Photo: kurisurokku, Flickr

You've just finished a tough workout. You're hot and sweaty so you reach for ... celery? It's long been known that water-rich fruits and vegetables can contribute to your hydration needs. But recent research shows that beyond contributing to hydration, some fruits and vegetables may hydrate your body twice as effectively as a glass of water.

Water is cool, refreshing and calorie-free, but certain types of produce have a leg up on H2O. Why? Because they provide nutrients like mineral salts, amino acids and vitamins as well as hydration.

When exercising, your body can lose electrolytes through sweat. Replenishing lost electrolytes is the whole premise behind sports drinks. But certain fresh fruits and veggies can replenish your body, too -- without all the artificial colors and flavors.

jupiterimages

We know that most of you are tuned into your body well enough to know what you should eat before and after your workout, but it's always good to get a refresher. For example, if you've ever gotten a cramp during a workout (and, really, who hasn't?) you may be able to place the blame on what you've been snacking on rather than your fitness level.

You might think that chomping on an apple or peeling an orange might be a great way to nourish your body before a workout, but according to the Mayo Clinic, high-fiber foods, such as beans, bran cereal and even fruit, eaten pre-exercise, can give you gas or cause cramping.

Leslie Bonci, director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and a certified specialist in sports dietetics, told The New York Times that people should consume somewhere in the area of 150 to 200 calories -- akin to a granola bar -- before exercising. But if you need more than that to get you going, try noshing on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat bread. The mixture of complex carbohydrates from the bread and protein from the peanut butter can help you power through an intense workout, sans cramps.

It seems like such a simple, small step: Drink more water. But it's often a difficult one for people -- people who might be kinda fond of their soda addiction, for instance. But being properly hydrated really is an important part of being fit.

For one, water quenches your thirst, making you less likely to reach for that soft drink. And as they're saying over at Livestrong, where more than 11,000 members have dared to sip more H2O, water also helps flush away toxins and replenish muscles. And since being even mildly dehydrated can make you tired and headache-y, drinking plenty of water can ensure you have enough energy for your workout every day.

For a lot of people, though, drinking plain water gets boring. But as the commenters over at Livestrong are quick to point out, adding natural flavors to water not only keeps things interesting, but fruits and veggies can boost nutrition too. Here are some quick and healthy ideas for putting some splash into your next glass of water.

Source

How long do you think your cravings last? You might be surprised.

Source

Sitting at a desk all day, it's not that hard to stay properly hydrated. I drink water before and after exercising in the morning, and then I keep a big glass of water at my desk all day long. I don't monitor exactly how much water I drink -- I'm not a big believer in getting a certain number of servings. Instead, I pay attention to my body and I know when I've had enough.

Probably the best way to gauge your hydration is by the color of your urine. Your urine should be pale yellow or nearly clear. If you find you need to hydrate a little more, but can't imagine drinking any more water, never fear. There are many foods that help you hydrate. Check out the gallery for some ideas. Cooking Light also has recipes incorporating hydrating ingredients.

Source

There's been all kinds of stories circulating around lately on what a ridiculously huge amount of calories Olympic athlete Michael Phelps consumes every day while still managing to be totally ripped and toned. Talk about efficient calorie-burning! But you don't have to be on a crazy athletic training schedule and headed for the Olympics to learn how to burn calories better (although that certainly helps, I'm sure!), just try these 5 tips:

• Eat breakfast
• Tune in to your body's hunger cues
• Drink plenty of water
• Encourage healthy bacteria (take probiotics, eat yogurt)
  
• Go heavy on the spices (cayenne pepper, paprika, chili peppers)

Source

• Watermelon juice beat out tomato juice on the lycopene front in a recent study. Research suggests that lycopene may be a cancer killer.
• A compound in watermelon can help with your skin's healing and regenerative processes.
• Watermelon is practically calorie-free. It contains less than 50 calories per cup which makes it a grand way to satisfy a sweet tooth.
• Eating watermelon is a great way to hydrate. There's 141 grams of water per each cubed cup.

'Tis the season for ripe watermelons. Head on out and get yourself one. And get this: whole watermelons stored at room temperature deliver more cell-protecting antioxidants. You'd be wise then to eat this melon as soon as you cut it up for maximum benefits. Then chill the rest.

Source

Each week, we'll be naming a Super Food and offering unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

This week's superfood is not technically a food. It's a beverage. But it's the mightiest of all the beverages out there. It's refreshing, calorie-free, inexpensive ... and essential for life. Are we talking about Diet Coke here? No way. This miracle drink is, of course, water -- you know, that clear stuff that comes out of your tap and is sold in plastic bottles on stores.

