Water Works

Everyone knows that we need water to survive.

The human body is between 60 and 70% water, and as a person becomes dehydrated, the body's systems have to work much harder to function. A human will likely die in 3-5 days if he or she doesn't have any water to drink.

So, we need water to live. No one argues that. How much water we need, however, is a point of contention. Another point of contention is what exactly counts as "water". Does juice count? What about pop? Coffee?

The standard amount of recommended water a person should have daily is 64 ounces, or a half a gallon. For some people, drinking a half a gallon of water a day is no big deal. For the rest of us, however, getting to our daily quota is rather difficult.

While there is no argument from health professionals that water is the best option, there are other options that still count toward your 64 ounces. Virtually any liquid counts, but some non-water choices are much better than others. Coffee and tea, without creams and sugars, are good options to help you get to your daily allotment. While coffee and tea both have caffeine in them, new research has showed that caffeine doesn't dehydrate you as we used to believe. Coffee and tea also have the added benefit of being packed with antioxidants, so not only do they add flavor to your water, but they also provide beneficial enzymes to the body.

While caffeine is no longer considered a dehydrator, pop does not end up on the list of good alternatives for water. Simply put, regular soda is so full of sugar and calories that removing them from your diet is a great benefit to your health. Diet sodas aren't any better either, because the artificial sweeteners can cause long term problems to your health. Also, mounting evidence is showing that diet drinks actually encourage more sugar consumption throughout the day. So while you aren't getting the calorie bomb with your diet pop, you're much better off long term staying away from them.

Juice and sports drinks are another thing to avoid. While marketers have lauded them as healthy options, especially as alternatives to pop machines in schools, they pack a huge sugar punch as well. Sports drinks do have some salts and can be seen as beneficial during high intensity, long duration exercises, but they aren't good for just drinking throughout the day. Most store bought juices are only 10-20% juice, the rest is HFCS and water, so don't consider them a good option for meeting your goal either.

At the end of the day, water is far and away your best option. An occasional glass of juice or bottle of Gatorade probably won't have much of an impact on your waistline, just make sure you make them the exception instead of the rule.

Running in the Rain

As I'm sitting in the office looking out the window, sunny Florida is looking awfully rainy today. While there are a multitude of reasons to wish I wasn't working today, the fact that I'm missing a chance to get a good run in while the temperature and humidity are down is chief among them.

If you have the opportunity to get in a good rain-run this summer, I urge you to take it. You need to make sure to bring some water with you, though. Remember you are still sweating and need to rehydrate, even though temps are a bit lower and the rain is coming down.

Enjoy your time exercising outdoors this summer, and take advantage of a rainy day when the opportunity arrives. I promise, you won't regret it.

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Summer Exercise

No matter where you live, the summer heat is on us.  This year, most of the country is experiencing stifling heat, and if you are exercising outdoors, some extra precautions must be taken to avoid heat issues.

First and foremost, you must stay hydrated.  The summer heat takes a lot out of your body, and if you aren't putting water into your system before, during, and after exercise, you are asking for trouble.  A rule of thumb is to weigh yourself before you exercise and again when you are finished.  For every pound you've dropped, you need to drink 16 oz. of water to replace what you've sweated out.  Whether you weigh yourself or not, make sure you are drinking plenty of cool water when you finish your exercise session.

While staying hydrated gets the vast majority of attention, eating a healthy diet is also important if you are going to be exercising in the extreme heat.  A balanced diet will help your body do what it needs to do to keep you moving.  While the water is important for cooling you in the heat, good food gives your body systems the energy needed to function in and extreme heat environment.  Fruit and veggies also give your body the nutrients needed to repair the tissues after exercise.

Know that the heat can effect your performance.  My runs this summer have hardly been good, and it's hard to see much improvement in my long runs right now.  When I go out, I can usually get in about 3 good miles before the heat gets the best of me.  While it's frustrating to not see much progress, as the weather cools and summer turns to fall, the improvements will come.  So keep at it this summer, and reap the rewards in the future.

For what is left of this summer, please work out safe.  Heat illness is preventable, and being safe is up to you.  Make sure you're eating properly, drinking plenty of fluids, and keeping your goals realistic and you'll be ahead of the pack as the weather starts to cool.