Hydration

You probably already KNOW every function in your body depends on water and drinking enough of it. You may think you are drinking enough, but even the slightest level of dehydration can have huge consequences on your health.

When you fully understand the BENEFITS of drinking no less than half your body weight in ounces of water a day, running to the bathroom every minute will be a small inconvenience.

As you age, (particularly women), keeping your levels of electrolytes in balance and relatively constant can get increasingly difficult, but this is easily remedied.

Keeping your body hydrated is a balancing act of water and electrolytes, if one changes… the other changes as well. You lose water and electrolytes through sweat, urine, bowel movements, and through air you exhale.

The water in your body contains “electrolytes” which are dissolved minerals, mainly sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Dehydration, the body’s loss of water and electrolytes, will cause you problems. Water by itself cannot keep you hydrated. The dissolved minerals, “electrolytes”, help hold the amount of water in the body and keep the blood pH to 7.4, the normal level.

When too many electrolytes are used up, the pH drops and the body takes the electrolytes from “storage centers”… for example, calcium from the bones, magnesium from the muscles… and over time, this can cause serious problems.

Just a 2 – 5 percent decrease in body fluid can reduce blood volume, decreasing oxygen delivery to muscles and organs when you need it most. Prolonged exercise, outdoor activities at elevated temperature or humidity, and occasional gastric imbalances are associated with loss of body fluid and dehydration.

Even low-intensity exercise or activity can cause significant fluid loss. Performance declines due to increased reaction time, and decreased concentration and judgment. Worse, you can be completely unaware of this happening until it’s too late.

The longer or more intense the exercise, the more urgent it becomes to replace the electrolytes as well as the water for optimal performance. Loss of body weight due to water causes your heart to work harder, causes quicker fatigue, possibly increases muscle cramps, and can result in more serious trouble such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

The amount of fluid to drink varies from person to person but there are some signs that can help you determine you are not getting enough hydration: If your urine is dark in color and low in volume and if you weigh yourself before exercise and it is less then when you started… you have lost fluids. Staying hydrated will give you more energy and increase your performance. When your workouts are better, you feel better.

The American College of Sports Medicine sets the following guidelines:

• Drink about 17 ounces of fluid 2 to 3 hours before exercise.
• Drink about 8 to 10 ounces of water 10 to 20 minutes before exercise.
• Drink about 8 to 10 ounces of water every 15 minutes or so during your workout.
• If you exercise more than an hour, consider a Sports Drink.*
• Continue drinking water after your workout to replace fluids loss.

*Rehydrate Electrolyte Replacement Drink provides the necessary nutrients to maintain proper metabolism and delay the onset of fatigue. It hydrates your body by re-establishing your electrolyte balance with its superior formulation. Rehydrate Drink has a low glycemic index that produces a more gradual insulin response and is isotonic, thus providing rapid gastric emptying and rapid rehydration. Furthermore, this drink helps support the body’s energy cycle and provides carbohydrate fuel necessary for energy production.

Unlike other sports drinks, Rehydrate Electrolyte Replacement Drink includes antioxidants, carbohydrates, electrolytes and other nutrients that effectively promote optimal hydration and recovery. Rehydrate Drink has a 1:1 ratio of sodium and potassium, two of the most vital electrolytes that are lost when we sweat. Rehydrate Drink helps prevent cramping by providing calcium, magnesium and L-glutamine to support the contraction and relaxation phases of the muscles.

This amazing sports drink also helps sustain carbohydrate energy by including chromium in its unique formulation, strengthening endurance at any activity level. Furthermore, the antioxidants in Rehydrate Drink help fight the effects of free radicals, and the amino acids support blood flow throughout the cardiovascular system. Rehydrate Electrolyte Replacement Drink provides a complete spectrum of ingredients for hydration that far exceeds other leading sports drinks, making it a superior choice for the serious or casual athlete.

Your levels of electrolytes can also fluctuate for other reasons than exercise or hot weather and need to be replaced in the body for better health. Some common health problems listed below can be helped by adding “Rehydrate” and boosting your water intake.

• Weight loss: Drinking water aids in digestion and the fat burning process. It helps you remove toxins from the body, keeping you clean and healthy. Your kidneys need to have enough water to function properly. If they are functioning at low capacity, then your liver will have to do more work. One of the liver’s functions is to metabolize fat that is stored for the body to use as energy. If the liver has to pick up the slack for what the kidney cannot do without enough water, then it will not be able to metabolize the fat with full effectiveness. If the liver is metabolizing less fat, then you are jeopardizing your fat loss.
• Water retention: A common misconception is that drinking lots of water causes water retention. Actually, the opposite is true. If the body isn’t getting the proper amount of water, it begins to store what it can. So whenever you drink water, you will automatically retain it, and feel uncomfortable. The only solution is to provide your body with more water than it needs, which will allow you to flush the excess water out of your system. You might think it is too much salt in your diet or specific foods that cause water retention, but usually the cause is not having enough water in your system. If you are drinking enough, your body will get rid of the excess salt as well.
• Muscle Cramps: Sometimes dehydration accompanied by muscle overuse and lack of nutrients such as potassium and calcium can cause this to happen. Rehydrate Drink helps prevent cramping by providing calcium, magnesium and L-glutamine to support the contraction and relaxation phases of the muscles.
• Constipation: This may be an uncomfortable topic, but 50% of Americans are constipated! If this is you, you may also want to talk to me about the Cleanse! Fluid added to the colon will help add bulk to the stools, making bowel movements easier to pass. Drinks like alcohol, coffee and cola will only cause more dehydration.
• Vaginal Dryness: Okay, this may also be an uncomfortable topic but chances are if you suffer from this, and it is an extremely common symptom of menopause, your first line of defense would be to check your hydration. It is also useful to fill in the gaps with a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement even if you think you eat healthy. It is impossible to get everything you need from your food.
• Dry Skin: If you haven’t picked up on the trend here… dryness in all places in your body are usually a result of lack of proper hydration. People who naturally suffer from dry skin should be extra careful to rehydrate!

Hopefully this simple change will make a huge difference in many areas of your health. Please feel free to contact me or leave a comment if you need more assistance.

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