Hydrate for Health

Todays topic is water. Simple H2O. Most Americans are in a constant state of dehydration. We are hooked on coffee, soda pop, and the latest craze, energy drinks like Red Bull. The problem is most of these drinks contain lots of caffeine. Caffeine is a diuretic. Diuretics cause the body to dehydrate by ridding the body of essential water. That is not good for overall health and even worse for folks trying to lose weight.

When your body is dehydrated, your cells attempt to rectify the situation by holding on to the water that they have. Like a camel in the desert, this is called "survival mode". That prevents flushing out the toxins that naturally accumulate in your body through normal metabolism.

We are lucky here in Colorado Springs to have excellent water straight from the tap. Out in California (and other places too), one of the most common stores you see is called "Water and Ice". When I saw that the first time I went "What ? ". It turns out that the liquid coming out of the tap is better suited to removing varnish from old furniture.

But I digress once again. So how do we get the cells to release excess water ? By downing at least eight glasses of water (8oz ea.) daily. I was confused at first how this works, but once you supply your body with a sufficient amount of water, the "survival mode" switch gets turned off. Then your cells release the accumulated waste laden water and accept the new fresh water through the process of osmosis. The waste products are then carried out of the body.

It's kinda like getting an oil change in your car. Out with the old dirty oil and replace it with new fresh oil.

The adequate consumption of water enables the kidneys to function at peak capacity and enables the liver to metabolize stored fat much more efficiently. And folks, that is how we lose weight right ? So it becomes imperative to hydrate adequately.

Then how does one accomplish this goal? The best way is to get a re-usable plastic container that holds 16-20 oz of water. First thing in the morning, fill it up with water and keep it handy. I must admit I cannot function in the morning without a couple of cups of coffee. However, right after I finish my joe, I down a bottle of water and re-fill the container. I heard a great tip a while back on how to easily keep track of your consumption. Let's say your bottle holds 16 oz of water. So therefore you would need to drink at least 4 bottles during the course of a day. Find 4 rubber bands and put them around the outside of the bottle. Then when you drain the bottle, take one of the rubber bands off. So when all the rubber bands are off, you have accomplished your goal !

In the dry climate of Colorado, it might be advisable to even try to drink a bit more than 8 glasses a day. Also you should add 8oz per day for every 25 pounds that you would like to lose. At first you will experience (as Linda and myself have) when you increase the water enough to turn off the "survival mode" switch, the path to the restroom will a well-worn one. However after a week or so, the excess water will have all been flushed out and potty breaks will return to normal.

Ladies another added benefit from hydration is much better looking skin. It's true ! Finally for those folks who like to exercise, hydration eases muscle contraction and enables lactic acid (the familiar burn) to more easily be removed from muscle tissue. If you are not a big fan of the taste of plain water, add a bit of lemon juice for guilt-free flavor.

There you have it. Another essential part of the healthy lifestyle puzzle.

So lets all raise our glasses and get healthy !

Dave