How Much Water is Enough? How Much Water is Too Much?
Formula for Water Consumption Standards
There are many formulas on the internet for how much water you should drink. All diet books and courses I have read agree that lack of water leads to poor removal of waste from your cells. This decrease cellular output and performance. A lower cellular output suppresses metabolism. For most people, you can estimate water needs by taking half of one’s weight in pounds and converting that to ounces.
How Much Water Should your Drink When Exercising?
If you are just working out for an hour, you probably don’t need any water. Despite what energy drink companies, Gatorade, or BCAA companies may tell you, the human body has enough water in it to optimally perform for an hour before needing more water. If it’s very hot and humid, you may require water earlier. If you are working out in a gym, you are probably OK. If you find that you need water within 20 minutes, you were likely dehydrated when you started.
What are Some Healthy Alternatives to Water?
There are many healthy alternatives to water.
- Green Tea
- Herbal Tea
- Oolong Tea
- Sparkling Water (Paul’s Personal Favorite)
- Cucumber water (Second Favorite — cucumber magic)
- Strawberry Water
- Almond Milk
- Flax Milk
- Cashew Milk
- Lemon or Lime Water
- Iced Tea
- Pure Vegatable Juice
Which Beverages that are Less Healthy for you?
- Beer
- Wine
- Hard Alcohol
- Fruit Juices
- Sweetened Vegetable Juice
- Smoothies Made with Fruit
- Soy Milk
- Rice Milk
- Sweetened Tea
- Sweetened Lemonade
- Soda
- Diet Soda
- Creamers like International Delight, Coffeemate
- Eggnog
- Sweetened Water or Fruit Water Drinks
Beverages that are OK depending on the Time or Use
- Energy Drinks. If you take one before your workout, and the stimulants provide you with the ability to move substantially more volume than you could without it, a case could be made that the glycemic impact is balanced out by improved performance. All things being equal, go for the energy drinks having fewer sweeteners.
- Protein Shakes. The recovery benefits of drinking a protein shake after a workout outweigh the negative aspects of If you take one before your workout, and the stimulants provide you with the ability to move substantially more volume than you could without it, a case could be made that the glycemic impact is balanced out by improved performance. All things being equal, go for the protein drinks having fewer sweeteners.
- Coffee. Black coffee contains antioxidants. Most nutritionists believe two cups a day is generally safe. At higher levels, coffee can cause dehydration and raise cortisol levels.
- Kombucha Health Benefits include gut health through probiotics and cancer prevention through antioxidants. However it also contains sugar, so timing-wise it best consumed immediately before or after your workout.