H2...Oh! Hydration Challenge!

       Ok, I promised myself that before the summer was over, I would do a post about good hydration, because ensuring you're well hydrated is just so darn important! The human body is comprised mostly of water, 70% to be exact! Just being slightly dehydrated can cause some serious problems - nausea, headache, foggy brain, muscle weakness, dry and sunken skin/lips, even syncope (that's the fancy name for fainting y'all).

       Also, I have found that it's a pretty safe assumption to say that a majority of us are not meeting our bodies need for water, let alone even know how much water we should be drinking.  Do you know the daily recommendation of water?

Quiz Yourself: What is the daily adequate intake of water?
                     (a) 8, 8 oz. glasses/day
                     (b) 3 liters for men, 2.2 liters for women
                     (c) just enough to not be thirsty
                     (d) 4, 12 oz. bottles a day

       The answer is (b), however, that amount increases slightly depending on a few other factors, such as exercise, environment, health conditions, illness, pregnancy and breast feeding.  For exercise lasting an hour or less, it's recommended that you drink an extra 1.5 to 2.5 cups of water. For extensive exercise, drinking a low-calorie sports drink is probably a good idea.  Just be mindful of the sugar!  What I like to do, is drink a watered-down version.  Half low-cal sports drink, half water, ice and a little slice of lemon is perfect for super hot days and replenishing electrolytes after a good sweat session.
      

Here are some quick tips to help make staying hydrated easier:

• Drink a large glass of water, or a 24 oz. water bottle with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus   one between each meal.  If you weren't counting, that's a total of 5 a day.

• For every caffeinated beverage and serving of alcohol you drink, drink an additional 8 oz. of water.  Caffeine and alcohol are dietetics, which means even though they are liquids, they don't count towards your total fluid intake, since they promote your body's production of urine, thus eliminating more water from your body. 

• Try to make it a habit to always keep a bottle of water on you at all times.  This makes drinking water throughout the day easier since you always have access to it.

• Always be sure to drink water or a low-calorie sports drink before, during and after physical activity.

• On particular hot days during the summer, increase your normal fluid intake by a few cups or so. 

• Sometimes drinking water is easier to do when it isn't ice cold.  If you're feeling particularly parched, opt for a glass of room temperature water, and you should find it's easier to drink a larger quantity.  I do this all the time, especially at restaurants.  I order my water sans ice cubes, and I always notice I end up drinking more than I would otherwise.  

       This week, I'm challenging myself to drink my allotted 2.2+ liters of water a day.  Join me!  Tell me how you stay hydrated in the comments, and if you join me in my challenge, how you felt. Did you notice a difference in how you felt/looked?   Bottoms up guys!

Ouch! What To Do When You Hit The Gym TOO Hard

Now I love a good "beast mode" work out as much as the next girl, but sometimes I over do it and before I know it, that "good" burn turns into "oh my gosh I can't move!"  For instance, yesterday I could barely walk due to an awesome leg session the other day, and I was definitely paying the price!

This needs to happen, for real though...

But from my pain, came a little inspiration! So here's the scoop on that pesky next-day misery and what you can do to ease the suffering.

What is it? Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS),  is the pain and stiffness felt in muscles several hours to days after unaccustomed or strenuous exercise.
The soreness is felt most strongly 24 to 72 hours after the exercise.

What causes it? One big misconception is that DOMS is the result of lactic acid build up within the muscle, however this is not the case. Blood lactate levels return to resting levels within one hour of exercise, even after intense workouts. Instead, DOMS is the result of microscopic tearing of the muscle fibers and the accompanied inflammation. The amount of tearing (and soreness) depends on how hard and how long you exercise and what type of exercise you did. Eccentric muscle contractions seem to more closely associated with DOMS than concentric movements. Going down stairs, running downhill, the lowering of weights and the downward motion of squats, lunges and push-ups are all examples of eccentric movements.

How to ease the pain:
Ibuprofen - This reduces inflammation within the body.  Ibuprofen has been known to be harsh on the liver with prolonged use, so you don't want to make it a habit. It's best to consult with your doctor to ensure you are able to safely take ibuprofen since it should be avoided with some medical conditions.

