Proper Hydration – A Recipe for Success

In this New Year, many of us, myself included, have resolved to lose weight, keep a healthier diet, exercise more, or meet career goals. Believe it or not, your hydration levels can affect how much energy and focus you have on meeting those goals. As you may already have heard water, H2O, makes up 50-60% of the human body. In our bodies, water serves as a medium for chemical reactions, which allows our organs to communicate with one another, particularly the brain. Water also serves to assist digestion, respiratory function, regulate our body temperature, and cushion our joints. Therefore, somebody who suffers from dehydration might feel symptoms such as sluggishness, loss of mental acuity, headaches, body overheating or cold spells, constipation or other digestive malfunction, joint aches, or unsatisfied hunger. Adult men and women need 3.7 and 2.7 liters of liquid, respectively. With exercise, you will need more. Don’t feel overwhelmed; this also includes the fluid in our food, juice, coffee, and tea. The water found in the food we eat can account for approximate half of that necessity. The rest of it will come from what we drink. The following are a few recommendations to assist with appropriate hydration: • Keep a glass of water on your bedside table. When you wake up in the morning, you can begin it by replenishing what you may have lost through the night. • Avoid over-consumption of diuretics such as caffeine and alcohol. For every cup of coffee or alcohol, you will need more water to offset their dehydrating effects. • Keep water with you at work and sip water throughout your day. • When working out, keep a bottle of water nearby (I highly recommend a stainless steel container over a disposable bottle). • When you feel the urge to snack, gulp down a glass of water. Sometimes our brains translate our bodies thirst for hunger. A glass of water may satisfy that hungry feeling, which also assists with weight loss goals. • Have a glass of water before each meal. This will aid with nutrient absorption and prevent over-eating. When appropriately hydrated, you may find that you will need the restroom more frequently. There are several benefits to these much needed activity breaks throughout your day. They help with your creativity, mental acuity, weight loss, and injury prevention.