Healthy Hydration:
Think Before You Drink!
Are your fluids failing you as you attempt to run more and weigh less? Check out these healthy hydration strategies that may make a difference in your sports nutrition plan.
I thought fluids were good fillers while I try to lose weight?
It depends. Initially liquids take space. That feeling of fullness may help you feel fuller faster. However, once that fluid is absorbed, which happens fairly quickly, you will feel hungry again. You did not meet all the requirements of “fullness”, which requires consuming something that not only fills you, but keeps you feeling full. The trio of fiber (from plants/carbs), protein and a small amount of fat helps provide a sustained, comfortable feeling of fullness. Liquids fill fast, but also fades fast.
Another concern was reported in the Jan/Feb 2009 Nutrition Today journal, noting that people have a “limited ability to perceive calories” from liquids. The study found that participants did not eat less food even when drinking greater amounts of high calorie liquids. This opposes common thought that drinking at a meal will help you eat less. Not necessarily so.
It could also be a portion issue. Studies by Wansink from the University of Illinois showed that people have a tough time estimating liquid portions in equally sized glasses. Study participants thought they were pouring less liquid into short wide glasses compared to tall glasses. Even bartenders had a tough time estimating liquid portions! So, to be sure you know how many calories to estimate, measure your drinking glass at least once.
These two cups hold equal amounts of fluid.
Healthy hydration is a concept that involves three dimension of fluid intake that can impact your sports performance, your health and possibly your body weight. A great sports nutrition plan starts with getting your hydration plan in order in the areas of:
Helpful ingredients in balanced amounts;
Excessive ingredients in controlled amounts; and
Maximizing fluid and nutrient absorption.
Your body is water based. Every process that takes place in your body is water based. Even the health of your skin is water based. So, it is obvious that you need fluids for good health.
The Institute of Medicine has set the Adequate Intake for water (for women) at 2.7 liters per day, of which 2.2 liters (9 cups) should be from liquids, the rest can be from the natural moisture in foods. The AI for men is 3.7 liters per day, 13 cups of which should be liquids you drink. Of course, your need for fluids increases as your exercise time and intensity increases, so the AI for water is probably NOT enough for most women who train at a great intensity all year round. You can determine your personal fluid needs with a
sweat rate test.
The "Adequate Intake" recommendation may be where some people get the idea that you have to drink 9 or more cups of water each day. This is not quite true. Any liquid can contribute to your hydration, although some choices may be better than others, depending on your sports nutrition goals. So, let’s take a look at the various beverages available to you and sort out the pros and cons of each the following:
Water, Tea, Coffee, Juice, Milk, Sports Drinks, and Alcohol
Water
Plain water is the best, but not always the most exciting. Try Pelligrino or another water with more interest, if needed. If you choose flavored water, check the calories as many flavored waters are high calorie sugar water. Try adding a splash of lemon or lime juice, or place watermelon or cucumber slices in a pitcher of water to add interest with minimal calories. If you don’t already use powdered drink mix (like sugar free lemonade), then don’t start. No need to add artificial sweeteners to your food plan. If you drink a lot of artificially sweetened drinks, start to wean yourself off of them over time. Some people may be sensitive to sweeteners in a way that encourages eating more sweet things. If this applies to you, then consider a goal to eliminate artificially-sweetened drinks.
No need for “oxygenated water” or “ionized/alkaline” water as there is no current scientific support for their use.
Tea, Coffee and Caffeine
Tea has many great antioxidant properties, and is considered one of the traditional “superfoods”. Although there is interest in the ECGCs in green tea as a metabolism booster, there is likely minimal impact in drinking tea and weight loss (unless the tea is replacing high calorie drinks). Unsweetened, flavored teas are a great substitute for plain water. Be cautious with sweet tea (those sugar syrup calories add up) and specialty drinks. Example: a 24 oz. Tazo tea at Starbucks contains 8 teaspoons of sugar and 130 calories.
If you are working on improving your iron status, avoid tea at the same time as you are eating your iron-rich foods or when taking your iron supplement. Tea interferes with the absorption of iron, so time your tea wisely. Skip milk in tea as it will interfere with the antioxidant properties of the tea.
Coffee is another way to get in liquids and add interest to your day without calories (plain Cinnamon CrumbCake is my favorite). Skip the flavored syrups (pure calories) and go low on the creamer. Stay clear of the specialty coffees if you are managing your calories. A venti Frappucino is 700 calories, 15 grams of fat and 120 grams of sugar (about 30 teaspoons of sugar).
Coffee can be one way to get in more calcium in the form of a latte (a tall non-fat latte’ at Starbucks is only 100 calories and 33% of your daily value of calcium).
