We all know we should be drinking more water, but it's harder than it sounds. You wake up, drink coffee, get busy at the computer, and before you know it, it's nearly noon and you're hungry and you haven't had a single glass of water.
Now, nutritionists believe that drinking more water can help you have a healthier digestive system, increase energy, stay alert while working at your desk, quell hunger cues, and even lose unwanted pounds. The problem is that while we all prioritize the foods we are eating, we don't recognize that we are dehydrated most of the time, especially during summer.
The right amount of water to drink a day is astounding. Here is a formula that involves simple math: Multiply your weight in pounds by 2/3 and that is the number of ounces of water to drink in a day. That means if you weigh 150 pounds you need to strive for 100 ounces of water a day. If you want to punch this into your calculator take your weight (for example, 130 pounds) times .67 (2/3) equals 87 ounces. For a 180-pound person, you should drink 120 ounces a day. That's ten full tall glasses of water. Start now, as you're reading this.
The Hydration Challenge Begins
The best way to achieve this: Start by drinking a full tall glass of water in the morning, when you wake up, then another before lunch, and two more in the afternoon. If you measure your glass (a tall glass holds about 12 ounces) and find that it holds 10 to 12 ounces, you need to drink 8 to 10 of those, depending on your weight, every day. Sorry, but coffee and tea don't count since those are diuretics, meaning they act to dehydrate you by causing you to pee.
Water is water; you can add lemon to it for added taste and the health benefits of vitamin C, since adding lemon can get you to 1/3 of your overall vitamin C for the day. If you prefer, add cucumbers or strawberries or other taste to give it an infused taste that helps you drink more, if you prefer the sweeter taste. And no, spirits, wine, and beer don't count, since they are full of calories and alcohol. What does count: Fruit that's full of water like watermelon, and even some vegetables can help get you there.
The Benefits of Drinking H2O
The health benefits of water are many, according to this study, including cellular function. Your body regulates itself depending on whether you have adequate hydration and when you don't drink enough, your cells shrink, actively age and the body makes compensations that are not optimal for the long-term health. When you have enough water your cells function better, your mood and cognitive function improve and your body works like a well-oiled machine. Ironically children need to replace fluids more often than older people but are worse at recognizing when they're thirsty.
Hydration is signaled visually and by taste. You'll see water and realize you're thirsty, but often you have no idea that you're dehydrated until symptoms like headache and lack of focus occur: If you have a headache, feel spacy or tired, chances are you need to drink more water. Hydrating immediately may help get rid of a headache or give you a needed boost of energy, but the recommended daily amount is rarely met. If you weigh 150 pounds or more, and you aren't drinking 8 to 9 glasses of water a day you are falling short.
Drinking enough water helps your body feel nourished and refreshed, energized, and clean. You will notice increased energy, better athletic performance, clearer, more glowing skin, and you can even lose more weight by flushing out waste your body and feeling fuller longer.
The Hydration Challenge is One Expert Tip in The VegStart Diet
The Beet wants to help you reach that goal: Take the Hydration Challenge for a week to get you in the healthy habit of drinking more water and maintaining your weight-loss goals. The VegStart Diet, created by Registered Dietician Nicole Osinga, recommends the higher threshold of getting 2/3 of your weight in ounces as the amount of water a day you need to help you lose weight. Other sources recommend a minimum of half your weight in ounces of water a day. The extra water Osinga recommends is to aid in feeling fuller longer, and aiding weight loss.
The VegStart Diet is designed to help you reach your personal body goals with a 14-day plan to eat whole foods, plant-based meals and snacks, drink more water and move more. Track your progress in our beautiful e-Book, free when you sign up for the plan. Created by Registered Dietician Nicole Osinga, the diet helps you learn new, healthier habits and create meals that are both nutrient-dense, healthy and satisfying. Her tips are designed to help you stay on track and never need another diet ever again.
Getting Technical About the Benefits of Drinking Enough Water.
From the hydration study: Cognitive performance is affected by hydration: "Water, or its lack (dehydration), can influence cognition. Mild levels of dehydration can produce disruptions in mood and cognitive functioning. In a series of studies using exercise in conjunction with water restriction as a means of producing dehydration," the authors found "cognitive performance in healthy young men and women athletes... the only consistent effect of mild dehydration was significant elevations of subjective mood score, including fatigue, confusion, anger, and vigor."
Can I lose weight by drinking water?
Yes. By drinking enough water you can suppress your appetite and eat less throughout the day, increase your body's metabolic rate, and increase your energy levels which will allow you to be more active. In addition, drinking more water helps the body stop retaining water and flushes everything out of your system, helping you to drop a few pounds.
How can I tell I'm drinking enough water?
What happens in the bathroom stays in the bathroom, but it's also one of the best places to make sure you are hydrated. Urine color is the best indicator of your hydration level. "Pale yellow urine that looks like lemonade" is the goal, according to Healthline. "Darker urine means you need more water. Colorless urine means you are overhydrated."
What happens if I drink too much water?
Yes, overhydration is possible, especially during an athletic event when you're sweating out important electrolytes and replacing fluids with water that does not have salt and potassium, essential for healthy cell function. "Overhydration can lead to water intoxication. This occurs when the amount of salt and other electrolytes in your body becomes too diluted," according to Healthline. "Hyponatremia is a condition in which sodium (salt) levels become dangerously low. This is the main concern of overhydration. If your electrolytes drop too low too quickly, it can be fatal. Death by overhydration is rare, but it can happen." Just make sure if you're training for a long-distance event in hot weather to put electrolyte fluids in your water bottle.
Endurance athletes, triathletes and marathon runners have a higher risk of overhydrating because they drink more water than electrolyte fluids, and deplete their vital salts. If you're not in that category, chances are you need to drink more water not less.
The Hydration Challenge is on. Follow along on The Beet's IG and FB and post how you're doing today.
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