Happy New Years: Drink it Up! [Water, that is]

So, it's now ten days into the new year, and I'm finally acheiving one of my new years resolutions past the three-day mark. No, I was not so ambitious as to pledge I'm going to lose weight, compete in a triathlon, or actually save my money. I made a reasonable resolution : stay hydrated. I grew up as a tom-boy. I love playing sports, and had played competitively from the time I was five until I was eighteen. Playing sports and staying hyrdated went hand in hand. Now that I work about 50 hours a week, in addition to going to grad-school full time, I've become a bit...sedentary. [Although I do spend roughly 9 hours a day running around a kitchen]. My hydration status these days is horrendous. I function on about 5 cups or more of coffee a day. Coffee is the antitheses of hydration. I'm always so worried about what is going on at work that I never take the time to run to the water station; I drink from my mammoth thermos of cold coffee and keep trucking through. Day to day, you really don't think about how much water is good for your health. In my generation, it's all about drinking protein shakes, diet drinks, over-priced lattes, and diabetes-inducing cocktails.

The 'Most Interesting Man in the World' has nothing to worry about; we're all staying thirsty.

Water is falling by the wayside. 75% of our muscle tissue is water, not to mention the majority of what makesup our blood. The 2-Hydrogen to 1-Oxygen ratio is what makes us live. Water regulates our body temperature, aids the digestive system, transports nutrients, cushions and protects our vital organs, and is necessary for organ functions.  That's not where the benefits end, but you see where I'm going here? Drinking water and staying hydrated makes you feel satiated; often we confuse dehydration for hunger. So, next time you get a" hunger" pain even when you just ate an hour ago, try drinking some water first. On average, we lose about 2 QUARTS of water a day: that's 8 cups. The average woman should consume about 2.1 Liters (90 ounces) a day, while the average man should consume about 3.7 Liters (125 ounces) of water a day.

 I know I definitely do not drink 2 liters of water a day; 2 liters =

So, how do you know if you're dehydrated? Signs of dehydration inclue:

• dry mouth
• fatigue
• yellow urine
• muscle cramps
• dizziness
  with more severe symptoms including
• fever
• nausea
• shortness of breath &
• incoherence

The best way to fight dehydration is to drink throughout the day; and you don't ONLY have to drink water. You can drink low-sugar juices, sports drinks,V8 juices, or even by eating fruit. Surprisingly enough, rehydration occurs faster in the presence of sodium. I kid you not. Sodium encourages thirst, causing the person to consume more liquids. [Hence why your local bar offers free pretzels or salted peanuts. Sorry, I know you were hoping they were just being nice and trying to create a place "where everyone knows your name"]

Bottom line is, water is good for your over all health, skin health, weight management and detoxification. My New Years Resolution to stay hydrated doesn't sound so bland anymore does it? So while you start to see your  gym's new members drop out like flies, I'll be sticking to my resolution. Bottom's up!

Brad's homage to water: