The princess and the pee

image via google.com

When it comes to bathroom etiquette, I am the first to shun those who speak about their bowl movements like its a breaking news announcement, yes, I know #judgmentalmidget. Bring sex into it and its like I can't stop myself from blurting out the first thing that's on my mind. Anyways that's for another day. What I really wanted to talk about was your pee, yes you giving me the side eyes. The thing is, no one likes to talk about their bathroom habits, and I am certainly one of those people, but this is a free space and even pseudo princess like myself have to touch on issues like pee.

So the thing is, for a long time I was always so shy about using public/friends/family friends, basically anyone who wasn't my mom's bathroom. Until of course several bladder infections and a talking to from the Dr who told me to "let it go, let it goooo" ha ha, see what I did there (no wonder Frozen is a cultural phenomenon, there's a princess talking about peeing, ha ha, ok ok back to the task at hand). Anyways since then, when I need to go to the bathroom, I go, especially since I've accepted in my older age that its normal and nothing to be embarrassed about. So what should you know about peeing? Well here are the top 3 things to know about your pee from one of my favorite health bloggers Hannah

Color: There are tons of factors that determine urine color, the simplest of which is whether or not you’re well hydrated. If you’re not drinking enough water your pee will be a shade of deep amber or honey, and if you are getting the proper amount of fluids it’ll be closer to clear. Simply put, the darker your pee, the more water you need to drink throughout the day. Also, taking certain vitamins and medications or eating densely-colored veggies like beets can change the color from yellow to pink or even light blue, so don’t be alarmed if that’s the case!

Smell: Your pee shouldn’t typically have a strong smell, but if it does the cause could be as simple as one of your last meals containing asparagus, which breaks down into sulfuric-scented compounds within just 30 minutes of ingestion. If you haven’t noshed on this green vegetable recently but you notice a distinct, ammonia-like smell it could be due to a urinary tract infection, dehydration or certain medications. These conditions can seriously affect your health so it’s important that you notify your doctor if you catch a whiff of something funky in your pee that’s not asparagus related.

pH Balance: Another way pee is an excellent indicator of overall health is through its pH levels, which can be easily tested with an at-home urine analysis kit. The test determines the body’s alkalinity or acidity, or its pH balance, and the goal is to hover between a neutral pH level of 7.0 and 7.45. So the lower the number, the more acidic your pH and the higher the number, the more alkaline your pH. Most people wind up on the acidic side because of poor eating habits or stress, but finding the perfect pH balance is as easy as adding more alkalizing foods to your diet like green vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds.