Get Enough Water
When's the last time you had a sip of water? Really?
I know we all hear how important it is to drink water all the time - it's like one of the Great Nags: "Drink water." "Exercise." "Eat your vegetables." But most of us don't quite know why water is sooooooo important. Or is it? I mean, there was that ridiculous study a few years ago that supposedly searched all scientific studies ever done and never once found a recommendation to drink "eight, 8 oz servings of water a day". In fact, the summary in that study was that most Americans don't need that much water because we consume so much coffee and fruit and vegetables. Gee, that makes sense.
So here's the deal. Your body is made mostly from water. You need to keep hydrated because it flushes out toxins into your urine, lowering your risk of all types of cancer. You'll also have better circulation, meaning more energy throughout the day. But what really matters to most of us: you'll lose weight.
When we are even slightly dehydrated, two things take place. First, our brain begins to confuse thirst with hunger, so we are inclined to overeat. Basically, we have an artificially inflated appetite. Second, our liver is impeded from metabolising fat efficiently. In other words, when we aren't drinking at least 64oz of water a day, we're not only more likely to eat more, but we are storing fat we should be burning. That should be enough motivation for most of us to drink water all day long. And that means you (you know who you are).
What's the deal with coffee then? Coffee, as with alcohol, is a major diuretic. That means we pee out more water than we take in. So unfortunately, coffee doesn't count as one of your "water" drinks. In fact, it goes in the debit category, meaning that for every one coffee you need to rehydrate with TWO glasses of water. Same goes for alcohol. With diuretics, you not only lose water, but electrolytes, which are important to stay hydrated. Some of those electrolytes are potassium, magnesium and calcium, which we need to prevent osteoporosis and hypertension.
If you're like most people, you get grumpy or tired in the afternoon. Caffeine might help for a short time, but will cost you in energy later. So try less caffeine and more water. For example, an iced green tea. Even iced black tea would suffice. But more water... lot's more.