Water: An Essential Daily Liquid!

Many people fall short when it comes to their daily water intake. Often times when I ask, "how much plain water do you drink?”, the response is rolling of the eyes and the statement, "not as much as I am supposed to". My response to that is always, "how much do you think you are supposed to drink"? The interesting thing is many people do not know this answer. In fact there are different recommendations for overall fluid intake and for just plain water intake. Usually water needs to makeup at least half of your overall daily fluid intake. This shocks people.  Many do not understand the importance of plain water consumption. They do not realize where water plays a role in overall health and in weight loss.  I hope that after this blog you will see where water plays a role in your overall health and weight loss goals. The following link is an easy way to get a general estimation of how much fluid you should consume per day. Remember that at least half of your daily fluid intake should be water. Please keep in mind that the following fluid recommendations are for healthy people who do not have any kidney issues. When in doubt, talk to your healthcare provider to get your individualized daily fluid goal.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/fitness/tools/hydration

The good news is that at least 60% of your body weight is water. Daily we are losing water from our kidneys, our skin (perspiration), our respiratory tract, and even some from the digestive tract. How much we lose each day is based on the climate, temperature, and humidity level of our current location. There are also medications that increase your fluid loss daily. As a result, it becomes more important for us to be aware of our daily water intake so that we can ensure that we drink enough to meet our body's daily needs.

Did you know that water helps to build the cells in your body? Our bodies are constantly building new cells and therefore constantly need water, especially during years of growth.  Knowing this, you now understand how important water consumption is to growing children, yet they are the population that drinks the least amount of plain water.

Did you know that water also helps to control your body temperature? As a result, water is essential when a fever is present or when you are outside in hot or cold weather. Many people think to increase their water consumption in the heat, but do not think to do so when it is cold outside. Water is important in both instances.

Did you know that water cleanses/removes waste? This is why when you get a massage or when you are sick it is so important to consume regular amounts of plain water. It helps flush the body of toxins. Many people feel that all fluid is equal. The way I think of it is you cannot bathe yourself in tea or diet/regular soda or milk or flavored water, so how do you expect your body to cleanse itself with these fluids? It cannot. The kidneys are always filtering something out of fluids that are not plain water. Only plain water with cleanse the body. For those of you who cannot stand plain water, you can put lemon or lime or cucumbers in your water and it would still be defined as plain water.

Did you know that water is also needed for the fluid that lubricates your joints and keeps you moving? It is also needed for saliva production in your mouth that protects you from tooth decay and mouth cancer. As well as for the production of gastric and intestinal fluids that aid in digestion. Also for the production of mucus in the respiratory system that protects you from harmful airborne contaminates. Water is also needed for skin hydration. With proper skin hydration, you can limit/avoid the fine wrinkles and keep your skin looking younger!

All of these functions are essential for daily living activities. Yet, many of us still do not consume enough water. We have 3 main sources of water intake: what we drink, what we eat, and what our own body makes. A body relies most on the amount of water we consume because it is the easiest to process.

So, here are some tips to incorporate more water into your diet:
1. Drink water all throughout the day. Always include water at meals, unless otherwise told differently by a medical professional because of a medical condition, like the gastric bypass surgery or kidney disease. This will help you to feel full faster, especially if you eat a high fiber diet. Water is always a better liquid to consume at meals because some drinks can interfere with nutrient and mineral absorption from the meal.

2. Check your urine color. By noon, your urine should be clear to light yellow if you are drinking enough water. If it is not, then that is a strong sign that you have not had enough.

3. Treat water like it is a prescribed medication. It is recommended that a healthy person aim to consume at least 40 ounces of water per day. As a result, drink an 8 ounce glass of water at each meal, as well as a snack in between meals, and before bed. This will equal to you drinking 8 ounces of water, 6 times per day, to total 40 ounces overall. Rule of thumb:  Usually 1 regular gulp of water equals around 1 oz of fluid for the average adult.

