Wellness connects all of us brain to toes.

Everything in our bodies is connected, like a big team working together to keep us healthy.

​​For example, think about the heart. If the heart stops working, blood can't flow, and oxygen can't reach the brain. Most people know this, especially because we learn how to help others with CPR and hear songs like "Staying Alive" that remind us how to save someone.

But it's not just the heart. Many parts of our bodies rely on each other to work well.

Let me share a story to help explain this. Imagine you have a grandma who lives in a nursing home. When you visit her, she seems happy and likes spending time with her friends. She is eating better and feels more energetic. Even though she has some memory problems because of dementia, she is doing better, and that makes you happy.

Then, when you visit a few weeks later, things are different. She looks upset and forgets many things. You feel surprised and worried, but you're also glad the nursing home called you. They tell you that she needs to go to the hospital for some tests. When you take her, she isn't happy about it, and everyone feels stressed.

At the hospital, the doctors run, some tests and give her fluids through an IV. They tell you that she will stay there overnight, but they are calm and say she will feel better soon.

That's great news! But you might wonder why she got so sick so quickly and how she can get better just like that.

You find out that this is a problem many people have. An older person got a urinary tract infection, which then moved up to their kidney. They might not want to wear diapers because they feel embarrassed. They also don't want to have accidents in front of others, so they start drinking less water. This can lead to dehydration, which means their body doesn't get enough water. Then, they aren't going to the bathroom enough, and something that seems "simple" can cause big problems in their body and brain and even affect their mood and behavior.

It can happen to both men and women, but the important thing to remember is that we all need to take care of our bodies to stay healthy. Wellness is all connected: brain and body.

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