Category: hydration

How Do I know I Am Dehydrated?

J Walden

Good question, and one that seems obvious to some.  The most common side effect is thirst.  Duh, right?  But did you know that there are many other signals your body sends to your brain when dehydration sets in that you may not be aware of currently?  Such as:

  • Feeling dizzy
  • Muscle Cramps
  • Cravings for Sweets
  • Fewer trips to bathroom (for #1 or #2)

Here is an excellent article posted in BicyclingMagazine about just these symptoms and how to address them.
https://www.bicycling.com/news/a20044214/dehydration-symtoms/

Drinking plain, old fashioned water is the best way to keep your body working in perfect order. Every organ, tissue, and cell in your body needs it. Add an electrolyte drink when exercising at a strenuous level for more than 1 hour. Pretty plain and simple. You demand a lot from your body, so give it what it needs to perform at it’s best.

pexels-photo-113734.jpeg
Photo by Snapwire on Pexels.com

 

 

100+ oz. a day!!!

100+ oz. a day!!!

J Walden
what-color-is-your-pee
 

Thought this little diagram would bring this message home.  Why in the world should you drink 100+ oz. of water a day?  So many reasons, so go grab a glass of water and read on….

1. It keeps your body functioning the way it should. Our bodies are composed of about 60% water – over HALF of your body weight. Essential bodily functions such as digestion, circulation, absorption of nutrients, and the maintenance of body temperature are all affected by your hydration level. Without the proper intake, your body has to determine which function to perform poorly. Don’t make your body choose.

2. Water keeps your muscles from fatiguing too quickly. Your muscles are made up of millions of cells, which when deprived, can result in performance loss and electrolyte imbalance. We eat for the training we do so why not hydrate for it as well? Hydrating while working up a sweat will keep you in the game for longer and with more strength.

3. Water improves elasticity EVERYWHERE. That’s right! In case you didn’t catch that, improved elasticity all over your body. If you want your skin to look supple and bright, drink more water. Dehydration causes your skin to look dry and wrinkled – WHO WANTS THAT?! Not us. Drink up and you will start to look fresh.

4. Water keeps things…..moving down there. It keeps your kidneys and gastrointestinal tract functioning as they should. These organs are critical to our health and when they aren’t given the proper amounts of fiber and hydration, they start to shut down. You’ve heard of kidney stones and constipation. Yeah. Although nothing will trump your genetics (some people are just prone to digestion issues, no matter their H2O intake), drinking enough water will definitely lower your risk for both.

5. The BEST reason to drink water?! It aids in fat loss. It’s not new news that drinking enough water keeps us full and satisfied between meals. When you THINK you’re hungry, you might actually be dehydrated. Drink a glass of water to find out. If you are still hungry after those 8oz of clear goodness, then go for the snack. I find I’m almost ALWAYS thirsty when my belly says time for something sweet. Your body knows best but our brains trick us into thinking we should eat more.

Cheers to peeing clear all day!

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Weekly Motivation #4 Cheers to Health

J Walden

As we near the end of January, I wanted to touch on a topic that is controversial, digestive system detox.  There are a lot of varying opinions out there about if, when, and how to cleanse your liver and digestive system.  I have never been a fan of long term detoxifications because they are very restrictive and often harmful.  Instead, I recommend one day of sipping a simple clean juice.  Nurse it all day long by just sipping it, do not drink it straight down.  Cheers to your health!

  • 2 slices of green apple (peal included)
  • 2 oz. Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 8 oz. water
  • pinch cinnamon
  • lemon juice (optional

mix together in glass and sip all day.

 

Another terrific way to add flavor to your water and give it a nutritional boost is to add the following:

  • 1 stick of lemongrass (could substitute 1/2 tsp of lemongrass paste)
    1/2 apple with peel sliced
  • 1/2 pear with peel sliced

Add all to a pitcher or large Mason Jar of fresh water. Let steep in refrigerator for 1 hour or longer, pour and enjoy.