4.When exercising aim to drink 8-20 ounces of water at least 1 hour before you start exercising to ensure proper pre-workout hydration. Then aim to drink 16-24 ounces of fluid every hour during the exercise. If you are in training or exercising at an intense level, it is a smart idea to track your weight loss from fluid by weighing yourself before and after the exercise. It is recommended to limit fluid loss during exercise to less than 2% of overall body weight.  You should drink 16-24 ounces of fluid for every pound lost through sweat. This is especially important to ensure your physical performance is not impacted. When exercising less that 1 hour, you should most likely use plain water to rehydrate. If you are exercising more than 1 hour or at an intense level, it is a good idea to rehydrate using low calorie sports drinks to help replace fluid and electrolytes. It is very important to replace sodium and other electrolytes when perspiring large amounts to ensure that you do not throw off your heart because of electrolyte imbalance.

5. When hungry in between meals, drink 2- 8 ounce glasses of water before consuming food. Many times we mistake dehydration as hunger. Remember that hunger pangs will be felt in the stomach. Anytime you are thinking you are hungry because of your mouth or fatigue, try drinking water first.

6. Just like many things in life, too much of a good thing, can become a bad thing. As a result, do not go crazy with water consumption. It is possible to drink too much water for your body. This is why it is always a good idea to have an idea of how much water you have consumed. Remember water has no calories and therefore when consumed on a regular basis can help you eat less ad lose weight.

Staying hydrated can help delay daily fatigue, maintain mental alertness and decision making all throughout the day, and optimize the ability to regulate body heat, improve ability to recover quickly from exercise/training and increase the feeling of fullness/satiety to help achieve weight loss. I recommend that you buy a drinking container so that you can start measuring your daily water intake.  Water is too important to the body to drink too little daily. Not only does water aid in essential daily living activities, it also helps us to lose weight and look younger! What a miracle liquid!

Until next week,
XOXO The Dietnista


-----

The following are signs/symptoms of mild and severe dehydration just for your information. Both are serious conditions that need to be treated.

Mild dehydration is characterized as 1-2% of body weight loss. Mild dehydration can impair functions such as, alertness, concentration, short term memory, as well as physical performance.
Signs and Symptoms of Mild Dehydration
- dry, sticky mouth
- sleepiness or tiredness
- decreased urine output, especially in there has been increased fluid consumption
- few or no tears when crying
- muscle weakness
- headache
- dizziness or light-headedness

Severe dehydration requires medical treatment and is usually a medical emergency.
Signs and Symptoms of Severe Dehydration
- extreme thirst
- extreme fussiness/sleepiness/irritability/confusion
- very dry mouth, skin, mucous membranes
- lack of sweating
- little or no urination
- sunken eyes
- dry skin
- low blood pressure
- rapid heartbeat
- fever

It Starts!

New Year, New You!

How many times have you tried to lose weight and couldn't? Do you feel like you have tried everything and still have not seen the results that you expect to see? I am here to help. I am The Dietnista. I am here to answer your diet, exercise and supplement questions. I am here to guide you through the process of losing weight and help you to understand how to achieve your goals so that you can! I want to help you to separate fad from fact, so each week I will blog about a topic that I feel is relevant. If you want me to blog about the topics that you find relevant, all you have to do is email me (dietnista@gmail.com), or post it on Facebook/Twitter.  I want to help 2013 be THE year that you accomplish your goals!

 
For those of you who are new to my blog, WELCOME! For those of you who have been reading since the beginning, THANK YOU for your support! Whether you are new or have been with me for a while, I HIGHLY recommend you take the time to reread my previous blogs. There is a lot of valuable information in them. Again, if you have any follow up questions about previous blogs PLEASE feel free to email me or post them on Facebook/Twitter. I am here to help! My goal is to post a new blog every Wednesday. 

So over the next week take time to think about the following questions and email me your thoughts/answers.

What are the obstacles that get in your way when you try to lose weight? In other words, what caused you to fall short of your weight loss goal in the past? How do you plan to handle the obstacles this time around so that they do not get in your way? Addressing your obstacles at the beginning will help you to overcome them before they impact your weight loss goals.  

