Importance of Water in the Body

Hydration anyone?  How many people actually drink ALL of the water they are suppose to drink?  Why would you when we have all of the artificial liquid joy we can consume, right?  Let's take a closer look at which bodily functions actually use water to benefit yours truly (yourself!).

Nearly all of the body's organs rely on the consumption of water.  Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight.  Every system in your body depends on water.  For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ears, nose and throat tissues.

Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions.  Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired.

So how much fluid (i.e., plain ol' water) does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need?  The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day.  The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

For active exercising adults, a generic formula of body weight x .66= oz.  This should help you gather an idea of where you should be. 

Oh, and by the way...if you don’t have enough water in your diet, your liver will not metabolize fat as efficiently because your liver is taking on some of the functioning of the kidneys.  So if you don’t drink enough water, you will not metabolize fat as efficiently.  Think about it!!!

Week 2 Challenge - Water Intake

We are now into week 2 of the 8-week challenge from trainer, April Crosby.  How did you do last week with adding 20 minutes of activity into your daily routine?  Was it hard to find the time?  Were you successful?  Hopefully you were able to get your 20-minutes in on most of the days last week.  Keep going, though, don't stop just because that week's challenge is over.  The goal of this program is to improve your health and get you ready for spring!!  We are hoping you will make PERMANENT lifestyle changes and not just short-term changes.

This week's challenge is about hydration.  If you haven't read our previous blogs on water intake, go back and read "Water...Is it the Magic Pill for Weight Loss?" and "I Don't Like the Taste of Water - Do You?" before continuing with this week's challenge.  These blogs will give you a little better perspective on the importance of water and hydration.  With that being said, let's move on to this week's challenge.  Most Americans are in a constant state of dehydration due to the over-consumption of soft drinks/caffeinated drinks and sports or energy drinks.  How often do you drink just plain ol' water?  Our body's are made up of approximately 60% water.  Our brains are comprised of almost 70% water and lungs are nearly 90% water.  Without the proper hydration level, our bodies do not function at their peak performance.  More importantly, if you are dehydrated, you are not an efficient "fat-burning" machine.

So what is April asking of you this week?  In short, she wants you to increase your water intake.  Your goal is to consume half of your body weight in ounces of water daily.  For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, you will need to drink 100 ounces of water.  That's about 6 small water bottles a day.  First of all, don't panic.  If you are not up to speed on your water intake, start with baby steps in the beginning of this week.  The first couple of days, drink 25% of your weight in ounces of water.  In our example above, that would equate to 3 small bottles or 50 ounces of water.  Work your way up to half of your body weight of ounces.  You will be amazed at how much better you feel when your body is fully hydrated!  Your mind will be more clear, you'll have more energy, and most importantly your body will function as it should!!

So this week, keep up with your daily 20-minutes of physical activity and keep a water bottle with you all day.  Remember, we are looking for plain ol' water...not "vitamin" water or anything with additives in it.  You can add fresh fruit to your water to "spice" it up a bit but that's it!  Keep track of your water intake on your smart phone or in a journal.  Start small and work your way up. 

Let's make your body an efficient fat-burning machine so you can either lose those extra pounds or to keep them off permanently!!  Good luck and keep us posted on this blog or on Facebook.

Success at Obtaining Fitness Goals (Part 4)

Here is "Part 4" in Brad Covington's blog on becoming successful at obtaining your fitness goals.  Be sure to go back and check out his introduction, part 1, part 2, and part 3.

The next topic we will discuss on being successful at the gym is nutrition...the most vital portion of any fitness program.  There a 2 different mentalities when people join the local gym/fitness center:

1. I am working out, I can eat whatever I want. 
2. I am working out, I can’t eat anything and must restrict my diet.

These two trains of thought are both wrong. First it is not strictly about calories, it is about the right calories.   Not all calories are created equal.  For example, a piece of cake is not going to have the same effect on the body as a piece of grilled chicken or cup of broccoli.  So, it is not simply about “counting calories” as much as it is about “eating clean”, as we in the fitness industry like to put it.

What does that mean exactly?

For starters, take all refined sugars out of your body, it is the enemy.  Refined sugars are simply wasted empty calories that the body will turn into fat.  They will make you feel sluggish, unfocused, and unmotivated.

