I think one item that is glaringly missing from the food guide pyramid is water. Our bodies are made mostly of this substance and yet we often do not place a priority on making part of our regular diet. Because of that, I think many people are chronically dehydrated and don’t even realize it.
Being well hydrated helps:
- Reduce Cravings – Our bodies tell us they are missing something when we have a craving. Often times, we are not craving the thing we think we are (I mean, I doubt what my body really needed earlier tonight was a waffle cone, even though that’s what I was craving!). Cravings are the signal, we have to determine the missing piece. Many times it’s easy to reach for the thing we are craving – usually sugar or caffeine – and we miss the fact that we might just be thirsty. The hardest cravings hit late morning, late afternoon and late at night; all of these times are hours after a meal, the time when our bodies are busy digesting the food we ate and probably need to be replenished with water.
- Eat Less – If you train yourself to reach for water when a craving first hits, chances are you will end up eating less. Sometimes we are actually hungry when we crave food, but if we drink water first, we’ll slow down and …
- Eat Mindfully – Drinking water first before hitting the bowl of chocolate in the office break room allows time to stop and evaluate – which will hopefully be followed by a mindful choice rather than inhaling a bag of whatever is available.
- Movement – This is an obvious one, but it’s easy to forget. Because our bodies are made of mostly of water, we need to replenish the supply. The more water we drink, the better everything moves – our muscles, our digestive system, even our thoughts.
- Crowding Out – Many of us drink other beverages throughout the day. Drinks like pop, juice, coffee, tea have no place in our regular routine. But instead of thinking about eliminating other drinks, focus on drinking more water; before you know it, the water will crowd out the other drinks.
I often get asked “How much water should I drink?” A good minimum amount is to aim for half your body weight in ounces per day. In other words, take your body weight, divide it in half, and that is how many ounces of water you should aim to be drinking at a minimum per day.
People who aren’t used to drinking this much water usually then begin to protest about the amount of trips to the bathroom this amount of water induces! Don’t worry, your body will adjust. Think about a potted plant. If the soil is dry, the first time it’s watered, the water runs right through, but eventually, after regular watering, the soil becomes saturated and the plant becomes healthy again. Our bodies are the same way. It takes a while for a dehydrated body to regulate itself – sometimes a few months. So be patient; and stay close to a bathroom!
If you’re not used to drinking this much water in a day, it’s hard to work it into your regular routine. Here are some tips to getting more water into your day:
- Morning – Keep water by your bed at night, and before you do anything in the morning, drink two big glasses of water. You’re most dehydrated in the morning anyway, and it’s also a great way to start your day!
- Availability – Always have water with you. Get a reusable, BPA-free water bottle (like Sigg or Nalgene) and carry good water around with you everywhere. Keep some at your desk at work or in an obvious spot around the house – some place you pass by all day. If it’s available, you’re more likely to drink it!
- Cravings – When those late morning or late afternoon cravings hit, reach for two big glasses of water first. After you have consumed that much, then re-evaluate if you are still hungry.
Drinking consistent amounts of water on a daily basis is essential to our health. I feel like water should be the base of the food guide pyramid – it is, after all, foundational to everything working properly in our bodies.
Reach for a glass of clear, clean water today – your body will thank you!
Heather Hammond is the mother of an ever-toddling daughter and expecting her second daughter in mid-March. She is a writer, speaker, health coach as well as a playwright, adjunct theatre professor and freelance director/producer. But the bigger her family gets, the more she is learning to say “no” to keep her life balanced. You can read about her exploits, confessions, and ways she’s working out her life and faith at perfectconfessions.wordpress.com and follow the white-noise of her life on twitter: @wholelivinggal.
