I admit. I probably don’t drink enough water. I will usually drink 3-4 cups (24-32 oz) of coffee and a pint (16 oz) of beer a day. I struggle to drink enough water. I will generally have about 32 oz of water during a workout. In total, this is about 80 oz of fluids (and much of this is naturally diuretic). This is above the recommendation of eight 8-oz glasses of water a day (64 oz), and, on most days I do have an additional 32 oz of water (meeting the 8×8 target), but….
Sixty-four ounces is a minimum. Researchers have suggested a two-thirds rule—drink 0.67 times your body weight. For example, at 230 lbs, I should be drinking about 154 oz (nearly 5 quarts) of water daily. On top of this, one should consume an additional 8 oz for every 30 minutes of exercise. That’s a lot of water! But, remember fluid is fluid.
Ideally, drink water. Avoid fruit juices for the excess calories. Avoid drinking alcohol for the same reason, as well as sobriety. Coffee has health benefits, but it is going to increase the trips to the bathroom. Water naturally cleanses the body, gives the sensation of fullness (recommendations are that dieters drink two cups of water before meals to reduce food consumption and stimulate caloric expenditure), and is a necessary substance for healthy functioning.
My problem, in part, is that I have an hour-plus commute and about a 30-minute bladder. I get concerned about drinking (water) and driving. On top of this, I teach in 2-hour blocks and don’t drink as frequently as I should. Poor excuses, indeed.
I try to start the day with a 16-32 oz glass of water with 1/8th tsp of colored (e.g., Himalayan) sea salt and a shot of lemon juice. This is believed to kick-start the adrenal glands. I’ll drink another 32 oz during my morning workout and again in the afternoon, if I work out. I should probably pace my hydration better, but I do my best (more or less).
Drinking water is a great opportunity to do a SIDCHA (pronounced: sid-cha). A SIDCHA is a self-imposed daily challenging healthy activity (Josh Spodek). Such a challenge would be to drink a cup of water every waking hour through the day. If one is awake for 16 hours, this is only 128 ounces (one gallon). What do you say? Should we set our alarms to go off and remind us? Shall we start today?
Be your best today; be better tomorrow!
Carpe momento!