Superintendent’s Chat

Richard McClements

 

 

Last Sunday, I happened to run into Steve Zientek, High School Science Teacher and coach of our wrestling team, at the Safeway in Flagstaff.  He and I were chatting about athletics, and he mentioned that he had just taken the wresting team to Ganado for a weigh-in certification and a blood sample to test their levels of hydration.  The latter is done to assess the baseline body/fat percentage.  Steve said that the blood tests of all of the members of the wrestling team and those of other teams on the Reservation show that the they were dehydrated – meaning their blood indicated their bodies did not have sufficient water to carry out critical bodily functions.  A year and a half ago, Dr. Bunch in Page told me the very same thing.  My blood was extremely thick. 

 

It is obvious that we live in a climate that is arid and dry.  We are also at a high elevation.  These factors increase our need for proper hydration.  Our bodies need even more water than someone who lives back East where the air tends to be more moist.  Symptoms of dehydration include thirst, dry mouth, lethargy (lack of energy), and mental confusion.  The following site, http://cellhealthmakeover.com/water.html, says that  the body cries for water.  That site states that, “The truth is that dehydration can cause diseases like asthma, hypertension, ulcers, allergies, and arthritis.” 

 

Ms. Martha Tate, Board Member, and I attended a conference on brain-based learning several years ago at Harvard.  One of the workshops focused on the critical importance of students drinking lots of water every day in order that the brain functions optimally.  According to the following site:  http://www.isu.edu/ctl/nutshells/old_nutshells/9_1.htm the brain is 1/50th of a person’s normal body weight, yet it consumes 18-20% of blood circulation.  When the person does not have sufficient water intake, and that deprivation is over time, the brain no longer functions properly.  The brain is more than 80% water. In 1995, neurophysiologist C. Hannaford noted that poor learning performance can often be traced simply to mild dehydration. Mr. Hannaford said that dehydration is a special problem in areas like Denver, which are typified by dry air and high altitude.  (Our attitude is higher, and we are dryer.)  Learning specialists advocate eight to fifteen glasses of water daily to optimize learning performance.  Since we all know that access to water is an issue for many families in our area, could that be a contributing factor for the lack of academic performance for some students?  I encouraged the teachers and principals at that time to have students bring water in plastic containers from home and to drink water all day long.  Many teachers and parents did so that first year, but I have not seen it as often since.  Teachers, please encourage this practice and see that students who do not bring water visit the water fountains at the school as much as possible.  The reason for doing so can be seen in the following citation:

 

Poor hydration adversely affects a child's mental performance and

learning ability. Symptoms of mild dehydration may include tiredness, headaches and a feeling not unlike jet lag, as well as reduced alertness

and ability to concentrate. Mental performance including memory,

attention and concentration can decrease by about 10 percent, once

 thirst is felt. Mental performance deteriorates progressively as the

degree of dehydration increases. Thirst is usually felt when

dehydration results in 0.8 - 2 percent loss of body weight lost due

 to water loss. For a 10-year-old child weighing 30kg this is equivalent

 to one or two very large glasses of water (300ml each), which is the

amount a child could lose during a PE lesson or running around

in the playground. Water consumption also has an immediate

alerting and revitalising effect. In schools taking part in the Food

in Schools water provision pilot project, the consensus from teachers

was that "enhanced provision contributed to a more settled and

 productive learning environment, as well as helping to instill good habits". The key to boosting the capacity to learn is to keep well hydrated throughout each day (ideally from a personal water bottle within arm's reach). http://www.wateriscoolinschool.org.uk/faq.html

 

 I would also encourage students and parents to completely refrain from having kool aid and soda in the house.  Both are filled with sugar.  Sugar in the diet requires even more water to process it through the system.  According to the following site:  http://cellhealthmakeover.com/water.html, I also learned that whenever possible, drink water through a straw, and to drink water at least ˝ hour prior to eating.  Water taken with food dilutes and drains some of the digestive juices out of the stomach. 

 

I checked a site that tells you the amount of water you should drink daily based upon various factors, such as your weight, age, amount of coffee consumed, elevation, arid conditions, etc.  I should be drinking 4.1 liters a day.  Up until now, I have been taking one glass of water with lunch.   I will work toward that target. 

 

Water is the essence of life.  Consume it!