WHAT'S THAT YOU'RE DRINKIN'?

I will preface this post with the admission that my recent discovery of the joys of Bikram yoga has made me very conscious of hydration.  For those who don’t know, Bikram yoga is a 90 minute session of 26 postures done in 105 degrees Fahrenheit and 40% humidity.  It’s really hot and it’s impossible not to sweat…A LOT!  That being said, I feel the need to comment on the fact many Americans don’t drink enough water.

When I went to a natural hairstyle I remember reading a lot of blogs about the best way to maintain moisture in coarse hair.  There were all sorts of concoctions involving oil of this and butter of that.  The most easily applicable thing I remember reading was the best ingredient to provide moisture to hair is water.  All the other stuff is just to make sure the water remains there.  I feel the same principle applies to hydrating one’s body.  Start with water.  In the USA, we have the clean drinking water for which a lot of the world literally dies.  We should use it. 

Here are some things to consider:

Dehydration makes you feel bad.  The human body is composed of 60-70% water.  When we don’t have enough of it, normal physiological processes take a hit.  We feel fatigued.  We get headaches.  Our toes go numb when we exercise.  Our urine looks crazy!  The recommended amount of fluid to drink per day varies depending on who you ask.  The Institute of Medicine says roughly 3 liters of beverages for men and 2.2 liters for women at baseline.  This should be increased when engaging in vigorous, sweaty exercise.  I personally think that most of the beverages should be water.

If you never exercise vigorously, just drink water.  The best way for most people to hydrate is to drink plain water.  Not all physical activity requires a post-exercise electrolyte infusion. Sports drinks are designed to replenish carbohydrates and electrolytes lost during vigorous exercise.  Gatorade was developed to help football players in Florida stay hydrated during practice.  Drinking some after a stroll through the neighborhood where we barely break a sweat is a bit of overkill.  Water will do the trick.

Don’t overestimate the hydrating effects of non-water beverages.  Coffee, tea, and alcohol do provide water to the body.  However, both caffeine and alcohol have diuretic effects.  This increases the body’s elimination of water.  No matter how watered down the drink tastes it’s not as hydrating as a glass of water.  I personally love coffee and have a large mug every morning.  However, I don’t give it full credit in my hydration equation since I know the effects on my kidneys make it almost a zero sum situation.

Rethink the legitimacy of the excuses you are using to explain away drinking too little water.  A complaint I often hear is that adequate water consumption causes frequent trips to the bathroom.  Not to be obnoxious, but that’s a pretty lame obstacle to such a simple wellness habit.  Another excuse I’ve heard is that water has no flavor.  This was an issue for me until I started squeezing lemon juice into water to make it less bland.  This got me into the habit of hydrating.  Nowadays I always have a water bottle with me that I refill throughout the day.  This enables me to avoid the cost-of-bottled-water issue.  Despite the propaganda of the bottled water industry, most of us can drink the tap water where we live and work.

Drinking water helps avoid a lot of unnecessary calories.  Pretty much everyone I know who has significantly decreased or completely cut out soda and alcohol consumption has lost at least 10 pounds.  That little anecdote is completely unscientific but I believe in it.  Weight loss is a multifactorial endeavor but this is something I have seen be effective a number of times.  Drinking calorie-free diet soda is not without weight gain issues either.  Recent research suggests artificial sweeteners increase appetite.  The body is expecting to receive calories when it tastes something sweet.  When it gets the sweet without the calories the brain gets confused and you get hungry.  Again, just drink water.

I understand it can be challenging to maintain adequate hydration consistently.  My method is to keep track of fluid intake throughout the day.  I try to drink at least three containers full of my 24 ounce bottle each day.  If it is 2 pm and I haven’t finished the first bottle I know I am behind.  I also start each day with at least eight ounces of water to prevent getting to midday without having anything but coffee.  That typically works for me but everyone is different.  Try to figure out what system works best for you, especially as we enter the heat and humidity of summer.  Once your kidneys adjust to the hydration program, you’ll feel better overall.