Until next week,
XOXO The Dietnista

New Year, New You

Hello all! I hope you had a very happy holiday and a happy new year!

It is hard to believe that 2012 has come and gone. The thought of the New Year brings up thoughts of New Year’s resolutions. What will your New Year’s resolution be this year? Did you know that losing weight is the most popular New Year’s resolution in the United States?  Knowing this, it is hard to believe that over 60% of Americans are still considered overweight or obese. What does this tell me? That year after year Americans are not reaching their weight loss goals. Why you might ask? The reason is because we set unrealistic or unreachable goals. We need more patience. Remember the saying that “Rome wasn't built in a day”. I want you to take a minute and do some math.  How long did it take you to gain your unwanted weight? Not how long have you been this weight but how long did it take you to go from your goal weight to current weight? Realistically, take that amount of time and double it. That might be how long it takes you to lose the weight. I know this news is frustrating to hear. This is the reality. The reason this is true is because once you have added fat cells to your body it is hard to take them off. Your body actually has to increase the size of your organs and grow more blood vessels to fuel, or feed a larger you. It is stated that if you were to stretch out the blood vessels of an average adult, there are about 100,000 miles of blood vessel. As a result, when you gain weight you also gain more blood vessels. When you are trying to lose weight your body has to break down the added blood vessels and adjust to your new weight. Also, research shows that fat cells produce hormones that help regulate appetite. Your body gets acclimated to having a certain level of these hormones in the blood, especially if you have been at your current weight for more than a year. When you lose weight, especially fat, the amount of the appetite regulatory hormones decreases in the blood.  As a result, your body panics and increases your appetite so that you will gain more  fat cells and send the hormone levels back to the level the body has gotten acclimated to. Some people refer to this as the body’s set point.

Here are some tips to help you set a New Year’s resolution that you can meet:

1.       Be Realistic with your weight loss goal. Then break the weight loss goal down into small reachable goals with time frames.

Remember that is takes burning 3500 extra calories to lose 1 pound of weight. As a result, my advice is, do not set a goal to lose more than 8 pounds per month. In fact, I recommend starting with a goal to lose 4 pounds per month. I know that this seems like a slow weight loss, but in the long run it will help you to achieve you overall weight loss goal. The hardest part to weight loss is maintenance. If you lose more than 8 pounds per month, it usually means that you are doing something drastic to lose the weight that realistically you will not be able to maintain over the long haul. Examples of this are severely decreasing you calorie intake or exercising more than 90 minutes per day. This can lead to yo-yo dieting and regaining the weight. Research shows that yo-yo dieting is more detrimental to your overall health than being overweight.

2.       Be Realistic with your exercise goal.

Start out slow. A little bit goes a long way. If you don’t currently exercise, then make it your goal to exercise 15 minutes a day. In fact, it does not even have to be all at once. You could do 8 minutes in the morning and 7 minutes at night. If you currently exercise 30 minutes per day, then make it your goal to exercise 45 minutes per day. In other words, take what exercise you currently do and make it your goal to add 15 more minutes on per day. Remember, In order to consider it “exercise” you need to increase your heart rate enough where you can talk to the person next to you but you cannot sing to them. You should be slightly out of breath.

3.        Find a buddy to help keep you on track.

Research shows that people, who start a weight loss program with a buddy that has the goal to lose the same amount of weight, are more likely to reach their overall goal. You need some who can boost your spirit when you are getting frustrated. You need someone who will keep you accountable, when it comes to what you eat and your exercise plan. I recommended that this person be the same gender and not be a significant other/husband/wife.

4.       At the beginning of each week, make time in your daily schedule to accomplish your exercise goals. This would also be a good time to outline the meal plan for the week. If you drink alcohol, figure out where and how it will fit into your weight loss plan.

