Of a certain age...

It started one Friday afternoon while sitting at my computer... just a little tickle in the back of my throat. By 10 o'clock, I could no longer form a coherent thought. My head felt like it expanded to the size of a watermelon. My throat was raw. Couldn't stop coughing. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't eat. Just wanted to sleep. All weekend.

By Monday I felt better. I actually got some writing done in the morning. I picked up my granddaughter after school, but this time she read to me instead of me reading to her because by the time my daughter got here after work to pick her up, I was sinking back into oblivion all because a tiny bug I couldn't even see had returned to suck the life out of me.

I'm feeling better - and reminded to pay attention to the practice of healthy living.

Sick or well, we should all be drinking enough water to keep from getting dehydrated, which puts a strain on our body's systems. You've probably heard you should drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water every day, but when you think about it we are all different people with different body shapes, sizes and needs. We have different levels of physical activities and sweat our own unique amounts.

So drink water when you are thirsty or when you are hungry, which is often a sign of mild dehydration. Drink water before anything else. Cut back on coffee, a diuretic, which makes you urinate more frequently and can lead to dehydration. If you drink coffee throughout the day, drink a large glass of water for every cup of coffee you drink and gradually cut back to two cups of coffee a day.

Eat more fresh fruits and veggies. Whether it's adding a banana to your usual breakfast or choosing a salad at lunch, we could all do better. If you tend to nod off mid-afternoon, have an apple or some celery sticks with peanut butter. Once you start cutting out sugary, salty foods, your body will start to crave them less and you avoid sugar highs and lows.

If you consume meat on a regular basis, try making the portion of veggies even bigger. Eating too much meat can make our bodies acidic, while supplementing with fresh fruits and vegetables can help counteract that.

If you have a desk job or home office, sitting at a computer all day affects the muscles in your neck, shoulders and back. Studies show that sitting and slouching too much can lead not only to back and spine problems, but also gastrointestinal pains, headaches, bad circulation, and a whole host of other physical issues that show themselves as we age.

Set a timer to get up every 30 minutes and do 10 jumping jacks, or go for a short walk.

Above all, don't forget to breathe. The proper way to breathe is to take deep slow breaths, expanding your abdomen; hold for a few seconds and then slowly release, contracting the abdomen. As we get older we may become more stressed, which actually changes the way we breathe. Stress causes our bodies to go into "fight or flight" mode, whether the threat is real or imagined. Learn to meditate, slow down your breathing, focus on one word or image, and imagine the toxins flowing out of your system each time you exhale.