I’M REALLY NOT A VEGETARIAN

A common misconception about me is that I am a vegetarian.  The funny thing is I am quite a carnivore.  I do well when I travel internationally because I don’t really discriminate against any type of meat.  I have always said if it is seasoned up right I’ll try almost anything.  The confusion for most people comes from the fact I really like vegetables also.  So many people have seen me consuming grilled brussel sprouts and quinoa veggie salad they think I have beef with beef.  I will admit I made a decision a few years ago to limit my intake of animal fats in order to decrease my risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity and certain types of cancer.  Since I like a challenge, I started this endeavor by spending a month being a vegetarian.  It just so happened it was Vegetarian Awareness Month at the time so that may be where the confusion began. 

For me, it really was not that difficult to use black beans, eggs and quinoa as my main sources of protein.  My daily diet did not have to change that much.  I learned how to prepare tasty, satisfying vegetarian and even vegan meals.  At the end of my trial run as a vegetarian I determined I still wanted to eat hamburgers and Buffalo wings, but I could live without them.  Although I have allowed meat back into my meals, I still try to center my diet around foods grown from the earth. 

Many of us could benefit from cutting back meat in our diets to decrease consumption of saturated fats.  This does not have to be a radical event where you throw out all the bacon in your house.  Thankfully, if you are not already suffering from hypertension, diabetes or the like drastic measures are not yet necessary.  Also, you likely will be more successful with a change your diet if you make it gradually and of your own volition.  That tends to feel more autonomous than because someone else told you to do it so you don’t die.  With that in mind, you may want to try these ways to bump up the fruits, vegetables and grains in your diet.

Start having one meat-free day per week.  You can test out vegetarian dishes and see what you find tasty and filling.  If you are starving without meat you may need to add more protein to the mix.  Black beans and quinoa are my go-to sources of meat-free protein.  For the sake of full disclosure, let me confess I am not a tofu fan.  As an omnivore, when I want a burger I don’t want soy.  However, some people like the idea of meat substitutes that behave kind of like real meat such as tofu, tempeh, and seitan.  Figure out what works for you.  If nothing else, you’ll learn you can enjoy a meal without meat. 

Eat actual vegetables on the days you don’t eat meat.  My friend uses the term “pasta-tarian” for people who don’t eat meat, but never actually consume vegetables.  One of the benefits of decreasing meat consumption is it allows more space in your diet for vegetables.  This is negated when your meatless day is spent eating grilled cheese sandwiches and spaghetti.  Every once in awhile it is good to ingest something that came off a stalk.  There are so many systems in your body that will thank you.

Don’t deep fry the nutrition out of your vegetables.  Living in the South for eight years taught me anything can be battered and fried.  In all honesty, many of those items are delicious.  However, for maximum health benefits, you actually want to taste the food you are eating.  I once heard a dietitian say you want to avoid food that is shiny.  If there is so much batter, sauce or oil on your vegetables as to make the taste unrecognizable, you may have cooked the healthy right out of it. 

Try cold water fish as your meat.  Salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines and herring are great sources of omega-three fatty acids.  Omega-3s are the “healthy” fats that help prevent heart disease and high blood pressure.  Regardless of what some pescatarians would have you believe, this is still eating meat.  However, the effects on cholesterol are quite the opposite of that of a ribeye steak.  Of course, nothing is a panacea so you have to make sure you consume these fish in moderation due to potential mercury exposure. 

Limit the size of your meat portions.  When you do incorporate terrestrial meats into your meals, make sure the size is no larger than the palm of your hand.  Fred Flintstone should not be our patron saint of portion size.  Most American food portions are too large.  By decreasing your meat portions, you’ll have more coveted plate space for those healthy whole grains and vegetables.

Those who know me well know I am a stickler for semantics.  Maybe that is why, even though most of my meals are plant-based, I refuse to call myself some version of a vegetarian.  I am simply an omnivore who chooses vegetables more often than meat.  For the sake of your health, you may want to do the same.