The biggest complaint that I hear about why people have trouble losing weight is because of lack of time. By taking time at the beginning of the week to plan the meals for the week you are more likely to stay on track. The easier it is to make meal decisions the more likely you are going to make the right ones. When it comes to exercise you have to figure out where it can fit into your schedule, realistically. A majority of people are not thrilled to exercise. Look at it as part of your daily work schedule that you have to accomplish before you can go home. Once it becomes part of your routine, it will make it easier to stay on track.

5.       Decide ahead of time how you are going to reward yourself after you achieve your goal. Do not use food or alcohol as a reward.

Think of all the money you are saving with each pound you lose. You are spending less money on food, medications, clothes, and stress relievers. I recommend that you come up with an amount of money that you are going to put aside for each pound that you lose. Once you reach your goal, take the money and go spend it on yourself. Whether it is on clothes, shoes, jewelry, a vacation or something you have always wanted. You deserve it for all of your hard work!

6.       Let your family, friends and co-workers in on your weight loss intentions.

Weight loss is not an easy task. There are tons a sabotages all around you. Whether it is commercials, holidays, special events, family, friends or yourself, obstacles will stand in your way and mess with your mind when you are trying to lose weight. If you can explain to family, friends and co-workers why it is important to you to lose weight, they can help you through the weight loss obstacles instead of being part of them. The larger your support network the more successful you will be. This is a good thing to keep in mind for your-self. You never want to be sabotage for family, friends and co-workers in the goals they are trying to reach.

Keep these things in mind when you are deciding on your New Year’s resolutions to help you to be successful in accomplishing your weight loss and overall health goals in the New Year. May 2013 bring you nothing but good health and success in achieving your goals!

XOXO!   The Dietnista

How to Detox Your Fridge

Many people do not realize that the key to a healthy lifestyle is found at home. The most common diet and health sabotages for most people are found in their very own kitchen.  When making changes to improve overall health and diet, the first step should be to detox one’s refrigerator and pantry. Here are some guidelines to get started:

Dairy (Milk/Yogurt) and Cheese:

When purchasing dairy and cheese products, the goal is to buy low fat or fat free, especially when trying to lose weight, lower cholesterol and improve overall health. Many people do not realize that the fat found in dairy and cheese is primarily saturated fat. Saturated fat can increase LDL cholesterol, which is bad cholesterol in the blood that many people take medication to lower. As a result, it has been recommended that once older than the age of 2, everyone should consume low fat or fat free dairy products.  Regardless of fat content in dairy and cheese, the healthy nutrients such as vitamin D, calcium, riboflavin and protein are still present. The sugar content is also a concern for some when buying milk and yogurt.  Many people will look to other types of milk such as almond, rice or soy milk, thinking that these are healthier choices because they contain less sugar. Many will either avoid yogurt or will purchase watered down versions of yogurt because they appear to contain less sugar. It is actually more important to look at the total carbohydrate, total fat and saturated fat content of the milk and yogurt one chooses, not the sugar content.  1 serving of milk or yogurt contains no more than 15 grams of carbohydrate.

Sandwich items (Condiments/lunch meat):

When making a sandwich, it is better to buy lunch meat from the deli than pre-package meat. Most deli sliced meats will contain less unwanted items like salt, nitrates, unknown fillers and fat. The best condiment to add to a sandwich is mustard. Unlike mayonnaise, mustard contains very little overall calories and no fat calories. If one is going to purchase mayonnaise, it is better to purchase the light mayonnaise or one that is made with olive oil and limit the serving to 1 tsp.  Another helpful hint is to always add vegetables to sandwiches to help limit the impact that any unwanted items in the deli meat can have on the body. 

Vegetables

The following list is all non-starchy vegetables. As a result, consumption of these vegetables will help lower weight, cholesterol, blood sugars and risk of certain types of cancer. It is a good idea to stock the refrigerator full with these vegetables. These vegetables are practically calorie free when consumed by themselves. As a result, try to limit or avoid added fat to these vegetables.  They can be cooked any way but fried and can be eaten at anytime.

