17 (More) Tips On How To Drink More Water

1. Keep a jug or bottle of water on your desk – if it is ‘in sight’ you will be more inclined to drink it.
2. Drink water and drive! Keep water in your car. Ideally use a glass bottle rather than the plastic bottles that water is bought in.
3. Automatically drink a glass of water when ever you brush your teeth. That’s already 2 glasses for the day (or should be!).
4. Start your day with a glass of hot water as you get ready for work. Add lemon slices, sliced fresh ginger or mint leaves.
5. Drink from a larger glass. Somehow the thought of drinking 5 glasses instead of 8, may make it easier.
6. Herbal teas, hot or chilled, make a delicious source of water in colder weather.
7. Get a water purification system. Purified water may taste better than your tap water.
8. Alternate every cup of regular tea or coffee with a glass of water. This tip alone helps to reduce coffee intake and increase water intake without feeling deprived or putting in much effort.
9. Make water look and taste appealing by adding some sliced fruit or even cucumber. I added a few maraschino cherries to my jug of water the other day and not only did the water turn a pleasing pink but it tasted better too.
10. Keep water chilled if it tastes better for you although room temperature water is best.
11. Remember to always stay hydrated when drinking alcohol. Have one glass of water with every alcoholic beverage.
12. Cheesy? It works! Having a cool or cute cup or bottle can encourage you to drink out of it.
13. Exercising can help make you want to drink water more. It’s not necessary to drink sports drinks when you exercise, unless you are doing it for more than an hour and a half (90 minutes). Just drink water. If you’re going to exercise, be sure to drink water a couple hours ahead of time, so that it will get through your system in time, and again, drink during and after exercise as well.
14. Keep a large glass or bottle of water next to your bed, you’d be surprised how much more water you consume when not simply drinking from the bathroom tap.
15. Get in the habit of drinking a cup of water when you do other things in your daily routine. Love taking a long bath? Fill your water bottle when filling the tub. Walking the dog? Keep your bottle beside you. Reading a book or watching TV? Always bring a cup of water along. Develop water habits that go with your routines.
16. Sip water through a straw. Not only are straws fun but you may drink more water this way.
17. Track it. Keep a record of the amount of water that you drink. Keeping a record will make you more aware of your consumption and may help you to reach your drinking quota easier!

WORKPLACE WELLNESS TIP: Ensure there are adequate water coolers in the office, especially in coffee pause areas.

 

Benefits of Drinking Water

“We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.” -Thomas Fuller

Nutrition is not just about what you eat – what you drink is just as important! I am sure you’ve also heard, many times, about how important water is. What is all the fuss about? Well think about it, your body has very little capacity to store water and it is for this reason that you cannot survive without water for more than a few days, although you can go without food for much longer.

I don’t know about you but when I don’t drink enough water, I pay the price when I have an energy slump, I get a slight throbbing head ache and I think I am hungry because my mouth is dry!

Do you perhaps feel tired, hungry and have a headache most afternoons? The solution could be as simple as a glass of refreshing water rather than another cup of coffee or a sweet treat!

How much water? The general recommendation is about 2 litres of water a day for adults. I use the following simple formula …

Your body weight in kg divided by 10 = the number of glasses of water you should be drinking every day. (1 glass = 250 ml) Thus a man weighing 83kg would need about eight glasses of water daily.

Want to drink more water but don’t like the taste? Try comfort water.

This is a great tactic for coffee and tea drinkers. While you’re waiting for the coffee to brew or kettle to boil, nuke a glass of water (or herbal tea), squeeze in a bit of lemon and sip while you wait. Hot water is also a great treat on a cold afternoon or evening. Invest in a new kind of herbal tea every time you grocery shop until you’ve found a couple that are just right.

Become a connoisseur …

Think of water drinking like wine tasting. Taste the various brands and types of bottled waters available (sparkling, spring, mineral, reverse osmosis, filtered, etc). Be sure to read the labels as some “waters” have significantly added kilojoules.

More water drinking tips to flow in next article …

 

7 Practical Cholesterol Lowering Foods

Millions of people are at risk for disease due to their high cholesterol levels. Are you one of them? You may be interested to know that certain foods can be particularly useful in lowering your cholesterol levels. Keep in mind that there is no one particular food that is best, but rather that your whole diet should be varied and balanced with a focus on keeping fat in check (see other articles on managing your dietary fat intake).

