Water!

I have been nailed with a lot of info on water lately folks and so I feel the need to spread the word on for every one else.  After watching one of my lectures on DVD that consisted of a 45 minute talk alone on water, reading from 3 different sources on water intake, and listening to a recording that discussed water for another 20 minutes, I started to evaluate my own hydration practices and how this might be affecting me.  I feel like I drink enough H20, but do I really?

Apparently, JUST TO LIVE, you must drink 50% of your body weight in ounces daily.  That would mean about 65 oz of water for me.  Was I getting this?  Ummm, depends on the day.  Some days I probaby drink much more than this, but I know I have gone way too many days where 33 oz is my max. 

(Pause... sipping water)

I think most of you guys out there know I am a coffee LOVER and so I would opt for a cup of Joe over water most mornings.  Now, that 65 oz we are talking about is a bare minimum.  That means we haven't even calculated in sweating (all day, every day in Austin TX), working out, and the amount of diuretics you are taking in that dehydrate you faster.


(Pause.. bigger gulp)

After evaluating my day, I noticed that I was probably in a water deficit.  Not good.  Based on the fact that I drink about 3 cups of coffee a day, sweat while coaching and then sweat in a workout (sometimes 2), and also like to drink wine occasionally, my 33-60 oz of water a day was not cutting it and could be the root cause to a lot of digestion, sleep, and recovery problems.

One of my newest (and seemingly simplest) goals now is to take in 100 oz of water a day.  We can call it the "Drink Water Stupid Challenge."  Mainly because this should be a NO BRAINER!!  How hard is it to sip water throughout the day.  It's kind of like eating, and you KNOW I don't forget to eat.  I love food.

There are many good reasons.... Dangit, I already forgot to sip during the last few paragraphs.

(Longer pause for a few extra sips)

Ok, I'm back.  As I was saying, there are many good reasons for drinking enough water.  Check out this picture below!

So how much water do we really need?  You can assume that you will get some water from you food (about 30%) and the rest has to come from daily water intake.  We don't hold onto water from day to day and that is why we couldn't survive without it for more than a few days.  There isn't a perfect number and you must calculate how much activity you do, the climate you live in, and how many diuretics you drink.  Oriental medicine teaches that drinking too much can put undue strain on the kidneys.  Drinking excess liquid at meals dilute stomach acid and put undue strain on the digestive process.  On the other hand, large amounts of purified or distilled water taken throughout the day as a temporary measure have been used successfully to treat a number of disease conditions, such as kidney stones and toxemia.  A good rule of thumb is to avoid drinking too much liquid from one-half hour before a meal to two hours after and to sip beverages slowly with meals.  It is also advisable to avoid liquids that are too hot or too cold.  Iced water with a meal makes digestion very difficult.  Water to which a squeeze of lemon or lime juice has been added will quench thirst and aid digestion better than plain water.

My  advice:  Sip water throughout the day and aim for about 75% of your body weight in ounces.  See how you feel and if you notice a difference in your digestion, skin, and energy.  Increasing my intake has made a big impact on how I feel!  I hope it does for you too.

(Finishing my water bottle now!)