March Showers: Get Your H20!

If you see me during the day, you’ll notice that I take a lot of multi-colored vitamins—I’m a big proponent of health, as there are real ripple effects of nutrition connected with both professional achievement and personal happiness….But the simple component of well-being that I want to address today is sometimes overlooked as a strategic factor in student success.  While it’s a major commitment of time and energy to compile my “daily dose” of twelve different supplements and get them in my bag each morning, there is one essential ingredient that is easily accessible (at least here in America—) which can actually improve your child’s test scores:  WATER.

In a recent article of Scientific American Mind, researchers report that we are often not aware of being dehydrated, but a lack of water can cause a variety of problems:   a) prevent clear cognition, b) cause brain tissue to wither, c) interfere with planning/decision making, and d) restrict short-term memory ability by affecting important attention to detail.  One study, conducted in 2010 by Dr. Matthew J. Kempton at King’s College in London, revealed that even slight dehydration causes brain cells in the frontal lobe (which is in charge of executive functioning) to shrivel…just like plants!

Another experiment, conducted at the University of East London in 2009, revealed that “having a drink can help kids think.”  When thirsty six and seven year-olds were given a glass of water before an exam, they actually improved the accuracy of their answers.  These results can give teachers pause—when a student asks to visit the water fountain, we sometimes assume that this request is a delinquent diversion or devious detour, but kids are intuitively wise and they often instinctively understand the connection between being hydrated and having access to essential information.

“Ruled by the Body” by Erich Kasten addresses additional angles of health, especially physical conditions that can cause depression.  Check out how inflammation, lack of iron, and hormones affect both our moods and mind by reading more at:   http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=ruled-by-the-body.  While we deal with March showers outside, let’s not forget that—like flowers—our children need lots of H20 to grow!