Entry #4. The Importance of Optimal Hydration

 

It's often overlooked !

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   My entire life I've lived in hot desert like environments,

so sweating and being dehydrated is nothing new to me, and often times when I would walk home from school I would feel dehydrated as I sweat in the sun. But as I grew older and developed a love for physical health and overall well being I began to understand the importance of staying hydrated. Growing up I drank a variety of beverages from Capri-sun to different sodas and juices, but when I began to understand the effects different sugars and carbohydrates hold on your face I began to stray away from any drink that wasn't water. The hardest beverage to stray away from for me was Dark sodas such as Coke, Pepsi, Root Beer, Dr. Pepper or any drink with large amounts of refined sugars and high fructose corn syrup. In the beginning I would substitute these drinks with their Diet counter parts but I began to understand that even diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners and different chemicals that humans generally should not be consuming. By cutting out unnecessary drinks I was able to improve my skin quality, dental health, saw a change in my mental health & physical strength in the gym.

The importance of Water

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    Dehydration can lead to many consequences including weight gain, heat stroke and even slowing down the flow of oxygen to the brain. The NCOA( National Council on Aging) states that even 2% of fluid loss can cause an effect in reaction time, mood and even memory. Although just a few ounces of water can help regulate these factors and even combat the feeling of anxiety. 3 months into only drinking water I noticed that my face looked visibly thinner but what shocked me more was the difference in recovery more especially in the gym. We often times hear that our body is made up of 60% water, so it makes sense that when I increased my water intake I noticed a visible difference in my workouts and overall physical well-being.

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Most people don't even understand just how much water they should drink in a day ! A simple rule that I learned to follow early on was to drink an ounce of water for every pound of body weight. This goal was very difficult in the beginning but what helped was getting my Mom to join in on the challenge, her approach was to buy a bottle that has different time stamps so that she had a goal to reach every time she picked up her bottle. This simple change helped her increase how much water she drank and by taking it with her everywhere she was able to cut down on sodas and unhealthy options.

Overall One of the best decisions I made was cutting out unhealthy drinks and increasing how much water I drank a day. From being able to recover faster in the gym to experiencing a change in the way my face looks naturally, I found that drinking more water has helped me in ways that I could not have imagined.