Water for the Win

The Benefits of Hydration for Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Hydration and Water

Elevated heart rate, sore muscles, and gasping for air are surefire signs you’re killing your workout. But the real proof lies in building up a solid sweat.

As you hustle through your exercise routine, your body overheats. Sweat is your first line of defense for maintaining a proper temperature. Each glistening droplet is made up of 99 percent water, with salt and fat mixed in. Post-workout, it’s critical to replenish what you’ve lost, so always drink ample fluids to rehydrate.

But did you know hydration can also help with maintaining a healthy weight?

Drinking water is key for optimal health. Staying hydrated can help with nutrient absorption, supports blood oxygen circulation, helps with brain function, and offers a myriad of other benefits. And if you’re looking to shave some pounds off, water can be the most important first step as you start your healthy new habits.

Let’s look at why your body needs hydration, how you should rehydrate, and the benefits of maintaining proper hydration.

The Wonders of Water

Water, or H2O, is pretty remarkable. Link two small hydrogen atoms with an oxygen atom, and you have the most essential chemical substance on Earth. It’s inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and virtually colorless. Every organism on the planet needs water, even though it contains no calories or organic nutrients.

Water carries nutrients to your cells and oxygen to your brain. It allows your body to absorb and assimilate minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and glucose, while flushing waste and toxins. All this, and it helps regulate body temperature, too.

You need to hydrate every day. By simply breathing, perspiring, and going to the bathroom, you dehydrate yourself. The average man needs to drink 3.7 liters of water a day, women should take in 2.7 liters.

Hydration and Water

Do 8 Sets of 16 Ounces

Weight loss is a simple equation—burn more calories than you consume. And if you’re serious about losing weight, ample water intake is just as important as a healthy diet and exercise. Your body is approximately 60 percent water, and a well-hydrated body is better equipped to meet the physical—and mental—demands of your day.

  • Muscles—Muscle stamina relies on water consumption. Even a light workout taxes your muscles, and regular hydration can keep them feeling energized.
  • Joints—It’s pretty difficult to go for a jog, attend a yoga class, or weight lift with stiff joints. Hit the water bottle to give your body the fluid it needs to keep your joints soft and supple.
  • Kidneys—Your kidneys are your body’s detox system. To function properly, your body needs sufficient water to filter your blood, remove toxins from your system, and support a natural, healthy feeling—exactly the right mindset you need to get out and get moving.
  • Brain—Speaking of mindset, a properly hydrated body can support brain function. Dehydration may impair your working memory, increase anxiety, cause headaches, and create a general sense of fatigue. Sipping a glass of water when you’re feeling slow can help with mental synopsis and remind you it’s time to work out.

Drinking water isn’t the only way to hydrate. Try these outside-the-box ideas to improve your water consumption:

  • Eat Oatmeal. Oats are hearty and filled with fiber, and they also retain a lot of water.
  • A Glass of Milk. Milk will always beat sports drinks because it contains carbs, calcium, and electrolytes.
  • Smoothie Time. Blend a combination of vegetables and fruits for a refreshing and healthy meal replacement.
  • Frozen Treats. Purée your favorite fruits or slide a popsicle stick through the lid of a sealed yogurt cup and freeze it for a nutrient-rich homemade popsicle treat.
  • Soup it Up. Mix soups into your diet. Broth-based medleys or gazpachos are the perfect, healthy meal to add water to your daily menu.

Nothing Sporting About These Drinks

A calorie is the amount of energy it takes to warm a cubic centimeter of water one degree. Doesn’t seem like much, but consider this: a pound of fat contains around 3,500 calories. And just like balancing your bank account, to lose a pound you need to burn 3,500 more calories than you eat.

As mentioned above, water is miraculous. Not only does it support your body, there’s also zero—nada, none, zip, nope—calories in water. It doesn’t add a single calorie to your daily intake.

Water can also help to create a feeling of satiety. Studies show drinking a glass of water 30 minutes before a meal can help you feel fuller and curb your desire to overeat.

And while sports drinks, juices, and other beverages can help with hydration, most of them contain calories. They might have added nutrients like electrolytes and minerals, but they come at a cost. Instead of reaching for a sugary beverage, stick with water.

Mineral Calm

After a workout, give your muscles a bit of TLC. Treat them to some much-needed magnesium to help keep them in peak condition.*

Mineral Calm is USANA’s newest magnesium-based supplement. This powerful alkaline metal is vital to many processes in the body, including nerve function and maintaining blood sugar levels already within normal range. Magnesium also serves as the single active ingredient to support GABA receptors in your brain to help optimize nerve activity and support healthy physical relaxation.*

Dissolve Mineral Calm in hot water for an effervescent, lemon- and ginger-flavored drink to help create a normal, relaxed state for muscles post workout. Magnesium is a natural calcium blocker, which helps your muscles’ cells to relax after contracting. Supplementing your diet with a magnesium-based beverage helps with hydration and supports recovery after exercise.*

For the occasional restless night, let Mineral Calm help you catch some zzz’s. Enjoying a warm, fizzy mug before bed can help to relax your muscles and ease you into sleep. It’s a great way to boost your magnesium and water intake while supporting a good night’s rest.*

Water for the Win

Now’s the perfect time to start a new healthy habit. And while it’s tempting to run to the sporting goods store and buy a whole new workout wardrobe, take a moment to drink a glass of water first. Proper hydration is the cornerstone for supplying your body with the fluids you need to get up and get going.

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