The Power of Proper Hydration

We all know how important it is to drink water.  Hydration is important to our cardiovascular system, nervous system, muscular/skeletal system, digestive system, and fascia system.  Even slight dehydration can cause problems in any of our systems and disrupt any number of electrical and chemical impulses our body needs to function properly.

To give an idea of how important proper hydration is, take into account that our muscle cells are 70-75% water and our fat cells are 10-15% water (Holm, n.d.).  We have heard that a person can only survive a few days without water before the body shuts down.  Why is water so important for us? 

·      Proper hydration helps us control our body’s temperature.  When we over heat, we sweat; however, when we are dehydrated, the body stops sweating and we cannot cool ourselves.  At this point, heat stroke and heat exhaustion are a possibility.

·      Proper hydration may help prevent nutrition-related, non-communicable diseases (Popkin et al, 2010).  This makes sense.  If our system is hydrated, our bodies will properly digest food and nutrients will absorb through the intestinal walls.

·      Proper hydration assists in mineral balance.  When we dehydrate, our muscles will start to cramp and we lose coordination.  This goes for the heart, too.  The heart is a muscle and needs water to function properly.

·      Proper hydration assists kidney function by providing less stress on the kidneys (Popkin et al, 2010). 

·      Proper hydration affects our cognitive function.  Our mood is elevated, our concentration is better, our short-term memory function improves, and we are more alert (Popkin et al, 2010).

·      Proper hydration keeps us from being constipated.  Try drinking water if things are just not moving along.

·      Proper hydration lubricates our joints and cushions our organs and tissues (Holm, n.d.)

·      Proper hydration helps us lose body fat, maintain body weight, and/or gain muscle.

We gain and lose water throughout the day.  Water is gained through ingestion as a beverage or in our food.   Our body will also make a small amount of water as a byproduct in our metabolic processes.  We lose water through breathing, bowel evacuation, and sweat.  Our goal is to maintain homeostasis (balance) by determining how much water our body needs to ingest in order to counterbalance the amount it loses. 

This amount varies from person to person, but drinking 64-oz throughout the day is a good start.  Another way to check is to notice if you are thirsty; if you feel thirst, then you are already dehydrating.  Lastly, check your urine.  If it is bright and has an odor, you are probably dehydrated; it should be light and smell-free.  The exception to this would be as a side effect for certain medications. 

Water is the best way to hydrate the body.  However, what happens if you just cannot stand drinking water all day?   You can try a couple of things. 

·      Try putting lemon rinds, mint, and ginger into a jug of water and let it steep overnight.  This is a tasty infusion that is good for your digestive system.

·      Try creating your own infusion that does not include alcohol or sugar.  Oranges, apples, kiwi, lemons, limes, mint, ginger all work well.  Just be sure to steep overnight and strain the water before drinking.  You are going for the flavor, not the added calories.

·      Try herbal teas, preferably decaffeinated.  These can be found in teashops across the country.  If weight loss is your goal, do not add sweetener.  Go for flavors you like and will enjoy.

·      Avoid caffeine, sodas, coffee, and sugary drinks.  Diet sodas are also out.  Your goal is to hydrate the system, not to add sugars and unnecessary chemicals.

Good luck and happy hydrating!

Holm, Paige (n.d.)  Water and Hydration.  Retrieved on January 22, 2014, from www.health.arizona.edu/health_topics/nutrition/general/waterhydration.htm

Popkin, Barry M; D’Anci, Kristen E.; Rosenberg, Irwin H.  Water, Hydration and Health  Nutrition Review 2010  August; 68(8): 439-458.

Sitting: A Slow Death

We have all heard the headlines; sitting for long periods of time is bad for you.  However, the average American sits for approximately 14 hours per day.   Add that to sleeping 6-8 hours in an evening, that is a lot of time sitting and being sedentary and very little time moving.

Sitting long hours increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer; as well as, increasing the risk of living with a chronic disease.  One study found that the risk of death increase by 50% and the risk of chest pain or a heart attack increased by 125% when a person sits for 4 or more hours per day (Levine, 2012).  Another study found that those who sit 6 hours or more daily have a “significantly greater risk” of having a chronic illness than those who sat less than 4 hours each day (Dallas, 2013).  These are incredible numbers.

We also have heard that sitting increases our risk for obesity.  This is partly due to inactivity; we are being sedentary when we sit at a desk.  This is also partly due to the body’s chemical processes.  The processes related to the breakdown of fats and sugars in the body stalls when sitting; standing and moving can restart that process (Levine, 2012).

Of course, the simple solution is to just stand up.  A person who knows he will be sitting behind a desk for 14 hours during the day should set a timer to alert him to take a break and stand every hour on the hour.  Another easy solution is to face time people, as in go to their office, when you need to speak to them.  Find reasons to get up and move in order to improve your health.

A recent study measured what happens when people are given the option to stand and work.  Pronk, et al (2012) had volunteers work at a station that could be adjusted for sitting or standing.  They found that workers who used the sit/stand device reduced time spent sitting by 224%, reduced upper neck and back pain by 54%, and measured themselves as having an improved mood.  Work flow was not interrupted.

The long and short of it is, we need to find reasons to stand more and sit less.  Sitting is just as harmful as smoking.  Sitting leads to obesity, cardiovascular disease, blood clots, and other chronic illnesses.  In a world of long work hours, long commutes, and computers, it takes some dedication and ingenuity to find reasons and ways to stand; however, that tiny bit of effort may just make you happier and healthier, and it may just save your life.  Aren’t you worth it?

Dallas, Mary Elizabeth (2013)  Too Much Sitting Linked to Chronic Health Problems.  Retrieved on January 2, 2014, from www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/10130221/too-much-sitting-linked-to-chronic-health-problems

Levine, James A. (2012)  What are the risks of sitting too much?  Retrieved on January 2, 2014, from www.mayoclinic.com/health/sitting/AN02082

Pronk, Nicolaas P; Katz, Abigail S; Lowry, Marcia; Payfer, Jane Todmyre (2012)  Reducing occupational sitting time and improving worker health:  the take-a-stand project, 2011.  Retrieved on January 2, 2014, from www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2012/11_0323.htm