How much water is too much? And how do I figure out the right amount of salt?
Question:
Answers:
Please see "MayoClinic Article on Water" source link below.
The following healthy living recommendations will help you if you’re trying to lose weight, tone up your muscles, have aspirations of building lean muscle mass, are attempting to get a wash board stomach, or just want to feel better:
*1) Burn more calories then you're consuming everyday and measure your results using the following formula: Calories Consumed minus Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) minus Physical Activity minus the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). A website that explains this formula in more detail and will help you determine how many calories you need to reach or maintain a certain weight is at http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/weight/calsburned.htm
Get an online, desktop, or cell phone diet and fitness calculator. This will allow you to easily calculate the above formula, set goals, log your daily calorie consumption, and register your physical activities.
Set realistic goals for your ideal body weight. Here are two websites that will calculate a suggested body weight:
Adults: http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm
Teens/Children: http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/exercise/weight/bmi.html
It is difficult and unhealthy to lose more than one or two pounds per week. There are 3,500 calories in a pound. If you eat 500 fewer calories per day for a week you will lose one pound. If you burn through exercise 500 more calories per day for a week you will lose one pound.
Here are two articles on how to break through a weight loss plateau:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/86/99147.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/pages/18/102117.htm
*2) Eat natural and organic foods found on earth versus something created by a corporation to make money. Eat meals in small portions throughout the day and take a good multi-vitamin supplement.
Do not try fad diets or diet pills. Avoid “High Glycemic Load Carbs” (sugar, pastries, desserts, refined starches such as breads, pasta, refined grains like white rice; high starch vegetables such as potatoes) and drink lots of water. Read this article for more information on high GL Carbs:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates.html
The following are food pyramids and several articles on what you should eat everyday:
Food Pyramids:
http://www.rayandterry.com/html/images/PyramidLRG.gif?osCsid=26a424be471d1337e7c2f105d5c64d9d
http://www.mypyramid.gov/
Antioxidant Superstars - Vegetables and Beans:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/104/107638.html
Antioxidant Loaded Fruits:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/104/107640.html
Good Carbs Mean Better Weight:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/100/105783.htm
The Benefits of Protein:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/85/98824.htm
Some Fats Are Good For You:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/49/40075.htm
Antioxidants in Green and Black Tea:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/104/107641.html
What You Should Eat Daily:
http://www.oprah.com/health/yourbody/slide/slide_yourbody_healthfood_201.jhtml
Best Foods to Fight off Disease and Keep You Healthy:
http://www.oprah.com/health/yourbody/slide/slide_yourbody_healthfood_101.jhtml
*3) Perform cardiovascular, core, and/or strength training on most days. Read a book or find a certified trainer to make sure you're doing all exercises correctly.
The following is a website and numerous articles on cardiovascular, core, and strength training:
Exercise Prescription on the Net
http://www.exrx.net/
Starting an Exercise Program:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/startexercise.htm
Strength Training Basics:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/trainbasics.htm
Cardiovascular Machine Workouts:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/cardiowork.htm
Balance Your Way to a Stronger Body:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/64/72314.htm
Understanding Your Training Heart Rate:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/thr.htm
Exercise Errors:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/errors.htm
Getting a Flat Stomach:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/71/81365.htm
Weight Lifting - Does Order Matter:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/80/96440.htm
Encouraging Exercise in Your Kids:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/95/103524.htm
Strength Training Safe and Effective for Kids:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/32/1728_81005.htm
*4) Get plenty of sleep. Sleep experts say most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night for optimum performance, health, and safety.
*5) Educate yourself continually on health issues and make a life long commitment to good health. A great free publication is “Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005”. A reputable test you can take to measure your biological age is at http://realage.com
Look at all areas where you can enhance your health. For example, make improvements in the quality of the air you breathe. Review outdoor air quality forecasts where you live and get an indoor air purifier.
Send me an email or yahoo instant message to "gainbetterhealth" if you have any questions and good luck!
*Click on all the source links below to get the full benefit of the recommendations. The answers presented to your health questions are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Other Answers:
84 oz or 8 glasses is what is recommended. i dont think you can have too much. as far as salt, less is more. The less you eat the better.
You're not drinking too much water, and just eat a regular diet and you'll have enough salt in it... if you're really worried about retaining water, then weigh yourself daily at the same time wearing about the same type of clothing. 1kg (2.2lb) equals 1liter of retained water (remember this is in a 24hr period, if you gain a pound over a couple weeks then don't freak out)
There is a way to drink too much water but unless your retaining it (not peeing) then it's generally hard to do, this phenomenon is known as water intoxication and you'll know when and if it happens.
your water is fine and the salt you get is normally in foods you eat anyways. We can never really know just how much salt we are getting daily but if we add salt that could be too much. Your Dr can answer this one with the best answer I think. Good question however.
Doctors have always told me that there is no such thing as drinking too much water. Any excess will leave the body naturally and it is not retained, anyway. Too little water, especially in the summer, causes dehydration. That is not fun. Been there, done that. One gets disoriented and has to be given intravenous fluids. You get enough salt in most diets, so don,t even think about adding extra. If you drink a gallon of water a day, depending on your sex, size, etc. that sounds fine. Don,t stay in the sun and sweat it all out. The more you sweat the more you have to replace your water intake. Years ago there was a fad to lose weight "the water diet". People actually beleived if they drank as much water as possible they would lose weight. Of course, they found out it was not true. Water in. Water out. Natural function. By the way, in the summer if you don,t drink soda, try not to drink tea either, hot or cold. It acts as a diuretic and you will be urinating a lot more than usual.
don't worry about the water that you drink -- they are used by your body if needed, and most of them are urinated. worry about your salt intake -- because salt is actually the one responsible for retaining water (which is produced by the salt). not only soda contains sodium, it's almost everywhere -- anything "packaged" or "preserved" is high in sodium -- anything in cans or anything 'sealed'
Don't bother our bodies do a good job regulating the salt balance in the blood and tissues. For example, when too much salt is being used in sweating the salt concentration drops. There is one exception, that is creeping dehydration on very hot days, or hot days when you are working/exercising hard. Then the natural system does not work well. It's easy under those conditions to get severely dehydrated. and one of the symptoms is confusion (& headache etc.) severe dehydration can lead to heat exhaustion and in some casses "explosive heat death". So, in very hot weather drink lots of water in order to cool off your body through sweating. And have everyone boserve the other for dehydrtion symptoms.
Or stay in air conditioned places.
To summarise, your body will balance your bodily salt levels. (through thirst if more water is needed). You do not ahve to calculate fluid intake all day long.
Dan.
Here's a clue: If you have to pee all the time, your body is telling you that you're fully hydrated and you DON'T NEED ANY MORE WATER.
You DON'T NEED to drink 8 glasses of water a day. You don't need 1/2 your body weight (in oz.) per day. You don't need a gallon a day. You don't need ANY arbitrary target amount per day. That whole idea has been debunked. IT'S JUST NOT TRUE!
Drink when you're thirsty. Period!
http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp
http://calorielab.com/news/2006/05/28/8-glasses-of-water-a-diet-urban-legend
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