Second, make sure to take out all of the saturated fats in your diet. What that means is stop frying your foods and, instead, bake them, broil them, grill them.  Just don’t fry them!!!  It also means getting leaner meats and not as much red meat.  Add more fish and chicken, which are low in saturated fat.  Fish have a lot of omega-3 fatty acids that will aid in your fat loss.

Also, that means we need to eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies.  Be careful with the fruits though, they still have sugar in them, just not refined sugars.  Eat as many veggies as you can stomach!!  Remember, you are what you eat from your head down to your feet. Remember that one, it is true!!!

Last but not least, leave all of the processed food alone.  If it is processed, it is full of sodium and artificial chemicals that help with the preservation and increase the shelf life.  Have you ever been to France?  Have you noticed there are a lot of smaller people, not a lot of overweight individuals and all they do is eat pasta and drink wine?!  How can this be?  There food is not processed like the food in the good ole USA!!!  So stay away from it and you will see your fitness goals approach faster then you ever thought possible!!!

I almost forgot. Drink your H2O (water) ladies and gentlemen!!!!  If you do not drink enough water, your liver will not metabolize fat as efficiently as it should because it will be taking on some of the function of the kidneys.  So, you are not letting the liver do its job (fat metabolism) because it is doing the job of the kidneys. In fact, most people will retain 5-15lbs. of fluid because 95% of America is walking around dehydrated.   Don’t forget your caffeine intake.   For every 8 oz. of caffeine you consume, you will need to take in 16 oz. of water to replenish the fluids you lose through dehydration because caffeine is a diuretic.  To calculate the amount of water you need per day, simply take your body weight and multiply it by 0.66.  Remember, this does not take into account your caffeine intake throughout the day!!!

Stay tuned for "Part 5"!  If you need assistance with tackling your nutritional habits, schedule an appointment with our nutrition specialist here at PROMATx Health Club.  We will help get you on the right track!!

Tips To Boost Your Energy...Naturally

Need an energy boost?  Don't we all!!!  Instead of reaching for the energy drink or that shot of caffeine, try some of these tips for a natural approach to boosting your energy.

1. Drink lots of water.  What??  Don't weigh yourself down with sugar-laden drinks.  Good ole' fashion water keeps you hydrated and makes your body more efficient.  Dehydration affects every part of your body, including your brain.  Fuzzy thinking, low energy, slow metabolism...you name it and it is probably the effect of dehydration.
2. Eat nutritiously-dense foods.  Pack your plate with fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates.  Stay away from foods with high fat contents (like fried foods) that will make you feel sluggish and run down.
3. Get active...stay active.  Physical activity boosts serotonin levels which improve your mood and make you feel better.  If you haven't started a regular exercise program, why not start today?  Get rid of the excuses and get moving.  Our bodies are designed for motion and our muscles thrive on staying strong.
4. Reduce the load on your shoulders.  Take a load off and start reducing some of the stress in your life.  You've heard the phrase (and the books) "Don't sweat the small stuff".  Let go of the things you have no control over (i.e., weather and traffic) and focus your energy on things you can change in your life.  Learn healthy ways to manage your stress.
5. Take a breath of fresh air.  Get outside and absorb some sunshine and breathe in the fresh air.  Take a break from the indoors and step outside.  Take a walk around your office building, grab your four-legged friend and tour the neighborhood, go to the park and climb on a swing...just get outside!  A change of scenery may be just what you need to boost your energy and lift your spirits.
6. Help your body repair...get some rest.  Do you get enough sleep at night?  Is it good quality sleep?  Your body makes a lot of repairs during sleep and if you aren't getting enough, you won't be functioning at top capacity.  Try not to sacrifice sleep to get things done.  It will hurt you in the long run.  Mental and physical fatigue will set in and will make it very difficult to perform simple, daily tasks.  Get your rest.

Seems pretty easy, huh?  You bet!  So the next time you need that little pick-me-up, put down the can of so-called energy and try one of these healthy-alternatives to boosting your energy.   Obviously, the trainers and staff here at PROMATx Health Club can help you with tip #3 but you have to make the first move.  If you aren't here, we can't help you.  Stop in today and let us teach you how to get that natural "high"!!

I Don't Like the Taste of Water - Do You?

