Second Evolution Goal: Drink More Water
by Stephanie Vermeychuk
We’re one week into Evolution Challenge 5.0: Team Red vs. Team Black. The first two workouts are complete, and both teams are working hard. How is everyone feeling so far?
Last week, the nutrition goal was to eliminate refined sugars from your diets. Hopefully you were able to successfully do just that. Some of you may have experienced withdrawal symptoms, but if you persevered and didn’t give into your cravings, those have probably dissipated by now.
You might be noticing some positive effects by this point as well: no more mid-afternoon crashes, better sleep at night, more energy, and more mental clarity…
If you’re still struggling with withdrawls, cravings, or with eliminating sugar altogether, here are a few tips. Make sure that you have emptied your house of all the foods on the “Bad” list. Remember those Oreos in the back of the highest cabinet? Throw. Them. Away. If it’s not there, you can’t eat it.
And make sure that you have plenty of healthy foods on hand. I like to keep “Just Chicken” from Trader Joe’s in my fridge, and some almonds or cashews in my snack drawer to ward off the munchies if I’m feeling like I need a snack.
This week’s goal is going to be a breeze compared to last week’s. Instead of taking something out of your diet, you’re going to be adding something in.
This week’s goal is to drink more water.
Specifically, you should be drinking at least half your bodyweight in ounces each day. For example, a 150lb person should be drinking at least 75oz of water each day, more if you’re working out and sweating a lot.
Some of you may already be doing this, and in that case, good for you!
There are multiple reasons why it’s important to stay properly hydrated; after all, our bodies are composed of 50-65% water. For a more detailed explanation of why water is so important, read this article. http://robbwolf.com/2012/07/11/water-water-everywhere-need/
I keep a water bottle on my desk at work, and I drink from it constantly throughout the day. If you find yourself having trouble “remembering” to drink water, one useful strategy I’ve seen is to mark time increments on your water bottle to indicate the amount of water you should have consumed by that time.
Use this week to continue to kick your sugar addiction and to add in some extra H2O to your day.
Keep up the great work, and, as always, if you have any questions or need any help, ask!