I have a pet peeve. It is when people tell me that they hate drinking water. I feel like asking them, do you also hate breathing air? Because there is nothing more fundamental to surviving on this planet than drinking water. You can live without food for months, but spend a day hiking through the desert and THEN tell me you hate water!
Is water an exciting drink? No. Is it sexy? No. Is it excessively sweet, like a diet Dr. Pepper? No. Is it fancy like a Pina Colada with an umbrella in it? No. Is it pretty and colorful? No. Is it expensive? No. Is it the latest fad? No.
Water is none of the above. It is simply basic to human health to consume plenty of it. Our bodies are composed mainly of water and we need to constantly replenish the water that we lose through breathing, urinating, defecating, and, more obviously, sweating. Even without exercising, we need about 10 cups of water per day. In the heat, especially when exercising outdoors, this need rises much higher.
When you become even slightly dehydrated, every bodily system suffers. Your heart becomes strained when it has to pump thickened blood through your body and this causes your blood pressure to rise. Your cognitive functions become impaired and headaches ensue. You will experience muscle cramps and joint pain. You will feel fatigued, possibly dizzy and nauseous. Your digestive system will slow down and toxic waste products will linger longer in your digestive tract. All of these symptoms are signs of mild dehydration.
Chronic dehydration also affects your baseline metabolism. When you drink plenty of water, you will boost your metabolism and burn calories more efficiently. So for anyone seeking weight loss, drinking plenty of water is a total no-brainer. Water is the calorie-free beverage of choice!
What about those fancy sports drinks that claim to help your performance, make you a superstar, and allow you to sweat neon green and pink? It is widely accepted that sports drinks are unnecessary if you are exercising for one hour or less. If your workout lasts closer to two hours, if you tend to sweat excessively, if you are exercising outdoors in high temperatures and/or high humidity, these factors could make sports drinks useful. Basically, these drinks contain sugars and salts, including minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, plus stuff you might not want to put into your body such as artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. Look for brands that are sold in health food stores or natural markets or even make your own. A squeeze of lemon juice, a teaspoon of honey and a dash of salt in a quart of water and you are set!
If you begin making an effort to drink more water, you will notice the benefits very quickly. Let me know how you feel once you make this change. I am betting on better!
Is water an exciting drink? No. Is it sexy? No. Is it excessively sweet, like a diet Dr. Pepper? No. Is it fancy like a Pina Colada with an umbrella in it? No. Is it pretty and colorful? No. Is it expensive? No. Is it the latest fad? No.
Water is none of the above. It is simply basic to human health to consume plenty of it. Our bodies are composed mainly of water and we need to constantly replenish the water that we lose through breathing, urinating, defecating, and, more obviously, sweating. Even without exercising, we need about 10 cups of water per day. In the heat, especially when exercising outdoors, this need rises much higher.
When you become even slightly dehydrated, every bodily system suffers. Your heart becomes strained when it has to pump thickened blood through your body and this causes your blood pressure to rise. Your cognitive functions become impaired and headaches ensue. You will experience muscle cramps and joint pain. You will feel fatigued, possibly dizzy and nauseous. Your digestive system will slow down and toxic waste products will linger longer in your digestive tract. All of these symptoms are signs of mild dehydration.
Chronic dehydration also affects your baseline metabolism. When you drink plenty of water, you will boost your metabolism and burn calories more efficiently. So for anyone seeking weight loss, drinking plenty of water is a total no-brainer. Water is the calorie-free beverage of choice!
What about those fancy sports drinks that claim to help your performance, make you a superstar, and allow you to sweat neon green and pink? It is widely accepted that sports drinks are unnecessary if you are exercising for one hour or less. If your workout lasts closer to two hours, if you tend to sweat excessively, if you are exercising outdoors in high temperatures and/or high humidity, these factors could make sports drinks useful. Basically, these drinks contain sugars and salts, including minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, plus stuff you might not want to put into your body such as artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. Look for brands that are sold in health food stores or natural markets or even make your own. A squeeze of lemon juice, a teaspoon of honey and a dash of salt in a quart of water and you are set!
If you begin making an effort to drink more water, you will notice the benefits very quickly. Let me know how you feel once you make this change. I am betting on better!
Nice post.
ReplyDeleteHere's a website put together by a couple of snowboarders who were frankly, fed up with the sports drink marketing machine: http://www.wedrinkwater.com/
And if you're a locavore, not much is more local than your kitchen faucet!