Change is starting, but don’t be fooled by Vitaminwater.

J Walden

If you have taken my “What’s the Scoop on Sugar” Seminar, then you are familiar with how much sugar is in this labeled “healthy” drink.  Finally going forward, it’s label will be a little less misleading (see article below).  Eight tsps of sugar in one drink is over the recommended limit for a day.  All of it in only one drink.

Best way to avoid these pitfalls is be a savvy consumer and read labels!

“Vitaminwater Agrees to Avoid Certain Health Claims and Add ‘With Sweeteners’ to Label

Coca-Cola Brand Resolves Lawsuit Over Healthy-Sounding Buzzwords

By E.J. Schultz. Published on September 30, 2015.
Coca-Cola-owned Vitaminwater has agreed to make certain labeling changes as part of a legal settlement with a health group that has criticized the brand’s marketing practices.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, or CSPI, filed a lawsuit against the company in 2009, alleging that Vitaminwater made deceptive claims by using healthy-sounding buzzwords such as “focus” and “endurance.” The settlement agreement, which has been filed in a federal court in New York, lays out ten statements that Vitaminwater cannot use in its marketing or labeling.

The banned statements include “vitamins + water = what’s in your hand,” “this combination of zinc and fortifying vitamins can . . . keep you healthy as a horse” and “specially formulated to support optimal metabolic function with antioxidants that may reduce the risk of chronic diseases and vitamins necessary for the generation and utilization of energy from food.”
A CSPI spokesman said Coca-Cola began removing many of the statements at issue after the group filed its lawsuit, but that the deal ensures those changes will be permanent.
A Coca-Cola spokeswoman said the company was pleased to reach a resolution. “Although we remain confident in our legal position, it simply made no sense to continue this costly legal battle,” she said.
The settlement also forces the brand to add the words “with sweeteners” on two parts of the label near the brand’s name. According to CSPI, Vitaminwater has 32 grams of sugar, equaling about eight teaspoons.
Of late, Vitaminwater has used the tagline “Hydrate the Hustle.” A TV spot running nationally last year featured comedian Kevin Hart, who touted the brand as providing “hard-working hydration.” The brand’s website, meanwhile, includes playful messages describing the brand’s multiple flavor varieties. For instance, the red-colored “power-c dragonfruit” flavor carries the message “doesn’t ‘power-c’ sound way cooler than ‘vitamin c’? we thought so, too.” The “xxx acai-blueberry-pomegranate” variety is described as “the kind of xxx you can consume in front of your mother.”

That much water? Really?

J Walden

Okay, so now you know you need water throughout the day, everyday from my last post https://eatlivefit.net/2015/08/03/how-important-is-water/

But, did you know that drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body?

  • 2 glasses of water after waking up – helps activate internal organs
  • 1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal – helps digestion
  • 1 glass of water before taking a bath – helps lower blood pressure
  • 1 glass of water before going to bed – avoids stroke or heart attack I can also add to this… My Physician told me that water at bed time will also help prevent night time leg cramps. Your leg muscles are seeking hydration when they cramp and wake you up with a Charlie Horse.

Your are still short several glasses even after adding all these to your agenda.  Here are a few more hints to get you to optimum hydration each and every day:

  • Drink only water with meals.  You want to taste your food and drinking other liquids will mask your tastebuds and in turn influence the taste of the food you are eating.  Save other liquids for in between meals.
  • Aim to drink 3/4 of your water intake for the day before 3 pm so that you do not end up getting up in the night to go to the bathroom.  Yes, initially you will have to go more often, but within a week, your body will adjust that and you will be able to go longer between bathroom breaks.
  • Take your water bottle wherever you roam!  Keep it with you,
  • Take a sip at every water fountain you pass, or from your bottle since you have that handy anyway, right?  Let the visual cue of a water fountain serve as a reminder to drink some now.

