Friday, April 20, 2007

Water

To keep your body flowing smoothly, you must stay hydrated. By the time you feel thirsty, you already are partially dehydrated. The key is to drink water long before you feel thirsty. Adults need at least eight 8-ounce glasses each day.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Diet cola does not contain any fat or calories. Why is it better for me to drink water when I am trying to lose weight rather than continuing to drink diet cola?

Elizabeth said...

Anonymous,

There are many reasons why water is better for you than diet cola, especially if you are trying to lose weight. The main reason, however, is that most diet colas contain caffeine. I will give you the top 4 reasons caffeine is counterproductive to your weight loss goals:

1. Caffeine stimulates appetite by triggering low-blood sugar, which causes hunger.

2. Caffeine causes food cravings by increasing your fight-or flight response that alerts your body to increase its energy stores.

3. Caffeine increases stress hormones, and stress hormones increases body fat.

4. Caffeine increases insulin resistance, which in-turn increases the risk for Type II Diabetes.


Diet colas also contain artificial sweeteners, which have been shown to increase hunger in some studies, but these results are inconclusive.

Also, carbonated beverages contain phospohorus, which competes with the calcium for your bones.