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the benefits of hydration
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Today there are many choices available for quenching thirst and staying hydrated, from sports drinks to specialty mineral waters from around the world. However, many people overlook the important benefits of hydration in their fitness regimen
Achieving optimal health means including plenty of nutrients and water in your daily regimen. Choose your fluids wisely for optimal body hydration, since your total body weight is about two-thirds water and it is vital for all chemical reactions in the body. The basic rules of survival are that many people can survive for weeks without food, but they can only live a few days without fluids.
When exercising, adequate body hydration is a primary concern and dehydration a serious matter. Dehydration of as little as two percent of body weight can begin to impair temperature regulation and athletic performance. The American College of Sports Medicine believes that the benefits of hydration include health, safety and optimal physical performance of anyone participating in regular physical activity.
Consuming fluid during exercise is necessary to improve athletic performance and reduce the risk of heat-related illness. Most sports drinks that are commercially available are a combination of water, electrolytes such as sodium and potassium and carbohydrates. The benefits of these ingredients for vigorous exercise are that the electrolytes replace those lost in sweat from exercise and carbohydrates improve performance by maintaining blood glucose levels and carbohydrate metabolism. Interestingly, a recent study revealed that the carbohydrate absorption rates of sports drinks may be enhanced when ingested with caffeine.
Risks and Benefits of Hydration
When it comes to diet and exercise, most people tend to overdo things. However, fitness buffs should remember that there can be too much of a good thing. During endurance sports such as marathons, triathlons and lengthy hikes, most athletes will know of someone who drank excessive amounts of water during prolonged endurance exercise and developed dangerously low blood sodium levels, a condition known as hyponatremia.
The more rapid the decline in sodium, the greater the risk for life threatening consequences. The symptoms of this condition include an altered mental status, such as confusion and disorientation, respiratory distress, seizures, unresponsiveness, coma, and ultimately death. As a general rule, when exercising more than four hours in hot, humid climates, an athlete who drinks excessive amounts of water is at risk of developing hyponatremia.
Even for those consumers who do not engage in heavy physical exertion, questions about the benefits of hydration abound: whether bottled waters are better than tap, whether sports beverages should be used and whether the vitamins added to bottled waters are needed. Experts suggest that the best way to monitor fluid intake is urine colour and volume. A rule of thumb is to drink enough so that the urine is clear or pale yellow. However, this can vary depending on use of supplements and medications.
A healthy lifestyle begins with a healthy body. Don't leave your health to chance.
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5 practical steps toward better work-life balance
Figure Out What Really Matters to You in Life
Getting your priorities clear is the first and most essential step toward achieving a well-balanced life. The important point here is to figure out what you want your priorities to be, not what you think they should be.
1.
If my life could focus on one thing and one thing only, what would that be?
2.
If I could add a second thing, what would that be?
3.
A third?
4.
A fourth?
5.
A fifth?
Drop
Unnecessary Activitiesdrop any commitments and pursuits that don't make your top-five list, because "unnecessary activities keep you away from the things that matter to you."
Protect Your Private Time
Guard this personal time fervently and don't let work or other distractions intrude. If work consistently interferes with your personal time, discuss some adjustments with your boss. Demonstrate that you can deliver the same or better results in fewer hours
Accept Help to Balance Your Life
Allow yourself to rely on your partner, family members, or friends.
Plan Fun and Relaxation Fun and relaxation are an essential part of living a well-balanced life. You are in charge of your own schedule -- it's up to you to make time. |
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