Source

Do you think a majority of sports drinks are marketed to men? One group thinks so, mainly because women allegedly don't vibe with the (sometimes) high caloric intake. After all, a good serving of Powerade can weigh in at a hundred calories or more depending on how thirsty you are when working out.

For this reason, lighter alternatives are starting to gain traction among female gym enthusiasts. A nutritionist and triathlete reviewed four of these for the NY Times to get a good idea of what is available to women in the sports drink market. With a touch of flavor and ample hydration properties, one of these products could be what you're looking for.

The cheapest option she reviewed also had the weirdest name. It's called Nuun, and it costs about $9 for 16 tablets. Simply drop one of these in your water bottle to get a boost of folic acid, vitamin B2 and magnesium. Any Crystal Light fans out there? Their hydration packets come in 1-ounce servings and contain only ten calories. With no sugar people can mix this into their water for moderate electrolyte replacement. I'm sure there are other light sports drinks out there that appeal to men and women alike -- you may even have a unique preference of your own!

Source

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best ones, although I'm not sure about this one. Pretty much everybody these days needs to drink more water, and this is one way you could encourage yourself to do that: hook the water right on your belt. This bottle holder would probably be great for anybody who does a lot of walking and moving around during the day (think college kids, and adults who don't use an office or have a desk at their job), and of course it could work great for walking or jogging also, and even for travel and vacations. Except one concern: even while walking won't it bounce and bang around and get annoying?

Via Book of Joe

Source

Depending on how long you workout and exactly what kind of exercise you're doing, your body needs different things from you. Hydration is important across the board, but when it comes to drinking fluids there's a big difference between water and sports drinks. Do you need the calories and electrolytes? What about protein? Is plain water better in some situations?

Experts say that if you're exercising for an hour or less at one time all you really need is water. Only when your body is subjected to long endurance-type activities for more than an hour is it in need of a calorie boost and electrolyte replacement. If you're drinking calories during or after a shorter workout you're really just canceling out all the energy you just burned!

Source

Have you ever wondered if carbonated water was bad for your health? I've heard both sides, that it's good for dieting because it can help you feel fuller, and that it might have negative side-effects due to acidity and lack of fluoride. So is it or isn't it a bad idea? Honestly, there haven't been enough studies looking at just water (as opposed to other carbonated beverages) to really know for sure, but experts say that all arrows point to a very small risk, if any, for negative health effects. A bigger risk? Not drinking enough water of any kind, period.

Source

As much preaching as we all hear about not drinking enough water and how most people live life chronically dehydrated, it's interesting to know that it's possible to drink too much water -- especially when exercising -- and more people do it than you might think. Endurance exercisers are the only ones really at risk, and the problem (called hyponatremia) happens when you drink in more water than your kidneys can excrete. Potentially fatal, it's not something to take lightly, but it is easy to avoid: just respect your own personal "thirst" meter and drink only when your body says you need to.

Source

If you're into health and fitness then you're pretty much automatically into drinking fluids and staying hydrated. I saw this article over at FitSugar about how all the water bottles are piling up in the landfills and harming the environment, and that alternative re-usable bottles are a much better idea -- and I couldn't agree more. The idea that plastic water bottles are so bad isn't completely new, but it's one of those things that is unfortunately easy to dismiss. I can honestly say I kinda "spaced it" for awhile.

But it really is worth taking this to heart, because if you exercise regularly how many bottles are you going through in week? A month? A year? If you're already using a green-friendly bottle then kudos to you! And if you're not, well then this is one bandwagon you should be on. There are countless brands and types of reusable bottles out there, but I think mysigg.com is a fun place to start because you can design your own.

Source

I honestly can't decide if I think this gadget is handy or hilarious. On one hand, a "tool belt" for water bottles does sound nifty, but how many separate beverage options do you really need in the average workout? It could be used for the added weight I guess, and of course if you're training for something like a marathon -- but wouldn't it all get warm and gross after awhile? I honestly have never trained for any extreme long-distance sports, so maybe this is appealing to people who have? And after all, if Fergie likes it...

The 6-Bottle Terminator FuelBelt holds six 7oz bottles for your choice of liquids or gels, for a total of 42 oz. of hydration. The bottles are evenly distributed around the entire belt, and it's fully adjustable with lumbar support. All that for about $32.

via FitSugar

Source