Drink More Water For Better Health

Delicious ice drink with strawberries, mint and ice on the background of of solar garden

Cheers! To Water!

There’s nothing new about the fact that drinking more water helps you lose weight and improve health. In a study, led by Brenda Davy, PhD, RD, associate professor in the department of human nutrition, foods and exercise at Virginia Tech, researchers found that “middle-aged and older people who drank 2 cups of water right before a meal ate 75–90 fewer calories during that meal. In this recent study, they found that over the course of 12 weeks, dieters who drank water before meals three times per day lost about 5 pounds more than dieters who did not increase their water intake” (Webster 2010).  If you fill your stomach before a meal, you will eat less. And if you’re drinking water, you’re probably not drinking sugary/high calorie beverages.  All of this helps us along the path to weight loss.

Dehydration Can Lead to Health Problems

In spite of the fact that we know drinking water is good for us, most of us have trouble taking enough in. This can lead to kidney stones, difficulty with weight loss, headaches, poor nutrient absorption, constipation, and a slower metabolism since water is the medium for most chemical reactions in the body, especially those involving energy production. Because of its numerous and diverse functions in the body, water is often regarded as the most important nutrient.

Vitamins & Water

Taking vitamins and herbal supplements is a great opportunity to have a full glass of water and if you’re not taking any vitamins, you probably should be! Have your doctor do a blood test to determine what you may be low in. Surprisingly, many of us – male and female alike – are deficient in vitamin D. I found out that I was, so now I get outside as much as possible! If you are feeling stressed, you may need to take a B complex. If you’re having any pain issues associated with inflammation, turmeric is a great herbal supplement in a capsule form that can help relieve pain when taken regularly. Vitamins C and E are great for the skin, and fighting wrinkles from the inside is just as important as treating them on the outside. And of course, a multiple vitamin can be beneficial for most people since we may not eat enough fruits and vegetables (5-9 servings per day).

Flavors Make It More Enticing

If you’re still not excited about water, maybe you’re not drinking the right kind. Maybe you need to filter your water, or change the filter on the water dispenser in your refrigerator. If you want a little flavor in your water, squeeze in some fresh lemon, lime, orange, or cucumber wedges. Even making a batch of mint tea, or other herbal tea, hot or iced, can count as a water serving, just don’t over-sweeten! Use honey or agave nectar to sweeten it if you want a little sweetener.

Make Opportunities to Drink More Water

How many times have you been offered water and you declined? Or, when in a restaurant, did you forget to ask for water at a place that doesn’t automatically pour it and you just ordered another kind of drink? Whenever you are offered water, take it, and drink it! If you are in your car frequently, try to take it with you. However, don’t drink from a plastic bottle that sat in the heat.

All Fluids Count, But Water’s Best

Of course, water is the preferred beverage to replace the fluid you lose each day, followed by beverages that contain little to no calories. But all daily fluids you consume do add up. The Institute of Medicine recommends that men get about 14 cups of fluid daily, while women should aim for 10 cups per day. Pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding may need more. Here’s a basic rule: if the color of your urine is pale yellow, you’re probably getting enough fluids. If it is dark yellow, probably not.

Now, if you don’t already have a glass of water beside you, go get one! Cheers!

 


Sources

Webster, Sandy Todd.  IDEA Fitness Journal (Oct 19, 2010).

Front Raises with NeeBooFit Resistance Pull-Up Bands

In this 8-part series, we’ll teach you how to use our latest product, NeeBooFit Resistance Pull-Up Bands.  Ideal for assisted pull-ups, our Resistance Pull-Up Bands are also great for a whole range of exercises.  Buy a set today and check back each week for a new video in this series.

For the eighth and final video in our series, we’ll learn to perform Front Raises. This great exercise works your shoulders and is easy to adapt to different strength levels – simply increase the tension on the band to make the exercise more difficult. Here’s how to do it:

Instructions

  • Stand on the band with your feet shoulder width apart.
  • Grip the band with your hands hip width apart.
  • Keeping your elbows straight, raise your arms straight up in front of your body.

Tip: Keep your shoulder blades squeezed together and maintain a neutral spine position.

X-Walks with the NeeBooFit Resistance Pull-Up Bands

In this 8-part series, we’ll teach you how to use our latest product, NeeBooFit Resistance Pull-Up Bands.  Ideal for assisted pull-ups, our Resistance Pull-Up Bands are also great for a whole range of exercises.  Buy a set today and check back each week for a new video in this series.

For the seventh video in our series, we’ll learn how to do X-Walks.  When you perform this walking exercise using NeeBooFit Resistance Pull-Up Bands, you’ll be stabilizing the knee and strengthening the glutes.  Here’s how to do it:

Instructions

  • Stand on the band with no tension between your feet.
  • Keep your feet shoulder width apart.
  • Twist the band to create an X shape.
  • Grip the band shoulder width apart and stand up.
  • Holding tension on the band, step to the side with one leg and then the other.

Tip: Don’t rotate your hips or your knees; stay facing forward.

Straight Arm Pull-Downs with NeeBooFit Resistance Pull-Up Bands

In this 8-part series, we’ll teach you how to use our latest product, NeeBooFit Resistance Pull-Up Bands.  Ideal for assisted pull-ups, our Resistance Pull-Up Bands are also great for a whole range of exercises.  Buy a set today and check back each week for a new video in this series.

For the sixth video in our series, we’ll learn how to perform Straight Arm Pull-Downs.  By attaching the NeeBooFit Resistance Band to a pull-up bar, you can use the band to strengthen the muscles between the shoulder blades, the lower trapezius, the posterior chain, and the triceps. Here’s how to do it:

Instructions

  • Attach a resistance pull-up band to a pull-up bar.
  • Hold the band with your hands shoulder width apart and with slight tension to form a triangle with the band.
  • Pull your arm down as you engage your shoulder blades until the bottom of the triangle reaches your waist.

Tip: Keep your belly strong to maintain proper form.

Pull-Aparts with NeeBooFit Resistance Pull-Up Bands

In this 8-part series, we’ll teach you how to use our latest product, NeeBooFit Resistance Pull-Up Bands.  Ideal for assisted pull-ups, our Resistance Pull-Up Bands are also great for a whole range of exercises.  Buy a set today and check back each week for a new video in this series.

For the fifth video in our series, we’ll learn how to do Pull-Aparts. The point of the Pull-Apart is to strengthen your posterior deltoid and lower trapezious to help you out of flextion and into extension. NeeBooFit Resistance Pull-Up Bands make this exercise easy to do anywhere! Here’s how to do it:

Instructions

  • Grip the resistance band with hands shoulder width apart.
  • Raise your arms up and hold the band above eye level.
  • Keep your shoulders set down in place.
  • Keep your elbows straight.
  • Pull the band apart and down until the band touches your chest.

Tip: To make it easier, hold the band slightly wider than shoulder width.