Water.
What about water?! Well of course water is important! Your body is over 50% water (ranges are from 50-75% on average). You can barely live for 3 days without water, especially if you are me, the perpetually dehydrated. I carry around a 24 ounce water bottle all day. Almost everywhere I go. I have to remind myself, “don’t take that into the restaurant,” “you won’t get past TSA with that unless it is empty.” I have even developed a habit of buying a new water bottle every 2-3 months, depending on how unique, cute, or well-designed it is. I mean, how can I pass up a blue water bottle with a straw, or a purple water bottle with a pop top, or a water bottle that has a tracker on it so I can track how many bottles of water I’ve had in a day? Why these colors and features are essential for my carrying around this water bottle all day in an effort to actually drink from it. It is fashionable to be a water guzzling, bottle toting, fitness professional! I don’t drink from water bottles. I sip from them, as though the contents were hot tea or fine wine. The tracker on the bottle is merely a decoration, because I will only drink half of the bottle. Maybe I should set the tracker to 3 so everyone will think I have been diligently drinking water all day…but no, that would be dishonest. I am working on drinking more water, as I often don’t notice the feeling of thirst. I tend to only drink water if I am eating something with peanut butter or when I am working out. Case in point, the other day, as I was walking down the street and sweating (I mean really sweating, like I was playing full court basketball, outdoors, in the Alabama summer!) it did not occur to me to take a drink of water. I only took a drink because I noticed someone else looking at my water bottle.
So, what can you do to make sure you drink enough water? My initial solution was to carry around a water bottle as a reminder. That hasn’t woked so well for me. Another option is to set a timer on your phone or watch, and every hour, try to drink a bit of water. I have also found that drinking an 8 ounce glass of water before my meals is helpful. As you work on drinking enough water, remember that you can drink too much water. Too much water can affect the levels of nutrients in your blood (such as sodium), and that can be dangerous. Drink safely.
I have one final thought on the basics of nutrition. Try and eat 5-6 small meals a day to keep your body from going through periods of extreme hunger. This is recommended because a body that is being fed regularly tends not to burn, as opposed to store, calories. Storing calories during times of food deprivation was an adaptive technique that was beneficial for a nomadic people. Nomads may go for a while without food, and needed to store calories in order to survive. For the most part, our bodies still act like that of the nomads. If we starve our bodies, then our bodies will store fat in an effort to keep us alive. If we do not eat for excessive periods of time (I’m talking serious starvation), then once the fat stores are gone, muscles are broken down for fuel, and nutrients are leeched from the bones. This is not healthy, so be sure you are not trying to lose weight by starving yourself. Manage your weight in a healthy way.
Now you know the basics. I know you may be jumping at the chance to incorporate this information into your lifestyle. Remember, always consult with your healthcare professional prior to making any drastic changes to your diet (or exercise routine for that matter). Try not to get discouraged. As you make changes to improve your health and wellness, you will likely encounter challenges, make mistakes, and have difficulty sticking with your plans. It is normal. I have been working at this for 17 years, and something as simple as drinking enough water remains one of my greatest challenges. You can do it. Stay focused and work hard.
* A dietician and a nutritionist are not the same. A dietician can prescribe a nutrition plan. A nutritionist can educate, but cannot prescribe nutrition plans. Just something to think about!
~Cece
Tags: diet, eat, eating, fitness, food, fortunes, health, healthy, lifestyle, meals, nutrition, water, wellness
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