Parched, even just a little? You’re paying for it

As someone who’s in a constant state of dehydration (I know I don’t drink enough water or eat enough quenching foods — except for this week when I’ve had boatloads of chicken soup, tea and OJ in my efforts to get rid of a cold — achoo!), this study’s findings caught my eye (and maybe will get me to sip a little more):

Even a state of mild dehydration (defined as 1.5 percent loss of  normal water volume in the body) can affect your mood, energy and clear-thinking abilities. The women who took part in the study experienced headaches, fatigue and difficulty concentrating when mildly dehydrated, and they perceived tasks as more difficult.

Fatigue? Check. Concentration issues? Check. My new resolution: drink more water. Starting by adding one cup a day…

(Water bottles, Bobble)

Leave a Comment February 21, 2012

Running tip of the week

Tips from my weekly half-marathon clinic. This week is all about hydration.

• Do not wait until you feel thirsty to start drinking water. If you wait til you feel thirsty, you’re already 2 percent dehydrated and it’ll affect your run.
• As a general rule you only need a sports drink if you’re exercising intensely for more than an hour. Less than an hour and H2O is sufficient.
• Drink approximately half a cup of water every 15-20 minutes during your workout.
• When choosing a sports drink, look for one with 0.3-0.7 grams of sodium per litre, contains 4 to 8 percent carb concentration, and a variety of carb sources.

2 Comments February 25, 2011

Should you be getting your vitamins through VitaminWater?

South of the border, there’s a consumer group causing a commotion over the VitaminWater’s health claims.

And in answer to the question above, no, you should be getting your vitamins through a balanced diet–but you already know that, my Health & Swellness readers, right?

Sure, I drink VitaminWater from time to time. I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a big water drinker (still working on picking up that habit again), but VitaminWater is flavourful enough to satisfy me. From the many dietitians I’ve interviewed and past articles I’ve written, I know this drink is providing me with vitamins I am probably not deficient in–along with extra calories that plain old water wouldn’t. But I don’t guzzle it regularly as my source of vitamins (I’m making veggie-filled meals for that), and the occasional one I do have is fewer calories than a soft drink I might otherwise drink.

2 Comments February 4, 2011