Week 9: Are you Drinking Enough?

Water is the most abundant component of most of your body. In fact, about 60% of your body is made up of water. Our joints require it for lubrication, nutrients need it for transport and absorption, and our organs need it for protection. Simply put, water is essential for life.
 
We’re consistently losing water from our bodies, primarily from urine and sweat.  In Fact, 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Nearly half of Americans don't even come close to being fully hydrated. Even mild dehydration can trigger symptoms like headaches, fatigue, constipation, dizziness, irritability, and anxiety. But chronic dehydration leads to sunken eyes, shriveled skin, muscle cramps, joint aches, slower metabolism, higher blood sugar, and, on a weight related note, increased hunger. People are especially dehydrated when they wake up in the morning after a long sleep and consistent breathing.

 
 So how much water do you need?  There is the 8x8 rule, where you aim for 8, 8oz cups of water per day, but this may be low balling it for some people. According to the the Institute of Medicine about 13 cups (3 liters) of total beverages a day for Men and about 9 cups (2.2 liters) of total beverages a day for Women. And coffee counts! But this is just a ball park. Another metric commonly used is to drink half your body weight in oz. But, even water needs will vary from person to person and from day to day so best to look out for dehydration signs. 
 
Signs you are dehydrated:

• If your urine becomes darkly colored (normal color is straw colored)

You’re thirsty - Thirst kicks in when a person is approximately 1 percent dehydrated. At two percent dehydration, thirst becomes more intense, and dry mouth occurs at three percent (That's about three pounds for a 150-pound woman!).

What can water do for you?

1. Water helps to maximize physical performance. Dehydration can lead to altered body temperature control, reduced motivation, increased fatigue and make exercise feel much more difficult both physically and mentally. This makes sense as muscle is 80% water.
2. Hydration has a major effect on energy levels and brain function. Dehydration can manifest here in headaches, decreased memory and brain performance, and increased feelings of anxiety and fatigue.
3. Drinking more water may help relieve constipation. Carbonated water works pretty well here as well.
4. Drinking more water can help with WEIGHT LOSS! This is because water increases satiety and boost your metabolic rate. In fact, drinking half a liter (17 oz) of water was shown to increase metabolism by 24-30% for up to 1.5 hours! This means that drinking 2 liters of water every day can increase your total energy expenditure by up to 96 calories per day. The timing is important too, and drinking water half an hour before meals is the most effective. It can make you feel more full, so that you eat fewer calories. Studies show that people who drink two glasses of water immediately before a meal eat 22% less than those who don’t drink any water.

 
But back to the weight loss portion of dehydration. It’s very difficult for the body to tell the difference between hunger and thirst. So if you’re walking around feeling a gnawing sense of hunger, you might just be dehydrated. Try drinking a glass of water instead of grabbing a snack.
 
Research has also shown that drinking a glass of water right before a meal helps you to feel more full and eat less. Many people do find that if they have water before a meal, it’s easier to eat more carefully. In one study, dieters who drank half a liter of water before meals lost 44% more weight, over a period of 12 weeks.

It is actually best to drink water cold, because then the body will use additional energy (calories) to heat the water to body temperature.
Drinking water instead of other caloric beverages can dramatically boost weight loss. For one, drinking your calories doesn’t stimulate the same fullness mechanism that solid calories illicit. Thus, people who drink calories often don’t compensate by restricting other calories. Drinking more water may lead to decreased calorie intake and reduce the risk of long-term weight gain and obesity
 

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​HOT Lemon WATER = perfect morning hydration
 
HOW TO: Cut a lemon in half. Each morning squeeze half a lemon into 8-12 ounces almost boiling water. You can also add a few shakes of cayenne for a real wake-me-up.

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5 REASONS TO JOIN THE HOT LEMON WATER CLUB:
1. Craving Buster: Sour & bitter foods reset taste buds to help you crave less sweet stuff.
2. Immune Boost: Lemon contains immune-boosting vitamin C.
3. Energy Kick: Staying well hydrated keeps energy levels naturally high.
4. Appetite Help: Water before meals decreases appetite so you naturally eat less.
5. Mental Jumpstart: Starting the day with hot lemon water gives you the feeling that you’ve already done something good for your body. It puts you mentally on track to have a healthy day and can snap you out of a less-than-healthy eating streak.
 
So just how much water do you need? In general, you should try to drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh, every day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, that would be 75 to 150 ounces of water a day. If you’re living in a hot climate and exercising a lot, you’d be on the higher end of that range; if you’re in a cooler climate and mostly sedentary, you’d need less.
 
 
How can you build more water consumption into your day? Try these tips:

• Carry an insulated sports bottle with you and fill it up periodically.
• Keep a glass of water on your desk at work.
• Keep another glass next to your bed. Many of us wake up dehydrated first thing in the morning.
• Switch one glass of soda or cup of coffee for a glass of water.
• Drink small amounts of water throughout the day. Six glasses all at once isn’t good for you!

 
Too hard to drink water? Here are some of the most hydrating foods:

• Peaches (fresh, frozen or canned in natural juice)
• Grapes
• All types of melon, especially watermelon
• Citrus fruits
• Cauliflower
• Strawberries
• Cucumbers
• Green beans
• Broccoli
• Celery
• Eggplant
• Cottage cheese
• Broth based soups
• Yogurt
• Milk
• Coffee/Tea
• Mixed greens
• Tomatoes
• Oatmeal

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>>>CLICK HERE<<< for water infused recipes!