| H2... Oh!: Part 2 | |
Did You Know if You Drink Soda, You Should Drink More Water?
You may have already read that I highly recommend the Weight Watchers program, because they really focus on learning portion control and good nutrition. Turns out they're also on top of preventing dehydration. There is a section of every Weight Watchers journal where you are to record your daily water consumption. But, did you know you might need to be drinking even more than your daily allotment?
A friend on the Weight Watchers program related to me that her leader told her group that each time she drank a diet soda that she should in turn drink two extra glasses of water (in addition to what Weight Watchers recommends daily). That's because drinking sodas and other beverages that contain caffeine actually contributes to dehydration. These types of beverages act as diuretics and cause us to empty our bladders more often.
Water Yourself
The good news is, water is available in lots of forms; you don't have to get bored with the water cooler at the office or by visiting the water fountain numerous times a day. Instead, keep a nice cold bottle on hand at all times. In the meantime, you can increase the amount of water you're taking in by eating foods that contain a high water content like fruits and vegetables.
You also should keep in mind the heat and humidity factors as well as your exercise and work habits. If you are exercising, you need to drink more water than the average person before, during and after your workout. If you are doing strenuous labor, or outdoors work in the heat, you will definitely want to go over the minimum as well. How much is enough? Six cups is okay; eight cups is great and 10 cups is super.
"But I Don't Like Water!"
Try adding lime slices, lemon juice, even peppermint to your water to add a little zing to it. You may find in time you simply develop a taste for plain water. Think back to when you were a kid. Were there a few vegetables you simply couldn't tolerate? Did you ever get caught hiding them in your napkin or trying to get the dog to eat it? Do you eat any of those vegetables now? Do you actually enjoy them? Over time you developed a taste for the offending veggie. Although most of us have grown very used to drinking our sodas, coffee or tea and the thought of drinking plain water makes us cringe, in time, you will find that you not only enjoy drinking water, you will crave it.
Another trick is to buy seltzer or carbonated mineral water in the beginning and add your citrus or mint flavorings to give the impression of soda. You could try the diet flavored waters like Clearly Canadian. After you have adjusted from having soda as a mainstay, you may gradually begin seeing that what you really want is the plain water and you can in turn give up the "zing" and the "fizz" of soda altogether.
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