A recent study indicated coffee may lower the risk of Parkinson’s, colon and liver cancer, and diabetes (JAMA, J Clinical Nutrition, American Journal of Cardiology). Don’t start drinking coffee for these reasons, but take note if you are a coffee achiever. For all coffee drinkers, however, the elderly and those who combine smoking with caffeine and alcohol are a higher risk of osteroporosis. (J of Bone Mineral Research).
Caffeine may need to be considered in your weight and fitness goals. One or two servings of caffeine-containing drinks are not enough to dehydrate you. This amount may also improve your focus and “rating of perceived exertion” (your workout doesn’t feel as tough). However, too much caffeine may make you anxious and impact your digestive system (diarrhea). If you are trying to lose weight, watch the caffeine. Feeling anxious will not help you make good quality or good quantity decisions. Also, caffeine can encourage a sensation of hunger. You want hunger to be related to your fuel needs, not a false caffeine feeling. Also note that caffeine can stay in your system a long time (up to 12 hours), so if you are having trouble with sound sleep you may want to cut back on all caffeine after lunchtime.
Stimulants such as guarana, ginseng, and bitter orange (synephrine) act just like caffeine and are not supported for weight loss or sports performance. The marketing sounds great, but be honest with yourself as to what really improves your health and fitness—hard work!
Fruit Juice
Fruit juice is sugar calories that go in fast and add up fast. Even 100% juice is 100% sugar. Skip the fake juices that are named “juice drink”, “fruit-ade” or “fruit punch”. The “designer” juices and the “miracle” juices (those that claim to cure all ills) are still just juice and lots of calories. It is better to eat whole fruit for the nutrients than drink fruit juice. Eating fruit takes longer and has fiber to help with a feeling of fullness. Too much juice could crowd out other foods in your daily plan, another reason to back off on the juice.
Remember that liquid calories fill fast, but fade fast. If you love fruit juice, keep it to one serving daily. Vegetable juice is much lower in calories and is a better choice than fruit juice. Choose a vegetable juice that meets your sodium needs. If you are on prescription medications, talk to your pharmacist about any juice interactions, especially grapefruit juice.
If you do choose juice, make sure it is pasteurized juice so that any contaminants are minimized.
Milk
Calcium is the goal, milk is an option. Drinking milk is the best way to get your calcium as the nutrient mix in milk enhances calcium absorption. However, if you don’t drink milk (you don’t like it or it doesn’t like you), then try calcium-fortified soy or rice milk. Watch the fat calories in milk (non-fat is ideal). There is natural sugar in milk called lactose, so the 12 grams of sugar per cup you see on the label is natural and of no worry. If the sugar grams are higher than 12 per cup (usually flavored milk), sugar has been added and I would look for a different brand.
If you won’t drink milk of any type, you should seek calcium-fortified foods (other than calcium-fortified juice which is all sugar) and consider a calcium supplement. Your bones are not getting any stronger as you age, but a good fitness plan and a good daily dose of calcium will help you hang on the bone mass you have.
Choose organic milk. I feel strongly about this one. Organic milk is free from antibiotics and growth hormones (animal milk) and not genetically modified (if plant milk). If you spend any money on organic foods, spend it on organic milk.
Sports Drinks
Sports drinks are designed to add fuel and replace electrolytes in fitness events that last longer than one hour or are done in extreme heat. Otherwise, you don’t need the calories. Water is sufficient for healthy hydration at the beginning level of training. Although low calorie sports drinks sound interesting, they are not the ultimate choice due to their artificial sweetener content. Drink water in a trendy bottle you filled and can reuse. If you want a sports drink bad enough, then work hard enough to get to the level of training for a half or full marathon!
Alcohol
Wine is not a fruit serving and beer is not a grain serving.
Alcohol = calories, but not the type of calories you want to fuel your performance. Alcohol is not rich in nutrients. Although there are studies that suggest wine is good for your heart, so are beans. However, I don’t see us all meeting after work for a bowl of beans. (Point is there are many things that contribute to heart health, so don’t use that excuse to drink more alcohol calories). If you are trying to lose weight or control your blood pressure, cut back on the alcohol calories. Not only do the calories add up, but alcohol will not support your goals of making good quality food choices in healthy portions.
What is the suggested limit for alcohol intake? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that “taking more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men can raise the risk of motor vehicle crashes, high blood pressure, stroke, violence, suicide and certain types of cancer. Even one drink per day can slightly raise the risk of breast cancer.”
One drink is equivalent to 12 ounces of regular beer (150 calories), 5 ounces of wine (100 calories), or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits (100 calories).
This graphic is an example of the crazy portion containers available for your alcohol calories. The small wine glass contains 5 ounces (daily suggested limit), so can you imagine the calories in the soccer or softball sized glasses?
Healthy Hydration Action Plan
Set a goal for this week related to pursuing healthy hydration. This goal could be improving the health of your liquid calories or finding ways to reduce your liquid calories.
E-mail Jan with your healthy hydration questions or comments!
