Proper Nutrition

The Importance of Staying Hydrated and Eating a Proper Diet

Not only are dehydration and eating the wrong foods bad for your health, they’re also very bad for your skin. The next time you think about how many calories or how much fat or carbs are in your food, think about how it’s going to look on your face tomorrow! This article will tell you why staying hydrated and eating properly benefits both your health and your appearance.

Why do I need to stay hydrated?

The human body needs more water than it typically takes in, which is why most people are chronically dehydrated. According to many doctors, including Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, author of Your Body’s Many Cries for Water: You could be regularly dehydrating yourself without knowing it. The damage that dehydration can cause is severe—it not only makes us feel bad physically but also affects our performance at work and in social settings. In fact, studies have shown that being even slightly dehydrated impairs mental function as much as alcohol intoxication! So how do we ensure proper hydration? Here are three simple steps: (1) drink eight glasses of water every day; (2) drink an additional glass before you exercise; and (3) always carry a bottle with you so you can sip on it throughout your day. Why do I need to eat a proper diet?: A healthy diet plays a major role in overall health. But what exactly does healthy mean? We all know that foods like chocolate cake or french fries aren’t good for us, but what about other types of food? Do some fats help fight disease while others make us sicker? Are some carbohydrates better than others? Which vitamins and minerals should we get from food sources and which ones can we skip if they come from supplements instead? And perhaps most importantly, what does all of this mean for you personally—how should your diet change based on your age, sex, lifestyle choices, etc.? There are no easy answers here because everyone has different nutritional needs.

How much water should I drink per day?

Water is essential to all living creatures. According to WebMD, Human beings can survive longer without food than they can without water. In fact, even mild dehydration will slow down your thinking and make you fatigued. While there is no specific number that works for everyone, in general experts recommend drinking 1 oz (1 cup) of fluid every 3 hours if it's cool out or every 2 hours if it's warm outside. For reference, a 16oz soda has about 8 oz of fluid! So while it might seem like a good idea to drink more when it's hot outside, stick with those recommendations. The easiest way to know if you're hydrated enough? Your urine should be pale yellow or clear and have little-to-no odor. If you're dehydrated, your urine will be dark yellow or orange-colored and smell strong like ammonia. A quick note: caffeine doesn't count toward your daily intake—it actually acts as a diuretic so don't expect any help from that morning coffee! Also avoid alcohol since alcohol acts as a diuretic too, meaning it'll dehydrate you more quickly than water alone would have done on its own.

What are the best ways to stay hydrated?

The typical American diet is filled with foods that are high in sodium (salt) and fat. Water is vital for your body to function properly, but because water isn’t as satisfying as other drinks, it can be tempting to opt for sugary beverages instead. To keep your water intake at healthy levels, replace sugary drinks with water whenever possible. When you’re out at restaurants, order a sparkling water or club soda with lemon or lime instead of colas or coffee drinks. At home, try drinking unsweetened iced tea instead of sweetened coffee. If you must have something sweet when you’re thirsty, choose fresh fruits over juices or carbonated fruit-flavored drinks. Although juice has its benefits, it’s also very high in calories. For example, one cup of orange juice has about 160 calories—the same amount found in two slices of whole wheat bread! As far as fruit goes, stick with berries and bananas; they have more fiber than most other fruits and won’t cause spikes in blood sugar. You should also eat plenty of vegetables every day—they provide hydration without adding extra calories to your diet. What are some good things to eat?: A well-balanced diet is important for staying healthy overall—and if you want to lose weight quickly, you need to make sure you aren’t eating too much food overall. But what does well balanced mean? It means eating lots of different kinds of foods from each food group: grains, dairy products, meat and beans, fruits and vegetables. It’s best to avoid empty calories like added sugars, solid fats and alcohol. Instead, focus on nutrient-rich foods like lean meats and low-fat dairy products. These will help fill you up so you don’t end up consuming excess calories from unhealthy sources.

Is there anything else I should know about drinking water?

Water helps everything in your body work better. It plays a role in muscle movement, digestion, nutrient absorption, waste removal, and much more. Drinking enough water keeps your body functioning efficiently and makes you feel good. On average, women should drink about 10 cups (about 2 liters) of water per day and men need about 15 cups (about 3 liters). The best way to know how much water you should be drinking is to track how much fluid you consume in a typical day. Keep an eye on your urine color; if it looks dark yellow or brown like iced tea then you’re not drinking enough water. If it's clear or light yellow then you're probably getting plenty of fluids.

What are some tips on how to eat better?

One mistake that many people make is eating too quickly. Eat slowly; savor your food, enjoy it, chew well. Slowing down while you eat gives your body time to send messages to your brain saying I'm full and helps prevent you from overeating. It also allows time for stomach acids to flow into your stomach to digest proteins. If you eat too fast, those digestive juices don't have enough time to mix with your food. Remember not to confuse quantity for quality, meaning that just because something is healthy doesn't mean it's healthy if eaten in excess or unhealthy if eaten in moderation. For example, nuts are actually quite nutritious -- until you eat all 100 calories worth out of the bag at once! A good rule of thumb when trying to lose weight is to never go hungry. When you're hungry, your body releases stress hormones like cortisol that can increase your appetite even more. Instead, try setting an alarm so you know when it's time to eat again. You'll be less likely to overindulge when you're not ravenous. A study published in Appetite found that obese individuals who had frequent meals throughout the day lost more weight than those who ate two larger meals a day (though both groups lost about 13 pounds on average). This strategy may also help keep off any extra pounds after you lose weight since research has shown meal frequency can affect how much weight we gain over time as well as how long we stay on a diet.