Warm soak with Epsom salt - The warmth increases blood flow to the affected muscles, a treatment shown in several studies to reduce the pain associated with DOMS. Adding some Epsom salt to the water will also bring down any inflammation.

Massage/Foam Rolling - If you have someone on hand nice enough to give you a nice massage, a gentle but firm massage of the area will help loosen up any stiffness and increase blood flow.  If no one is around to lend a hand (literally, hahaha), most gyms come equipped with foam rollers, or they can be purchased at most mega-stores (Wal-Mart, Target, Ross, Marshalls) and sports stores. Essentially, you just slowly roll the sore area back and forth against the roller on the floor.  I'm warning you, both massage and foam rolling will hurt, but should help relieve some pain afterward.

Continued movement - Now I know the last thing on your mind when you have a bad case of DOMS is going to the gym, but low-intensity movement increases blood flow and will help the muscle loosen up a little.  I recently tried this method, and I have to say it worked!  Even though I was hobbling along all day yesterday, I still took my butt to the gym for a Body Pump class.  It was a little uncomfortable at first, but after a few minutes, I warmed up and wasn't nearly as sore as before.  I was worried that after class the pain would come back with a vengeance, but it didn't (yay!)

What can be done to prevent DOMS? Unfortunately not a whole lot has been proven to effectively prevent the day-after pain.  Two methods that have shown promise include gradually increasing the intensity of a workout as well as maintaining proper nutrition, focusing mainly on electrolyte and glycogen balance both pre and post work out. Another common myth is that stretching before and after exercise can prevent DOMS, but this method has been shown noneffective in several studies. That isn't to say stretching isn't important, it is very effective when it comes to preventing injury, just not plain old muscle soreness.  

What works for you when you're hit with a nasty case of DOMS? 

Order Up!

      Watching what you eat can be tricky enough, let alone when you throw in a busy schedule (who doesn't have one of those these days?!) And a bustling life tends to mean more eating out. Problem is, not only is restaurant fare hard on the wallet, it also takes a serious toll on your waist line - but it dosen't have to! 

      Now don't get me wrong, a home made meal is almost always going to be better for you, and you should limit the amount of times you eat out, but eating out is a part of life!  Not only can it be (presumably) time effective, but going out and sharing a meal with friends/family is a deep rooted social experience. 
   
      So, with that said, keep in mind some of these tricks and tools to help minimize the damage done to your diet when you do make that occasional trip to your favorite eatery.
       
     1.  Check the menu online before going if possible.  Decide on what you will order beforehand to avoid hasty decisions and being tempted into something you'll regret latter.  This way, you have a game plan already set up before you even step through the door.

     2.  Order off the "Lighter Options" menu if the restaurant offers one.  If you don't see a lighter options section, ask your server if they have one, they may just bring one out on request.

     3.  If a lighter restaurant options aren't available, and you ordered a meal off the regular menu, a good tactic to keeping your portions in check is to ask to have half of your meal boxed-up to go when you place your order.  Doing this will make it easier to eat a smaller portion, since half of your meal doesn't even make it to your plate.  Plus, now you have left-overs!

     4. At restaurants that bring complementary bread or chips to the table, ask them not to when being seated.  This will avoid potentially hundreds of empty "mindless eating" calories.
    
     5.  Stick to grilled chicken and fish dishes if possible. Stay away from anything "crispy", "creamy" and pastas.  Also, ask for whole-grain breads, buns, crusts, etc.  Most restaurants will accommodate these swaps.
      
     6.  Be careful of salads!  Not all salads are created equal, some can contain more calories and fat than a bacon cheese burger!  Don't get anything with a creamy dressing, or that has crispy chicken, loaded with cheese, bacon, croutons, etc.  If you do order a salad, get balsamic vinegar dressing. Also, ordering the dressing on the side allows you to be in control of how much gets put on your food (this tactic of ordering sauces on the side works well with other dishes too).  To further control the consumption of not-good-for-you dressings, try dipping just your fork in the dressing before each bite.
     
    7.  If your meal comes with a side of fries, substitute them for a house salad (see #6!), fruit or steamed vegetables.

    8.  Stick with water!!  Also, try to drink one full glass before your meal comes out.  This will help you feel more full, and sometimes thirst can be misconstrued as hunger pangs.