picture: ecowomen.net
staying hydrated during exercise, and throughout our busy day
It can be difficult to remember to drink enough water every day, but it is even more difficult to bounce back from the effects of being even mildly dehydrated. Here are a few easy tips to help you reach your water intake:
start after waking up:
• Morning is when you are most dehydrated and full of toxins.
• After several hours of sleep, help your body flush out toxins by drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning.
• Soon after that, drink 4 more glasses.
• You can add to your water fresh lemon or ginger root for better taste and health.
we don`t rely on coffee, tea or sodas to provide for your fluids:
• If you are cold, drink warm water with herbs or lemon, ginger and honey instead of dehydrating coffee and tea.
• If you drink coffee, tea or sodas with caffeine, you will need to drink a few extra glasses of water to make up for the water that these diuretic beverages "leech" from your system.
healthy habits:
• Set a timer to remind yourself to establish a habit of drinking water every one hour and keep a bottle of water with you at all times.
• Drink a glass of water when you get up and another when you go to bed.
• Take regular water breaks.
• Use either bottled water or tap water, and carry it with you everywhere.
• Start by adding water to your daily regiment during the first week, and then incorporate more as needed.
• The point is not to wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
• Don't wait until you are thirsty to have a drink; you are already dehydrated if you feel thirsty.
water before and after meals:
• Ideally drink a glass of water half an hour before you eat your meal and half an hour after the meal.
• You can drink water with meals, and drink water anytime your body feels like it.
• You should always drink water prior to eating, and after eating, to support the digestive process.
• The stomach depends on water to help digest food, and lack of water makes it harder for nutrients to be broken down and used as energy.
• The liver, which dictates where all nutrients go, also needs water to help convert stored fat into usable energy.
• If you are dehydrated, the kidneys turn to the liver for backup, diminishing the liver’s ability to metabolize stored fat.
• The resulting reduced blood volume will interfere with your body’s ability to remove toxins and supply your cells with adequate nutrients.
sodium balance:
• It is very important you balance your sodium intake with your water consumption.
• Take 1/4 teaspoon of salt per quart of water - every 4-5 glasses of water.
• Be sure to get sea salt. The best is Celtic sea salt or Himalayan sea salt, both of which are readily available at any health food store.
more water during workout:
• Keep water flowing before, during and after workout.
Buy a nice re-usable bottle for halv a litre, if you don`t drink the water, be sure to shift it after some hours.
• Remember to balance your water intake with sodium intake.
• Drink at least one liter of water for every 60 minutes of exercise.
• Drink more if it’s hot. During exercise, such as playing sports on a hot summer day, you can lose up to 2 liters of fluid per hour. Water and a balanced salt intake is your best bet to keep healthy and hydrated.
• During exercise, it is recommended to replenish fluid at least every 20 minutes.
from aqua4balance.com
have a great well-hydrated week! i`m gonna try to drink my best.
^nicole
