen every two hours. If you start to feel overheated, make sure you find air-conditioning or shade as soon as possible to prevent heat stroke and heat exhaustion. 

Not a big sunscreen fan? Neither are we! But, If you’re going to be out in the melting hot sun this weekend for 30 minutes or more, then you may want to consider bending your beliefs just a tad. While there is good research out there suggesting that sunscreen can be bad for you, there’s a great deal more suggesting over exposure to the sun can be even worse!

To help you on your quest to get outdoors and have fun in the insanity of this Oregon weather, while maintaining a nice, golden glow to your skin, we found this amazing group online: the EWG, or Environmental Working Group. They have a broad range of research groups, covering everything from drinking water to, yes, sunscreen! Want help choosing a safe and effective sunscreen? Click here! Want to look into everything else this sweet organization has its hands in? Follow this one!

We all know people like to celebrate the long weekend with a few alcoholic beverages! With the heat we are expecting, that alcohol is only going to take hold faster, making it even more likely for bad decisions to happen.

Yes, at Balance we stand by the adage, “DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE!“

But, we also have another philosophy around here… WATCH OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER. Maybe its because we are a family here at Balance. Or perhaps it’s my Marine Corps background which taught me to never leave anyone behind. You go in together, you come out together. 

This is the late two-thousand-teens, folks. Everyone has a cell phone, and those phones can call someone who cares, cab companies who will care for the right price, or can navigate to apps such as Uber or Lyft which many times will give you a discount on your first use!

Helpful links to deal with all the drinks!

How to take care of a drunk person.

Cab companies (in no particular order!):

• Portland Taxi Cab Company: (503) 256-5400
• Broadway Cab: (503) 333-3333
• Radio Cab: (360) 694-1234

Ride Apps (in no particular order!):

• If you want to use Lyft go here for a list of promo codes accepted for new and current users.
• If you want to use Uber you can get up to $20 off your first ride, it seems, by going here.

People to consider calling (I can’t help you with a number here):

• Mom or dad
• Brother or sister
• Local friend or other relative
• Reach out for help on Facebook
• Use the National Directory of Designated Driver Services!