Artichokes	Carrots	Okra
Artichoke Hearts	Celery	Onions
Asparagus	Cauliflower	Pea Pods
Green beans	Cucumber	Peppers (all)
Bean Sprouts	Eggplant	Salad greens
Beets	Green Onions/Scallions	Sauerkraut
Broccoli	Kohlrabi	Spinach
Brussels Sprouts	Leeks	Summer Squash
Cabbage	Mushrooms	Tomatoes (all)
Bamboo Sprouts	Chayote	Jicama
Rutabaga	Watercress	Greens (all)
Tomato/Veggie Juice	Zucchini	Radishes
Turnips	Kale	Bok Choy
Water Chestnuts		Daikon

Juice or sugar filled drinks

According to Advisory Committee on Dietary Guidelines for Americans in 2005, those who consume a lot of added sugars from drinks, such as fruit juice, coke, flavored drinks and sweet tea, tend to consume more calories and fewer vitamins and minerals. This is true of any type of drink that contains added sugar, whether it is sugar cane, honey or agave nectar. As a result, it is thought that there is a connection between drinking sugary drinks and an increase risk for Diabetes, Heart Disease,and Obesity. Sugary drinks increase the risk of diabetes because 15 grams of carbohydrate, which is around 4 oz of most sugary drinks, spikes the blood sugar 50 points in 15 minutes. This is a rapid spike in blood sugar. When the blood sugar spikes, the body forces the pancreas to produce enough insulin to compensate. Overtime the repeated rapid blood sugar spike will wear down the pancreas and cause it to not be able to produce enough insulin to compensate. As a result, the blood sugar starts to rise in the blood and the diagnosis of Type II Diabetes follows. Sugary drinks also increase the risk of heart disease because all refined sugar can be made into triglycerides in the body. Triglycerides are bad cholesterol found in the blood that many people take medication to lower.  The big picture is that there are no added health benefits to consuming calories from liquid, unless consuming milk. Sugary drinks use up daily calorie and carbohydrate allotment and therefore decrease room for more fiber filler and nutritious foods. Many sugar filled drinks claim to prevent/limit dehydration because of the sodium and potassium content. It would be a healthier idea to drink water and eat fresh fruits and vegetables to accomplish the same thing.

Fruits

The fresh fruits that have the most health benefits are the ones that the peel is consumed as well as the body of the fruit. The peel is where a lot of the wanted fiber and nutrients are found. It is very important to get a variety of fruit to ensure the consumption of a variety of nutrients. Try to keep the fruit serving to the size of a tennis ball, which is a ½ cup to 1 cup for most fruits. When buying fresh fruit, buy the smallest sized fruit to help limit the risk of calorie overconsumption.  If purchasing any prepackaged fruit, make sure that it is packed in its own juice not syrup.

Alcohol

Alcohol is actually digested more like a fat than it is as a carbohydrate.  There are 7 calories per gram in alcohol. As a result, when trying to lose weight one needs to count any alcoholic drink as a fat source to limit themselves from over consuming calories. It is recommended that a man consume no more than 2 alcoholic drinks per every 24 hrs and a woman is limited to 1 alcoholic drink per every 24 hrs. Serving Examples of alcohol are: 12 ounces of Beer or 5 ounces of Wine or 1.5 ounces of 80 proof liquors. Dark beer contains more antioxidants than light beer, however the portion has to be limited to avoid over consumption of calories. Try to mix liquors with calorie free mixes, such as diet soda, soda water, diet tonic or water.

Butter vs margarine

Neither one is considered “healthy”. Butter can increase LDL cholesterol and margarine can increase triglycerides. In other words, both options increase bad cholesterol. Try to purchase the lighter options of both. There are also options that are yogurt based which do not have as big of an impact of bad cholesterol.  Try to limit the portion of all the above options to less than 1 TBS.

