Thanks for stopping in on our blog. We hope to bring you the latest news on everything to do with your well-being. Whether it's general health, fitness, diet or gym that you are interested in, we have it covered. To begin with, something that all of us need in our life in order to survive: water!
Well, it is 2012, Happy New Year everyone. Now we move into that time of the year where resolutions are determined and we try ever so hard to stick to them and we start fighting to get back to our pre-holiday weight. Did you know that half of your body weight is water? Every cell, tissue and organ in your body needs water to function properly and your body uses water to temperature regulate and coat joints. You lose water in everyday functions such as going to the bathroom, sweating, even breathing.
We all drink water during and after exercise but do you know why it is so important? The simple answer is to avoid dehydration. Basically, a lack of sufficient liquid consumption results in feeling thirsty and light headed this leads to muscle fatigue, reduced coordination and muscle cramps. Being dehydrated during exercise compromises the body's ability to sweat which is the body's way of temperature regulating. In severe cases of dehydration heat exhaustion sets in which can lead to a potentially life-threatening condition known as heat stroke.
Average daily water consumption should be roughly 2-3 litres, add another litre for every hour spent exercising or outdoors and increase water consumption when pregnant, sick, have kidney or bladder problems, or are trying to lose weight. To know if you are consuming enough water, check the colour of your urine; light almost colourless urine means you are sufficiently hydrated, deeper yellow means you need more water in your diet.
Interestingly, staying hydrated doesn't just avoid health complications it can also help with weight loss. Studies show that drinking a glass of water before meals three times a day for 12 weeks increased weight loss by an additional 5 lbs compared to those who did not drink water.
Another less known benefit of staying hydrated affects pregnant woman and their fetus. Staying hydrated during pregnancy assists with liver and kidney function; it also helps the mother avoid constipation and increases her blood volume as her belly and fetus grow. Dehydration can lead to preterm labour or miscarriage. Once the baby is born the mother's hydration level helps produce sufficient amounts of breast milk.
For those of you who aren't big on water, don't worry, water is not the only way to stay hydrated. Fruit and vegetable juice are also excellent sources of hydration as well as herbal teas, soup, watermelon, tomato and sodas; caffeinated beverages also provide hydration but should be kept to a minimum consumption as they are also diuretics, causing you to go to the bathroom more often. Sport drinks are good for rehydrating after prolonged exercise because they also provide electrolytes and carbohydrates lost during exercise but if you find them too pricey or too sugary the home-made version is to mix juice and water and add a pinch of salt.
Well, it is 2012, Happy New Year everyone. Now we move into that time of the year where resolutions are determined and we try ever so hard to stick to them and we start fighting to get back to our pre-holiday weight. Did you know that half of your body weight is water? Every cell, tissue and organ in your body needs water to function properly and your body uses water to temperature regulate and coat joints. You lose water in everyday functions such as going to the bathroom, sweating, even breathing.
We all drink water during and after exercise but do you know why it is so important? The simple answer is to avoid dehydration. Basically, a lack of sufficient liquid consumption results in feeling thirsty and light headed this leads to muscle fatigue, reduced coordination and muscle cramps. Being dehydrated during exercise compromises the body's ability to sweat which is the body's way of temperature regulating. In severe cases of dehydration heat exhaustion sets in which can lead to a potentially life-threatening condition known as heat stroke.
Average daily water consumption should be roughly 2-3 litres, add another litre for every hour spent exercising or outdoors and increase water consumption when pregnant, sick, have kidney or bladder problems, or are trying to lose weight. To know if you are consuming enough water, check the colour of your urine; light almost colourless urine means you are sufficiently hydrated, deeper yellow means you need more water in your diet.
Interestingly, staying hydrated doesn't just avoid health complications it can also help with weight loss. Studies show that drinking a glass of water before meals three times a day for 12 weeks increased weight loss by an additional 5 lbs compared to those who did not drink water.
Another less known benefit of staying hydrated affects pregnant woman and their fetus. Staying hydrated during pregnancy assists with liver and kidney function; it also helps the mother avoid constipation and increases her blood volume as her belly and fetus grow. Dehydration can lead to preterm labour or miscarriage. Once the baby is born the mother's hydration level helps produce sufficient amounts of breast milk.
For those of you who aren't big on water, don't worry, water is not the only way to stay hydrated. Fruit and vegetable juice are also excellent sources of hydration as well as herbal teas, soup, watermelon, tomato and sodas; caffeinated beverages also provide hydration but should be kept to a minimum consumption as they are also diuretics, causing you to go to the bathroom more often. Sport drinks are good for rehydrating after prolonged exercise because they also provide electrolytes and carbohydrates lost during exercise but if you find them too pricey or too sugary the home-made version is to mix juice and water and add a pinch of salt.
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