Wellness Wednesdays

Water

There are two life giving substances that I drink daily; coffee and water. I used to hate water with a passion, yet my mom would tell me to drink more water as a solution to everything. Tired? Drink more water. Headache? Drink more water. Grumpy? Drink more water. You get the picture. Of course her being my mother, she was right. Your body is made up of about 60% to 55% water, depending on your fat ratio. (Fat cells hold less water).  Your brain is made up of about 80% water. If you're dehydrated your body is going to send you signals that you are in desperate need of some H2O, this includes headaches, being tired, hungry, or in a sour mood.

When you perspire it's water that has flowed though your cells and has picked up sodium and some electrolytes along the way. This is not a bad thing because it's flushing out toxins and cleansing the body. The problem comes when you aren't replacing the good stuff, electrolytes, fast enough. This is why sports drinks are so popular, it's an easy way to replace the electrolytes. Remember, sports drinks are only a replacement for water in the right situation, e.g., a hot day, excessive exercising, etc.

Now that the science and disclaimers are over, What about the rest of us? Most people complain about the taste of water. Water doesn't have a taste. A squeeze of fresh lime or lemon in a glass of water is a nice way to "give it some flavor." There are many other "water enhancers" out there that you can find at almost any convenience store, but water doesn't need "enhancing."

So how much water should you drink? There are a lot of factors that go into the exact amount, but the average is 8 glasses a day. Once you have it figured out add in water slowly, an extra glass per week at different times of the day. Make sure you are hydrated before you exercise as well. Trying to hydrate yourself while sweating is counterproductive and puts strain on the body. 

-Josie