Drink Your Water

We all know, or should know, that water is essential for survival. It is also essential for optimum health. Many of us do not get enough water. Most everyone has heard "drink 8 glasses a day", but even that may not be enough. The trending guideline now is that you should drink one ounce of water for every two pounds of weight. Jut take your weight, divide by 2 and that is how many ounces of water you should drink each day ... AT A MINIMUM. So, lets say you weight 180 lbs. 180 divided by 2 is 90. You need 90 ounces of water each day. 90 ounces is just a tad over 11 8oz glasses a day. Sounds like a lot, but its really not. Most bottled water is 16-20 ounce bottles, so that is only 5 or 6 bottles of water. You can count the water you consume in your coffee and tea or other beverages. Just keep in mind that drinks with caffeine are a diuretic and cause your body to expel water, which offsets the total a little. AND, on a side note....don't count soft drinks. You really should not be drinking them at all !! 

Drinking water at certain times of the day has benefits as well and maximizes its effect on the body. Drinking 2 glasses (remember a glass is 8oz) after waking each morning activates your organs and actually kicks your metabolism into gear. Those wanting to lose weight will find this to be a great boost to your weight loss. The sooner you drink it after awakening, the better off you will be. Another good time is to drink a glass of water about 30 minutes before a meal. This will help your digestion and help you feel full sooner and avoid overeating. A glass of water before your bath can help lower your blood pressure. As important as drinking upon awakening, drinking a glass of water before going to bed can help avoid a stroke or heart attack. Sure you may need to get up and go to the bathroom, but I think you will agree that it beats not getting up at all!! Water before bed can also help prevent leg cramps if you are prone to those.

The guidelines above are for a minimally active person. If you exercise, you will probably need more water. With the summer heat, you may need even more when working or exercising outside. Additionally, water alone may not be enough for the very active. Electrolyte replacement is critical when exercising or working in the heat. As great as plain water is, it may not be meeting your body's requirements for that replacement. There are numerous products on the market. Avoid sugary drinks like Gatorade and Powerade. Although they do supply some electrolyte replacement, they also add calories, and the sugar will actually make you thirstier. Check a running store or bike shop and find something that pros and elite athletes are using. I use a product called AdvoCare Rehydrate. There are others, just check the balance of sodium and potassium, look for low sugar. An ingredient called Sustamine is also desirable as it has been proven to get the electrolytes into your system faster.

Hope this helps. DRINK YOUR WATER and stay hydrated when exercising and in the heat.