How do you know if you are getting the right amount of water your body needs?
Well, lets start with the recommended amount of cups per day. Yes, the standard is 8 cups of water per day but everyone really needs different amounts. The best baseline is to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces. (150 lb person should drink 75 ounces). Exercise also changes the amount required by your body.. if you workout more and sweat out a lot of water then of course you are going to need to replace the lost water!
Since our bodies are made up of
55-70% of water, it's very important to make sure we are taking in enough. Every day, our bodies need to replace 2.4 liters of water.
Urine should ALWAYS be a very
light yellow-clear color.
What may happen if you don't get enough water::
1. Weight gain/increased amount of body fat
2. Poor muscle tone
3. Digestive complications
4. Increased muscle soreness
5. Muscle cramps
6. Irregular blood pressure
7. Kidney problems
8. Dry skin
9. Lowered levels of concentration
Did you know, The average human loses 250mL of water just by breathing?
Benefits of drinking water::
1.
Prevention of dehydration- even the slightest bit of dehydration can decrease one's mental focus and energy levels as well as increase stress found throughout the body.
2.
Promote weight loss- Helps relieve bloating (water retention). Zero calories, reduces hunger.
3.
Help regulate body temperature- Sweat is produced during high temperatures or workouts to cool your internal organs. Therefore, lack of water reduces the amount of sweat.
4.
Aid in digestion- Helps metabolize and breakdown proteins. Our kidneys need more water to help flush out by-products which are produced during protein metabolism.
5.
Increase muscle tone- Drinking water can improve hyperaemia which is also known as "the pump". Lean muscle tissue is made up of 70% water found within blood plasma (the clear, liquid part of our blood) By increasing water intake, it causes your blood to become more voluminous which results in a bigger "pump" and makes your muscles look more full! Water overall helps keep our muscles in an anabolic state (muscle building). Water carries oxygen to your body- muscles need oxygen.
6.
Act as a lubricant for joints- Creates easier and more powerful muscle contractions. Makes more of a cushion rather than feeling of stiff joints.
7.
Transport nutrients- Water helps transport vital nutrients that are used in energy production
8.
Helps you focus- Drinking water can increase your cognitive function. Your brain needs oxygen in order to function properly and at its' optimum level! By drinking 8-10 cups of water per day, your levels of cognitive performance can improve by up to 30%!
Here are my tips on increasing the amount of water you intake each day to make sure you are getting as much as your body needs!
-Carry a
water bottle every day (preferably with ounces lines marked out for easy measure)
-Take a drink at every
water fountain you pass by throughout the day, go out of your way too!
-Incorporate at least one glass of water into your morning and evening
routines
-Make
reminders for yourself to drink water every couple of hours
-Set a
goal each day of how many ounces of water to drink (mine is 100 ounces/day)
-When you think you're
hungry, drink one full glass of water and wait twenty minutes
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Signs of Dehydration
1. Thirst
2. Dry, sticky mouth
3. Tiredness, fatigue or weakness
4. Decreased urine output
5. Constipation
6. Headache, lightheaded or dizziness
7. Loss of appetite
8. Dry skin
Muscles made up of 75%
Brain made up of 90%
Bones made up of 22 % water
Blood made up of 83% water
Workout of the week::
Treadmill incline sprints
-I usually set a goal of how many sprints I would like to complete and push myself to finish every one of them!
-For me, the workout is usually around 20 minutes, depending on how much time and energy I have left in my workout.
-I sprint for about 10-25 seconds, depending on the incline level and speed!
-Sometimes, I will do something in between each sprint (box jumps, ab exercises or different body weight exercises) and other times, I will just walk on the treadmill for 45-60 seconds to lower my heart rate back down.
Here's my workout partner, Jes and myself doing incline treadmill sprints!
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This is a recipe I made up myself.. it's a healthy version of Gluten free, chocolate chip, oatmeal banana bread! Yum :)
*Preheat oven at 350
*Spray bread pan
-1 C. Brown rice flour
-1/4 C flax seed meal
-1/4 C brown sugar
-1 C old fashion oats
-1/4 C mini chocolate chips
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/4 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp cinnamon
-2 T chia seeds
-3 bananas
-1/4 C unsweetened apple sauce
-1/2 C vanilla almond milk
-2 T olive oil
-1 tsp vanilla
*Bake for 35-40 minutes
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| Mash the banana & add liquid ingredients |
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| Mix the dry ingredients first |
And here is my Bailey Girl! It was her 5th Birthday on the 4th! :)
Question to think about:: Where do you want to see yourself a month from now and what steps are you going to take to get there?
Challenge:: Take one of my tips on drinking water that you don't already do, and incorporate it into your daily lifestyle!
Quote of the day::
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars and change the world.
Everyone have a great week, thanks for reading my blog!
XoXo
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