Tuesday, January 15, 2008

are we all dehyrdated...?

Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D is an expert on water. he gives the simple advice of drinking one ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight plus one and one half additional ounces of water for every ounce of beverage you consume containing caffeine, carbonation or alcohol. he writes about this in a great book called "Your Body's Many Cries for Water"

"Most North Americans are dehydrated. In fact, chronic dehydration is probably the most common cause of a lot of our health ailments. There are two main reasons so many people are dehydrated these days. We eat less vegetables and fruits (which are water-dense) and more processed foods than we should. And we drink lots of caffeinated beverages instead of water. Caffeinated beverages and alcohol are diuretics. They force more water out of our bodies.

If a person is dehydrated their body compensates by retaining excess water as a protective measure. This alone is responsible for some excess weight. As well, a dehydrated person's metabolism is significantly lower than a normally hydrated person.

Dehydration is responsible for many people's feelings of fatigue. Many people have lost their sense of thirst and mistake it for hunger. Drinking a glass of water will usually greatly reduce any false hunger pangs."

at least i drank 120 ounces of water today!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I am no water expert, but i will honestly tell you that signs for hyperhydration (too much water in the system) are the same as dehydration, so drinking tons or water can actually cause the same fatigue, headaches, and disorientation. You are best to stick within the standard 6 to 10 glasses (8 oz) per day. Higher for good work out days and lower for lower activity days.

Gina said...

I'm horrible about getting that water down! I know I need it! Thanks to all your reminders, I've been trying to start with the basic 64 oz. I so struggle with that. I guess once it's a habit, it won't be so hard. Atleast I don't drink carbonation, I'd really be in trouble! Every day is a new start, right!!