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 ear, 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. (Mayo Clinic)
There is a lot of debate about how much a person should drink of water each day. Weight Watchers recommends a minimum of 8 8oz cups of water a day and to drink an ounce for ounce match to any caffeinated beverage. So if you had 2 cups of coffee and a diet soda you’d need to drink 11 8 oz cups of water for that day. Some websites recommend a gallon of water per day. A gallon equals 128 oz or 16 cups of water per day. Many nutrition sites promote the half your body weight in pounds to ounces of water per day. Example: a 200 pound person should drink 100 ounces of water per day which equals 12.5 cups per day. I found an article on About.com that has a hydration calculator… for this you answer a series of questions, 9, I think, to determine how much water you should drink daily… not surprisingly the number I came up with was about the same no matter what tool or guideline I use. Try it though, I’ve copy/pasted the link to the Hydration Calculator.
Water and the Paleo Diet
After viewing and reading several “Paleo” articles on the subject and even a few thoughts from Dr. Cordain, the general consensus on water while eating Paleo is to drink when you are thirsty and not worry about how many ounces… There are a couple reasons for this, one, if you are eating Paleo to actually eat like our Paleolithic ancestors ate, they did not carry around BPA free water bottles with them, they drank when they were thirsty from wherever they could find a clean source of the good stuff. Keeping that in mind, they also didn’t drink coffee’s, sodas, juices, anything processed or manufactured, they actually got a good portion of their water from how their body processed whole fruits and vegetables. There are some studies that show the standard 8 glasses of water a day is too much, that too much water which acts like a solvent washes away good nutrients as well. True, but, my thoughts on this are, we are not cavemen or cavewomen, and as much as I strive to eat a Paleo diet, it will never be 100% Paleo and we do consume a variety of toxins with our everyday intake. I have personally always found that an increase in my water intake boosts my ability to lose weight, and to feel better. The first time I ever joined a weight watchers support group, I think I was 21 at the time. The instructor said something to the group that stuck with me. “There is only one way to get the fat out of our bodies, sweat it out or pee it out.” I’m sure we could all read into that and state some other ways or that it isn’t exactly a true statement, but honestly it’s close… Exercise a lot, eat healthy and drink enough fluids to wash away the toxins and voila you start to shed unwanted pounds.
A lot of people have asked me why I’m choosing to eat a Paleo diet. Well to start off, it is not because I have some weird desire to revert back to caveman days where I have to hunt and gather my food, it is also not because there have been numerous studies that when grains were introduced into our society as a whole, many different types of illnesses evolved leading to many sicknesses including cancer and obesity. The fact that many people who removed grains and processed foods from their diets actually cured themselves from many diseases including diabetes, Fibromyalgia and a multitude of autoimmune disorders is still not the reason that I eat Paleo. I eat Paleo, because it is the only diet I’ve ever tried that actually works for me. I do not have celiac disease or gluten or dairy intolerance or allergies, but the removal of grains and dairy were the magic ingredient in a stalled weight loss struggle that has been 10 years long. Not only did it finally start to trigger actual weight loss, I’ve never been stronger or more fit in my entire life and that includes when I was a 3 sport athlete throughout school and into college. Sure I could pitch a softball, 60 miles per hour or sprint up and down a basketball court for the entire game, but now, my endurance and cardio health is amazing! I can go and go and go… I don’t lack energy and so long as my severely degenerated spine allows me to move, I do. I’d also like to say, the Paleo diet is not an Atkins diet of high fat and little to no carbs. I eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and lean protein. I make food myself whenever possible, I’m creative with coconut and almond flours and milks and I still eat out, often… You’d be surprised at how easy it is to have a very normal life without grains and dairy without much effort at all. I will say Italian restaurants are hard but not impossible and going to an Adventist potluck where most people are vegetarians presents its share of challenges, but, not impossible… Paleo is a diet that consists of non-processed food with no Dairy, no grains, and no legumes… I’m on the fence about legumes and have yet to be convinced about why they are considered “toxic”… but for now I’m not eating them either. I have tried many different diets, I was even vegetarian for over a year leaning on the vegan side thanks to my cousin, I love tofu, and quinoa, couscous, and rice, but my body doesn’t… This weird thing happens; I get fat, and fast… I am an animal lover and I HATE that animals die so that I can eat, I buy free-range, grass fed, organic, whenever possible and I have a really hard time eating any meat that is on a bone. But that struggle aside, my diet works for me. I would never preach to you or others that it is the “Only” diet that people should eat; it is simply what works for me. I would love for my husband and daughter to be grain-free/dairy-free as well and we are slowly working towards that. Luckily they are both blessed with lean bodies so my job is to make sure they get the nutrients they need, it is easy for them to eat with me then simply add a small amount of grains or dairy, my hopes is that grains don’t impact them negatively like they do me and they will have a nice healthy diet that goes along with nice healthy bodies. The last thing, I am not on a diet… I’m simply choosing to eat or not eat certain things. I made my mind up a long time ago that I will not be on a diet my entire life. That said, I will go through little challenges every once in a while to kick start my weight loss or correct a bad habit. But I will also celebrate with the best of them and enjoy my life. I love food and I also thank God every day that I love exercise as it is essential to my being healthy and living a long life that I’m proud of. I’m thankful that I am able to learn about what makes my body work, before I had any serious illnesses that needed to be corrected.
