Your busy life requires water to keep it flowing!
Make sure you Pay Your Body Back™ with enough water every day to keep it working properly.
• Water helps you regulate your temperature, moderate your blood pressure, and is essential to digestion. Drinking water can even help you maintain a healthy weight.
• Drinking cold water temporarily raises your metabolism (while your body warms the water) and can burn 25 to 50 extra calories.
Drinking something warm after being chilled (after you get out of the pool for example) will help fight the hunger sensation your body sends. It wants to eat and fire up your metabolism to warm you up! Water is a wonder.
You body is smart. If it doesn’t get enough water it will adapt, but in ways you won’t like. Without enough water your body will pay you back with:
• digestive difficulties (constipation)
• high blood pressure
• difficulty regulating temperature
• chapped lips and hands
• weight gain
• joint pain
• muscle cramps
• headaches
How much water do you need?
Most of us need about 60 to 80 ounces of water along with the water in the food we eat. This means you will need eight kitchen sized glasses per day or two large water bottles full.
Keep in mind you will need even more water if you are pregnant, breast feeding, have a fever or diarrhea, if the weather is very hot or very cold, or are on a diet (you body makes extra waste as it converts the fat in your body, which needs to be rinsed through your kidneys).
Here are some tips to get enough water:
• Don’t guzzle – your body can’t process 60 ounces of water all at once! Spread your water intake across the day – this will also help spread out the bathroom breaks!
• Get a BPA Free water bottle and keep it near you: at your desk, in your car, etc. (Why BPA Free?)
• Water is the best source of fluid for you body, herbal tea, sparkling water and water flavored with a small amount of 100 percent fruit juice is just as beneficial.
• Coffee can act as a diuretic (making you have to urinate more often). Don’t rely on coffee to provide fluid.
• Skim milk and 100 percent fruit juice provide fluid, but also carry additional calories. Drink these in moderation.
• Avoid pouring powders into your water which contain chemicals, sugar, or artificial sweeteners.
• Soda, even diet soda, is loaded with sodium. Soda is a treat, do not count soda as part of your fluid intake.
How can you tell if you are getting enough? If you are getting enough water your urine should be nearly colorless and nearly odorless.
Pay Your Body Back™ with enough water every day and it will pay you back with good health!
Get more valuable information in Eliz’s new book, The Busy Woman’s Guide to a Healthy Heart, or in her Award Winning Blog.
Eliz Greene survived a massive heart attack while seven-months pregnant with twins, struggled to lose the 80 pounds gained during her pregnancy, and searched for a way to hold on to the perspective and passion she found in her near-death experience. Drawing on her background as an adaptive movement specialist, Eliz developed simple strategies and tips to help other busy women be more active, eat better and manage your stress.
As the Director of the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative, Eliz travels the country energizing and inspiring audiences in keynotes and workshops on women’s heart health. She writes one of the top 100 health and wellness blogs. Find more at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com