Day 43...Still no sign of water...

Several years ago my father some friends and I were jeeping and hiking around Canyonland's national park. In Canyonland's there isn't water anywhere...it's sandstone canyons as far as you can see. It's a far cry from the lush forests mountain scene that is Yellowstone.
After a morning of driving through the trails of the park, we got out and decided to go on a hike down into a slot canyon. We made sure and took plenty of water. It was then that my friend Bill started with the narrations.
The best way to describe Bill's one man narration of our hike was like, he was reading out of the journal of Tom Hank's character in Castaway.

Bill: Day 4, there are 4 of us still alive.  The sounds through out the night make it nearly impossible for us to sleep.  Our hope is that tomorrow we can find some food.

Bill: Day 12, We've searched every where, no sign of civilization.  Steve's gotten sick, sure hope he pulls through.  Need to find food and water soon.

Bill: Day 47 Still no water, can't take much more of this.

I tell this story, not simply because it's now a running joke in my family (seriously just say in an exasperated voice, "Day 47..." he'll bust up laughing), but because I think an overlooked part of any nutrition plan is water.  Lots and lots of water.
We're bombarded with advertisements and in the grocery store with ads for sports drinks, and diet sodas and who can forget this guy...



There is a feeling out there that it's just water, and somehow adding stuff to it...is always better.  Now don't get me wrong, there is a place for the Juiceman's wonder juices, and there is even a place for Gatorade, however neither of these surpass water in terms of what it'll do for your body.

Let's look at some of the facts about water.  Your body is made up of about 60% water.  Think about that if you way 200 pounds, more than 120 pounds of you is water! 
According to Susan Kleiner, PhD, RD, and author of Power Eating, "Most people are walking around in a moderately dehydrated state."  Remember hearing that we all need 8 glasses a day?  Well according to Dr. Kleiner...that's the bare MINIMUM!!  If you exercise at all...you need more. 

So before I've mentioned this game we're playing.  Part of the game is drinking the right amount of water.  We each have to drink 3 liters a day.  It sounds like a ton, and at first it feels like it, but then it's really not that bad.  In drinking enough water you actually turn of the internal switch that forces your body to store water for fear of dehydration, so by drinking more water, you actually LOSE water weight!  Weird...

The bare minimum is a 8 glasses a day, that's about 2 liters.  The moment you exercise, (and we're all exercising) you need more.  You've increased your metabolism and when you were working out...you expelled 4 cups just by breathing harder, and 1-2 quarts by sweating...all of that needs to be replaced.

The other big plus is that water takes up space.  Yup that's right, it takes up space in my stomach that might other wise be filled with chips or cheese puffs.  It suppresses my appetite.  
I've been drinking 3 L of water every day.  I feel great.  It does take some planning.  I have a large metal water bottle at my desk that I fill up 4 times a day.  Once at home before work, twice at work and then once when I'm home relaxing.

Try it, try drinking 3 liters of water a day.  Give your body some time to get used to it, and see how you feel.  Let me know!