Did anyone see the story about the
thirsty Koala Bears in Australia caught begging humans
for water?
Poor little things were trying to cope with the record
120 degree temperatures. The koalas may look cute, but their begging
is related to dehydration, which
is a serious issue, even for you humans.
Seniors are particularly susceptible to
dehydration when temperatures soar. However, methinks a whole lot of
you who have a way to go before AARP snags your contact info are
chronically dehydrated. And your cells can't get your attention like
those cute koala bears.
Wondering how much water you need?
A good rule of thumb is to divide your weight by two and you'll have the number of ounces of water you should be downing
daily.
For those who are slow in math, if you
weigh 150, you should be drinking 75 ounces of water each day.
For you fat kats, you need even more water to wash out toxins that
would otherwise store in your fat cells and help keep you fat.
Fast Facts: When you
feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Did you know that
thirst also often masquerades as "hunger?" If you think you're
hungry, try drinking a big glass (or two) of water and wait 15
minutes. You may be surprised to learn that your hunger disappears.
By drinking water an hour before rather than during a meal, your
digestive enzymes can work full strength.
Meanwhile, if you're sweating, exercising, in extreme heat,
or even "green around the gills," be sure to replenish
your fluids.
Benefits of Adequate Water Intake
Water carries nutrients to
your cells, provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat
tissues, and also flushes toxins out of vital organs.
Water also helps ease common health complaints, including:
Headaches: Since 75% of your brain is water, headaches
can be a signal that your body is dehydrated (and potentially
even constipated). Lay off that ibuprofen (which is bad for your
liver) and stay hydrated.
Stubborn Fat: Water is nature's appetite suppressant
and also helps your body metabolize fat. Often when people are
dieting, they don't boost water intake enough to support the
liver's work in metabolizing fats. And, metabolized fats must be
eliminated with plenty of fluids.
Back Pain: You wouldn't think hydration has much to
do with your back, but the disks along your spine are filled
with fluids, mainly water, and they act like shock absorbers. When
your fluid levels drop, your disks struggle to support your upper
body, causing stress and pain.
Immune Disturbances: Your lymphatic system breaks down
toxins before passing them into the blood stream for disposal.
Low water intake disturbs lymphatic fluid flow, taxing your immune system
and increasing infection risk.
High Blood Pressure: Since your blood is almost 85% water,
blood volume depends on your water intake. When your body
detects a drop in blood volume from dehydration, it closes less
active capillary beds in order to fuel more active areas. When
vessels close, they cause muscle tension. Water soothes
hypertension by increasing blood volume and thus reducing
tension.
Joint Pain: Water lubricates and cushions joints
between your bones. When your water intake is low, friction
between cartilage surfaces increases, causing swelling that
leads to aches and pain. If you're one of our cheapskates saving
big on
Joint Complex Classic (which made the Top 10 this
week), you can down quite a bit of water along with your daily
tablets.
Sluggishness: If you're sluggish, good old H2O can help.
Without enough water, your cells aren't exactly motivated to
tango. Water
also helps flush toxins out (like MSG, food colorings, too much
alcohol, and even allergens).
Bad Breath: You may think felines have bad breath but
that's just your point of view. Funky breath in you bipeds can
signal dehydration. Saliva helps clean your teeth of bacteria and keeps
your tongue hydrated. If you're hydrated and your breath still
stinks, dental floss could be your new best friend. If you floss
and your breath still repels people, you may want to clean up
your diet and focus on digestive health. But for now, start with
drinking a lot more water! ^..^
Charlie-Horses: Water makes for oxygenated blood,
which makes for oxygenated muscles. Muscles with no oxygen
create lactic acid and thus cramps. Drinking water delivers oxygen
to your muscles. And, if you drink a lot of coffee, you may need
to replenish your electrolytes as well as your fluids.
Remember, most of you should be drinking at least 2-3 bottles
each day--and more if you're exercising intensively or in the direct
sun for long periods of time.
Save $3 on Blender
Bottles thru July 6th
To help you remember to drink enough water, we're offering a special
$3 off on our
24 ounce Blender Bottles through the 6th of July.
Members who have our Blender Bottles swear by their durability.
And, they come with a little wire ball inside that makes blending
powdered drinks a snap. Such a deal.
To save, enter the coupon code: drinkup
Note: Remember coupon codes are case-sensitive. Enter coupon code
only after you've added sale item to your shopping cart.