Side Condiments and Salad Dressings

Most side condiments, like BBQ, ketchup and cocktail sauce, main ingredient is sugar. As a result it is a good idea to limit all added condiments. Other options to keep in the refrigerator to flavor food are lemon juice, lime juice, and different vinegars. Be very careful of salad dressings. A majority of salad dressing are high in fat and sugar. 

Tune in next time for tips on how to detox your pantry. 

XOXO!!

The Dietnista

The Ultimate Secret to Weight Loss - Foods You Can Eat All You Want!

Happy New Year!!!!

Can you believe it is 2012? It amazes me how fast time flies. It is during this time of year that most people begin to reflect on their goals and resolutions, as I talked about in last week’s blog.  It is a time that reminds people that for every day that passes that they do not take care of themselves, they increase their risk of being diagnosed with health problems such as Type II Diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease and cancer. The frustrating thing is 4 out of 5 of these diseases can be prevented.  The time is now to take charge of your health! Any little changes that you make in your weight, diet and exercise routine can help improve your overall health. Over the past 2 months, we have talked about the importance of breakfast and reviewed healthy meal ideas to start your day. Now we are going to look into the recommended meal pattern for the rest of your day.

One of the hardest parts to weight loss is the feeling of hunger. Most people do not feel physically or emotionally comfortable when their stomach is growling or uneasy. As a result, they give in and over consume calories. You have to remind yourself that the calories you currently consume fuels your current size. As a result, fewer calories consumed should fuel a smaller you. This means that we have to help you to get through those times of discomfort.

I am going to give you a list of foods that you can eat all you want, all day long, non-stop and not worry about calories. This list is the secret to weight loss and weight maintenance. The only catch is that they cannot be fried and you have to limit or avoid adding fat to them. Examples of added fat are butter, margarine, all oils, cheese and salad dressing. They can be eaten raw or cooked. They can come from fresh, frozen or canned sources. If you purchase them in a can, try to wash them off before cooking them to limit the amount of sodium they might contain.  Consuming large amounts of the following foods will help to lower your blood pressure, bad cholesterol levels and decrease your risk of most cancers. They can be consumed with meals and in between meals to help limit hunger pangs.  

Are you ready for the list? Here it is…

Artichokes	Carrots
Artichoke Hearts	Celery
Asparagus	Cauliflower
Green beans	Cucumber
Bean Sprouts	Eggplant
Beets	Green onions or scallions
Broccoli	Kohlrabi
Brussel Sprouts	Leeks
Cabbage	Mushrooms
Bamboo Sprouts	Chayote
Okra	Tomato/Veggie Juice
Onions	Turnips
Pea Pods	Water Chestnuts
Peppers (all)	Watercress
Salad greens	Zucchini
Sauerkraut	Tomatoes (all)
Kale	Greens (all)
Spinach	Radishes
Summer Squash	Bok Choy
Jicama	Daikon
Rutabaga

The only people, who should eat some of the above foods with caution, or consistency, are people who take anticoagulant medications to aid in blood thinning, such as Coumadin or Warfarin.  If you take any of these medications, I recommend that you talk to a Registered Dietitian so that they can explain to you the recommended dietary modifications when taking anticoagulants.  The general recommendations are to be consistent with your Vitamin K consumption on a regular basis. This means you can eat foods that contain vitamin K, you just have to be consistent on the amount that you consume on a daily basis. Too much, or inconsistent amounts of Vitamin K can limit the effect of the drug. Females who take Coumadin or Warfarin should restrict their average Vitamin K consumption to 90 mcg, while male adults should not consume more than 120 mcg, if they want to avoid unnecessary consequences. Vitamin K is usually found in green leafy vegetables like the above, which is why I bring this to your attention. If you do not take Coumadin or Warfarin, then you have nothing to worry about.

Bon Appétit!  Use these foods at meals, and snacks to help fill you up. You can mix them into your dish or eat them by themselves. You can literally go to the store and get one of the steamable bags of these specific vegetables that contain no sauce, eat all you want and still lose weight.

Good luck with your New Year’s resolutions! Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and Twitter!

Until next week…

XOXO! The Dietnista