FitSugar

Sparkling Water vs. Plain Water

FitSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:50:41 -0700

If you've swapped out your daily soda for sparkling water, or like to drink the bubbly stuff because plain H2O can be boring, I bet you're wondering how healthy it is. Fizzy water is not only refreshing, but it also hydrates your body as well as regular ol' water.

You may have heard that the carbon dioxide added to water to make it bubbly can be acidic, and can cause erosion to your tooth enamel. Don't worry because the damage is minimal, and one would have to drink massive amounts of sparkling water in order to wear away enamel faster than it's renewed. Sodas, on the other hand, contain phosphoric acid, which definitely rots your teeth.

What about sparkling water affecting your bones? To find out the truth, read more.

You may have also heard that carbonated water can leach calcium out of your bones and lead to osteoporosis, but no studies have been found to back this up. Actually, drinking sparkling water may even keep calcium locked in your bones.

One thing you need to watch out for is flavored sparkling waters. Some varieties are enhanced with natural fruit juices, but others contain sugar or artificial sweeteners, so be a label reader to avoid unnecessary calories. Some fizzy mineral water or club soda can also contain high amounts of sodium, which can contribute to high blood pressure. Another downside to opting for the bubbly is that some people may experience bloating or gas from drinking it.

Which do you drink more often, sparkling or regular water?

Keep Track of Water Intake With Chocolate

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:00:00 -0700

Drinking enough water is so important to our health. Not only is staying hydrated good for our skin, it also promotes regularity and weight loss by keeping cells fully functional to stoke your metabolism. Eight glasses of water isn't the standard anymore, so to find out how much water you need per day, depending on your age, height, weight, and activity level, check out Fit's Calculator. I need about 80 to 100 ounces a day, so I figured out a fun and tasty way to monitor my daily water intake.

I put eight to 10 dark chocolate-covered cranberries in a little dish on my desk. Every time I drink 10 ounces of agua, I treat myself to a chocolate morsel. It reminds me to consistently drink water throughout the day until the dish is empty. If chocolate doesn't inspire you, fill your dish with something else you enjoy like cashews, dried cherries, or yogurt-covered raisins.

Fit Tip: Hydrate Before You Exercise

FitSugar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:00:00 -0700

While the debate on the merits of eight daily glasses of water continues, we know one thing for sure, nearly every cell of the human body contains water. Without water, cells don't function properly and they certainly don't function to their full potential during exercise. This is why it is important to hydrate before exercise.

In a recent study, physiologist Dan Judelson, PhD, observed that dehydrated exercisers completed three to five fewer reps per set, during strength-training sessions. Dehydration lowers hormone levels necessary for strong muscles. One to two hours prior to your workout, Judelson recommends drinking an ounce of water for every 10 pounds of body weight. If you weigh 120 pounds, you should drink 12 ounces of water before hitting the gym. Don't forget to sip water during your workout and drink enough to replenish the fluids your body lost through sweat.

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Minutes to a Healthier You . . .

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:00:00 -0700

It is more than just your time at the gym that makes you healthy; it is the simple everyday acts that take mere minutes to complete that add up to healthy lifestyle.

Here is one simple thing that you can do to start your day off right: drink eight ounces of water before breakfast. After sleeping for seven to eight hours your body needs water as well as food - being slightly dehydrated can actually slow down your metabolism. Before downing your latte, green tea, or juice, have a glass of water because according to the journal Obesity well-hydrated cells not only work better, but they help you flush out fat.

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Healthy Habit: Drink Plenty of Water

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:00:00 -0800

Alexa Fishback, author of The Daily Fix, believes in the power of water. Staying properly hydrated throughout the day is one of her twelve healthy habits that requires only sipping to put into practice. Along with sharing many of her healthy habits here on FitSugar, Alexa will be creating a personalized nutrition plan for the lucky winner of our Get Fit For 2009 giveaway, which includes many other amazing goodies like a $1000 gift card for Nike gear.

Now here's what Alexa has to say about water:
One of the best things you can do for yourself this 2009 is to make a pact to drink water with every meal. Skip the soda and juice and instead enjoy a tall glass of water, carbonated or flat, with or without ice, and maybe with a twist of lemon or lime. Making this a habit will go a long way toward reducing dehydration, constipation, and everyday bloating.

Not sure how much water you should be drinking? Check out the FitSugar calculator to figure out how to keep yourself hydrated.