Yes drink when you are thirsty but I lean towards the be sure you are properly hydrated model for increased weight loss and overall health. So here are a few tips for getting your water in. The first one will make my hubby laugh, since every time I decide I’m not getting enough water in, I go out and buy a new water bottle to carry around with me… let’s just say, I have a lot of really cool water bottles.
- Get a new cool container for it, one that you don’t mind carrying around with you. Currently my two favorites are:
- Lifefactory 22 ounce beverage bottle. This is a glass bottle with a rubbery sleeve. Easy to carry and hold. The water tastes like water… dishwasher safe and easy to clean. I wish it had a clip on my bag top though. http://www.amazon.com/Lifefactory-22-Ounce-Beverage-Bottle-Blue/dp/B003BFS90Y/ref=pd_rhf_shvl_3
- Contigo AUTOSEAL Water Bottle, 24 ounce http://www.amazon.com/Contigo-AUTOSEAL-Water-Bottle-Ounces/dp/B003KZKE1C/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1301942178&sr=1-5 Did you catch the autoseal part? This is great for a throw it in my car, share it with my toddler and it really doesn’t spill unless you hold the release down and try to pour it out. Cleans easy and the top clips onto anything I need it to.
- Some people like to combine drinking water into moving more and get a small water bottle or cup and constantly get up and go refill it as you drink it throughout the day, I’ve found that doesn’t really work though, instead I have an empty water bottle on my desk, so buy a big enough one that you don’t have to continually refill it and it is readily available.
- Place your water in view. Every time you look at it, pick it up and take a drink.
- Set certain time goals for water consumption: i.e. 8 ounces first thing in the morning and another 8 ounces before lunch. I like to get the majority of my water in before I leave work… I also like to drink it early so that I’m not taking too many bathroom breaks at night while I sleep. See Getting enough sleep in my previous blog post.
- Use a water bottle or container that you know how many ounces are in it… for example if I have my Contigo bottle with my, I shoot for 4 refills that’s more than enough water for me for the day and 4 is easy to count.
- Make a bet with a co-worker to see who can drink more water in the course of a day.
- Have a big glass of water at every transitional point of the day: when you first get up, just before leaving the house, when you sit down to work, etc.
- Make it convenient - keep a big, plastic, insulated water bottle full on your desk and reach for it all day.
- When you have juice (apple, grape, or orange) fill half the glass with water.
- When you have a junk-food craving, down a glass of water immediately. You feel full quickly and avoid the calories, and it lets time pass till the craving fades.
- Have one glass every hour on the hour while at work. When the work day is done your water quota is met.
- Substitute a cup of hot water with a drop of honey for tea or coffee.
- While at work, get a 20 ounce cup of ice and keep filling it up from the office water cooler. The key is drinking with a straw - you take bigger gulps and drink much more.
- Freeze little bits of peeled lemons, limes, and oranges and use them in place of ice cubes - it's refreshing and helps get in a serving or two of fruit.
- After each trip to the restroom, guzzle an eight-ounce glass to replenish your system.
- Don't allow yourself a diet soda until you've had two to four glasses of water. You will find that you won't want the soda anymore or that just half a can is enough.
- Let ounces of water double grams of fat: When eating something containing 10 grams of fat, I drink 20 ounces of water.
- Drink two full glasses at each meal, one before and one after. Also, drink one glass before each snack so you don't eat as much.
- Carry a small refillable water bottle at all times and drink during downtime; while waiting in a bank line, sitting on the train, etc.
- Use a beautiful gold-rimmed glass and fill it with cold water from the tap.
- Drink two glasses of water immediately after waking up.
- Bring a two-liter bottle of water to work and try to drink it all before you leave work. If you don't finish, drink it in traffic on the way home - it's like a race.
- Always keep a 24-ounce bottle of water handy while watching TV, doing laundry, making dinner, etc.
- Add drinking two glasses of water to your daily skincare regimen. Drink, cleanse, moisturize, etc., then drink again.
- Drink your water out of a big Pyrex measuring cup - it's a good way to keep track of how much water you are drinking.
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