Finally, here is a quick chart to give you an idea of how much water you should take in each day personally.  This is general because it doesn’t take into account any medications/supplements taken, exercise frequency, duration and intensity, and/or your current level of hydration.  Let it be a “good rule of thumb” tool to use as a Minimum amount of water to drink. (8 oz. equals one glass)

Body Weight Ounces of Water Daily
100 pounds 67 ounces
110 pounds 74 ounces
120 pounds 80 ounces
130 pounds 87 ounces
140 pounds 94 ounces
150 pounds 100 ounces
160 pounds 107 ounces
170 pounds 114 ounces
180 pounds 121 ounces
190 pounds 127 ounces
200 pounds 134 ounces
210 pounds 141 ounces
220 pounds 148 ounces
230 pounds 154 ounces
240 pounds 161 ounces
250 pounds 168 ounces

Don’t be fooled by the “drink when you are thirsty” recent claims in the media, if your lips are chapped or you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated.

As always, I am here to help just an email away at eatlivefit@hotmail.com

How important is water?

J Walden

 

 

don't be the same. Be Better

I often am asked why is water so important?

Here is the down and dirty truth:  Water is the second most important nutrient for our bodies.  The science speaks for itself:  60-80% of the human body is made up of water.

A Human Brain is 95% water

Blood is 82% water

Lungs are 90% water

Bones are 25% water

Muscles are 70% water

EVEN FAT is 20% water

“The water in our systems is constantly moving in and out of our cells and needs to be replenished.  Both voluntary movements (exercise, or even just getting in our car to go home) and involuntary movements (digestion, blood circulation, etc.) require water to work.  When we are dehydrated these actions suffer and as a result we feel tired, sluggish, and unable to concentrate.  Even a small water level drop in our systems (2%) signifies dehydration resulting in feelings of fatigue, fuzzy short term memory, difficulty focusing, and a noticeable reduction in physical performance, and headaches”(NAFC nutrition). If the body’s fluids are not restored quickly it goes from bad to worse quickly.  Good old fashioned water is the key to avoid feeling this way.

Thinking back, I remember the days when I was trying every new diet on the planet.  I remember reading that water staves off hunger so I jumped in with glasses in both hands.  Don’t get me wrong, staying hydrated is a great way to stave off hunger, but water alone cannot be a diet, you must have a good mix of food along with that hydration to keep your body functioning at optimum levels.  So many “diets” merely help you loose water weight, especially those that claim rapid weight loss.

The headlines are everywhere, “Loose 5 pounds in 10 days!” or “guaranteed weight loss!”  These quick weight loss offerings are often promising weight loss through water loss, which in turn will come back to bite you.  Dehydration slows down the fat burning activity of muscles and fat cells for one!  Feeling lousy, tired, and lacking motivation is another.  These are NOT ways I want to loose weight because my body does not like this state and will fight me to get back to normal hydration.

Need more convincing? Here is the latest scientific evidence of the role water plays in disease reduction.  Staying adequately hydrated will bring the following results:

45% reduction in incidence of colon cancer

50% reduction in incidence of bladder cancer

79% reduction in incidence of breast cancer

 

So, the next question is, how do I know I am hydrated?

Two easy ways to tell:

  • You should be using the restroom at least 4 times a day, often more.  The color of the water in the bowl should be watered down lemonade.  Any darker and you need to drink more.
  • Second is to pinch the top of the back of your hand, if the skin snaps back into place within a second or two, chances are your hydration is optimal.  If it is slow to recess back, you are dehydrated and should drink more water.

Finally, this is a daily balance.  One day you may be more hydrated because of the weather, and how you worked out, and what you ate.  The next day, you could eat the exact same and end up dehydrated due to medicine/vitamin changes, hormonal changes, lack of sleep, etc..  Hydration is a balancing act, so you WILL have days you need more water than others.

So raise a glass of water and let’s toast to better health!