Coffee Dehydrates you - part 3
Long hours, poor diet and lack of exercise doesn’t make for a very productive worker. So I have asked Kate from Lifespark Nutrition to write me 3 articles that you will hopefully find helpful. This is part 3 you can read part one here and part two here
Lastly for great concentration levels and a boost of energy make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water. Not coffee, energy drinks or softdrinks. Many people mistake the fact that coffee dehydrates you, which means drinking too much will only make your tiredness worse not better.
Next time you are feeling tired, try having 2 glasses of water as chances are you are just dehydrated. Save your money too.
If you don’t like plain water, try adding a touch of lime or lemon cordial to it. Or drinking sparkling water.
So if you are suffering from some of the symptoms mentioned, take the test for two weeks and follow these simple steps.
1. Eat 2 serves of fruit and 3 serves of vegetables
2. Eat 5-6 servings of good wholegrain carbohydrates
3. Limit your intake of sugary foods
4. Limit coffee, softdrink or energy drink intake (give them up for two weeks would be better)
5. Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. Have two in the morning when you wake up. If you exercise you may need to drink more.
6. Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep, VERY IMPORTANT
7. Have breakfast
Even if you don’t suffer from symptoms of fatigue, eating well should be part of a healthy lifestyle to prevent health complications. Your body degrades every day; you can either reduce or increase the process-it’s up to you.
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Other related posts:
Climate Change
Are you getting quality carbohydrates? - part 2
Eat your mind into focus- part 1
Comment by Dave, on 20-Jul-2009 17:47 , user id: )
This is a myth. The liquid you take in with the caffeine more than compensates for the mild diuretic effect of the caffeine.
http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp
"Regular coffee and tea drinkers become accustomed to caffeine and lose little, if any, fluid. In a study published in the October issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, researchers at the Center for Human Nutrition in Omaha measured how different combinations of water, coffee and caffeinated sodas affected the hydration status of 18 healthy adults who drink caffeinated beverages routinely.
"We found no significant differences at all," says nutritionist Ann Grandjean, the study's lead author. "The purpose of the study was to find out if caffeine is dehydrating in healthy people who are drinking normal amounts of it. It is not."
The same goes for tea, juice, milk and caffeinated sodas: One glass provides about the same amount of hydrating fluid as a glass of water. The only common drinks that produce a net loss of fluids are those containing alcohol - and usually it takes more than one of those to cause noticeable dehydration, doctors say."
Comment by DasKid, on 21-Jul-2009 09:48 , user id: 37050)
The 8 glasses of water myth is originally a misquote.
I don't have a source to hand but from my patchy memory the original study said something to the effect that the total liquid intake from a healthy diet is equivilant to 8 glasses of water a day.
In addition the delicate biochemistry feedback of our bodies for thirst is just amazing. If you grab a drink when you feel thirsty, you'll naturally sustain an optimuim hydration. Several million years of evolution beats psuedo science any day.
So if you eat a healthy diet, and drink when your thirsty. You'll be fine.
Comment by NickiB, on 21-Jul-2009 17:59 , user id: 45673)
I'm with Dave, fruit, veges, milk and other drinks all count towards the daily water intake, that's well known. Coffee in excess is bad for your sleep and thus sparks a bad cycle, but in moderation there's nothing wrong with it (trim milk no sugar of course!). I also note that on her website, Kate mentions having low-fat nut butter on toast for breakfast. This goes against the other articles in this series which say avoid sugary foods because it creates too many highs and lows and makes you hungrier. How do you think they make peanut butter low fat? Check the labels and you'll find they pump it full of sugar!
Comment by MasterBlaster, on 21-Jul-2009 22:48 , user id: )
- Regards to the comments
There is more to nutrition than just pissing into a cup and measuring the water content - so to is there more to understanding a subject than reading few wikipedia pages.
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Comment by TinyTim, on 20-Jul-2009 16:55 , user id: 24243)
'sfunny, I normally drink a lot of water (I'm quite active) but on the days I don't I often feel so drained I'll fall asleep in the evening sitting on the sofa. I've even fallen asleep reading the kids their bed time stories. Get some water on board and I'll come right.