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You Asked: Drinking Water While Running

FitSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 05:36:41 -0700

A while back I wrote a post about the Nathan Speed 4 Water Holder. I thought this nifty gadget was great for long-distance runners, since it holds a total of 40 ounces of water. After reading the post, a user had a great comment.

How much/often should you drink while running?
- bicyclebeth

I'm sure many of you are wondering the same thing. To find out what I think, read more.

Staying hydrated is a necessity, so here are some rules I like to follow:

An hour or two before a long workout, drink 16 ounces of water or a sports drink like Gatorade. This will help prevent dehydration and also keep you feeling alert.
During your run, sip eight ounces of fluid every 20 minutes. Plain water is fine if you're running an hour or less. If your run is longer, you'll need to replenish lost electrolytes, so Smartwater or a sports drink are better options. You can also use a combination of Gu or Luna Sport Moons with water.
Hydrate proactively. Don't wait until you feel thirsty to start drinking, since this is an early sign of dehydration.
Avoid drinking too much water, because it can lead to a potentially fatal condition known as hyponatremia, or water intoxication. This is when you have dangerously low amounts of sodium in your body. It usually happens on long or hot workouts, if you lose a lot of sodium through sweating and consume a ton of plain water. This sets off an electrolyte imbalance, so opt for sports drinks instead.
Lastly, after a run that's an hour or longer, rehydrate with 16 to 24 ounces of sports drink for every pound of water weight you lost during your workout.

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Are You Drinking Enough?

FitSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:30:00 -0700

Warm weather means exercising outdoors and sweating more. Sweating more translates directly into losing fluids. Your body needs to stay properly hydrated to function and perform well. Through all that sweating, it is important to know how much you should be drinking to replenish your body.

The method of determining this is pretty simple. Weigh yourself before you work out and again when you are finished. The difference approximates the amount of body fluid you lost while exercising. If you weigh more after your run or ride, you drank too much water. You never want to lose more than two percent of your weight during any workout; a 130-pound woman should lose no more than 2.6 pounds. While working out your goal is to replenish at least 50 percent of the fluids you are losing, so you would want to drink a little over 16 ounces.

I know this is a lot of numbers and percentages, and if you don't like weighing yourself, then you should drink when you are thirsty.

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Fit Tip: Hydrate Before Exercise

FitSugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 16:00:00 -0700

At my gym, you are required to bring water to a spin class, because an hour of profuse sweating means you are going to have to sip regularly to stay hydrated. But here's a thought: Make sure you start you workout well hydrated. This will seriously improve your performance and help your precious bottle of water last a little longer during your workout.

To do this you need to stay hydrated during the nonexercise times of your day, and if you exercise daily you will be drinking more than the average sedentary Joe or Jane. Lance Armstrong's coach Chris Carmichael recommends drinking around a gallon of water a day – that's 128 ounces – not including the fluids you drink while exercising. If you are planning on sweating later, go ahead and drink up now.

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Don't Drink Too Much Water When Running

FitSugar — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:30:00 -0800

It is important to keep hydrated when running a marathon but did you know that too much water can be a bad thing?

A good rule of thumb is to drink about one cup of fluid every 20 minutes during a marathon, anything more than that could be dangerous and could cause hyponatremia - when you have low amounts of sodium in your body. It can be fatal if not treated immediately. To prevent it, be sure to drink sports drinks during training and, as long as you don't have high blood pressure, increase your salt intake a few days before the race.

For symptoms of hyponatremia just read more.
Symptoms of hyponatremia include:

Vomiting.
Loss of appetite.
Headache.
Restlessness/fatigue.
Abnormal mental status (hallucinations, confusion, change in personality, etc.)
Muscle weakness.
Convulsions.

Fit's Tip: If you experience any symptoms, you should see your doctor.

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Travel Tip: Stay Sane on the Plane

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:30:00 -0800

Flying can be one of the most stressful parts about the holiday season. Airplanes are hardly conducive to getting around and moving. Use these tips before and during flying to get the most of your flight:

Book a daytime arrival if possible. Once you arrive, do your best to drag yourself outside and do something active while it's still daylight - this should help you recover from jet lag much more quickly.
Book an aisle seat and walk the length of the plane every hour to prevent back strain, loosen your muscles, and get blood circulating.
It's no surprise that cabin air is super dry. To combat dehydration (which contributes to jet lag), drink a 16-oz. water before boarding. Then be sure to stay well hydrated in flight. I try to drink one small water bottle (airplane special size) every 30 minutes.

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