As trainers, we hear clients say "I don't like the taste of water".  What??  Water is essential to life and as we previously discussed in the blog about water and weight loss, it just may be the key to your weight loss.  So why aren't you drinking enough water?  Believe us, we have heard every excuse in the book from "I'm not that thirsty" to "I don't like the taste of water".  Maybe you just haven't found the right way to drink it!

After briefly polling members and trainers in the gym, many people mentioned different ways they like to drink their water.  Some people like their water ice cold, while others prefer it to be room temperature.  Some prefer to add a few slices of oranges or lemons to add flavor; a few prefer to drink out of a container with a straw.  The key to increasing your daily water consumption is to find the way in which water entices you the most.  What works for others may not work for you. 

Your mission is to try different cups or containers and different temperatures of water every day for one week.  Try an insulated cup one day to keep your water colder longer.  The next day add slices of fruit or cucumbers for a different flavor.  Then try drinking it out of plastic bottle.  Believe it or not, there are a few people who do not like to drink out of a plastic bottle because they feel it changes the taste.  Purchase or borrow a resealable glass bottle and try your water that way.  This list is endless but the main goal is to try different ways and see which method works for you.  For those of you who like to keep record of things, make a daily log that shows not only HOW you drank your water but also HOW MUCH water you consumed.  You may see a big difference!

Who ever thought drinking water was so complicated??  It shouldn't be but you'll just have to do a little work to get started.  Once you find the method that works for you, start building your water intake a little at a time.  Theoretically you should be drinking half of your body weight of ounces of water.  For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be drinking approximately 75 ounces of water a day.  That's around 4 1/2 small bottles (16.9 ounces) of water.  If that seems overwhelming, just start with smaller quantities and build up from there.

Remember, the signs of dehydration are immediate and many times we mistake hunger for signs of thirst.  So the next time you feel that hunger pang, try having a glass or two of water.  If you no longer are hungry, you most likely were just thirsty.  

Need more help getting started?  Stop in at PROMATx Health Club and talk with our nutrition specialist.  We can point you in the right direction and help keep your body adequately hydrated.

"Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody."  --Mark Twain

Water...Is it the Magic Pill for Weight Loss?

Water is vital to sustain life.  Human beings can survive for quite a long time without food as long as they are properly hydrated.  In most instances, patients who had feeding tubes removed could survive for 10-14 days.  Hydration levels, again, play a major role in survival rates.  Sustaining life without water is a different story.  Depending on the environmental conditions and state of the body (i.e., elderly, infant, disease state), a person can begin to dehydrate within an hour.  Thus in a situation of extreme conditions, death can occur within a few hours.

The human body is more than 60% water.  Blood is made up of 92% water; muscles and the brain are approximately 75% water; bones are 22% water.  We lose water through sweat, urine, feces, and even breathing.  Mild dehydration causes decreased saliva production, decreased urine output, decreased frequency of urination, and urine that is dark in color with a strong odor.  Moderate dehydration further causes even less urine production, rapid heartbeat, dry mouth and dry, sunken eyes.  Severe cases result in no urine production, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and irritability.  Final stage of dehydration is shock.

In a study published by Brenda Davy, PhD from Virginia Tech, water just may be the latest appetite-control agent.  This study was presented at a national meeting of the American Chemical Society in August 2010.  Davy confirmed through this study that just two 8-ounce glasses of water, taken before meals, enables people to shed pounds. What???  Over the course of 12 weeks, water drinkers in the study lost just over 15 pounds while non-water drinkers lost 11 pounds.

So here's the deal.  Davy reports this may be accomplished because water fills up the stomach with a substance that has zero calories.  You feel fuller as a result and eat less calorie-containing food during the meal.  Increased water consumption may also help people lose weight if they drink it in place of sweetened calorie-containing beverages, according to Davy.

Our challenge to you is to try this...drink two 8-ounce glasses of water before your meals and see if you eat less.  How easy is that??  This is the first study to look water intake and weight loss.  There will be more studies in the future and results may be different.  However, this is an easy way for you test this theory and, unlike weight loss through pills, it is a harmless way to try to lose weight.

Drink your water...be healthy...and, maybe, lose some weight!  Come in to PROMATx Health Club for more information on weight loss.