1. Olives, avocado and olive or avocado oil

 Olives and avocados are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. Research has shown that foods with a high monounsaturated fatty acid content lower “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and increase ‘good’ high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Have one tablespoon of olive oil a day over salads or use in cooking. Add olives to your salads or have a few olives as a snack on the run.

2. Legumes

 Legumes include dry, cooked or canned beans, lentils, peas and all the soya products (cooked or canned soya beans, soya mince, cubes, milk, tofu and tempeh). Legumes have a high fibre and are also naturally low in fat and don’t contain any cholesterol. They are also all slow releasing (low glycaemic index). Try and eat legumes at least three to four times a week. TIPS: Add lentils to mince; add chickpeas to salads; make hummus as a dip for crudites; have beans on toast as breakfast or add split lentils to stews and casseroles.

3. Fat-free dairy

When consumed in large amounts in its whole-fat state, milk and dairy products can contribute to heart disease by raising blood cholesterol levels, obesity and some types of cancer. Choose fat free dairy products as much as possible. Once the fat has been removed from a dairy product, it also removes practically all the cholesterol.

4. Antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables

All fruits and vegetables can help to lower cholesterol and protect the heart. Two groups are particularly useful, namely those fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C, or rich in beta-carotene.

If you have heart disease or raised cholesterol levels, make sure you get at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day! A portion would be one fistful or 1 cup i.e. 1 piece of fruit, ½ cup cooked veg, 1 full cup salad. Visit www.fiveaday.co.za for more information.

5. Spice of life

Garlic, ginger and turmeric are really dynamite foods in small packages. They not only add big flavour but they add big nutritional value too. Use these dynamite foods as much as possible in your food preparation.

6. Soluble fibre in oats and oatbran

Oats and oat bran have a high soluble fibre content which can actively lower blood cholesterol levels. Add oatbran to smoothies and baking and have a bowl of oats (not instant) every day to keep your cholesterol in check.

7. Fatty Fish

Researchers have discovered that people who eat fish rich in omega 3, three or more times a week are less likely to suffer from heart disease and high blood pressure. The best fish sources of omega-3 fatty acids are fatty fish such as salmon, fresh tuna, trout and sardines, although eating any type of unfried or unbuttered fish will benefit your heart. If you choose not to eat fish then taking a good omega 3 supplement will suffice, as long as it provides about 1000 mg of EPA and DHA.

 

The Cholesterol Low Down For Busy People

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a substance that’s found in the fats (lipids) in your blood. While your body needs cholesterol to continue building healthy cells and to produce certain hormones, having too high cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease. Low cholesterol foods.

When you have high cholesterol, you may develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels (a process referred to as atherosclerosis). Eventually, these deposits make it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries. Your heart may not get as much oxygen-rich blood as it needs, which increases the risk of a heart attack. Decreased blood flow to your brain can cause a stroke.

High cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) can be inherited, but is often preventable and treatable. A healthy diet, regular exercise and sometimes medication can go a long way toward reducing high cholesterol.

Cholesterol is carried through your blood, attached to proteins. This combination of proteins and cholesterol is called a lipoprotein. You may have heard of different types of cholesterol, based on what type of cholesterol the lipoprotein carries. They are:

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL). LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol transports cholesterol particles throughout your body. LDL cholesterol builds up in the walls of your arteries, making them hard and narrow.

• Very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). This type of lipoprotein contains the most triglycerides, a type of fat, attached to the proteins in your blood. VLDL cholesterol makes LDL cholesterol larger in size, causing your blood vessels to narrow. If you’re taking cholesterol-lowering medication but have a high VLDL level, you may need additional medication to lower your triglycerides.

• High-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL, or “good,” cholesterol picks up excess cholesterol and takes it back to your liver.

Factors within your control — such as inactivity, obesity and an unhealthy diet — contribute to high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol.

Factors beyond your control may play a role, too. For example, your genetic makeup may keep cells from removing LDL cholesterol from your blood efficiently or cause your liver to produce too much cholesterol.

You’re more likely to have high cholesterol that can lead to heart disease if you have any of these risk factors:

• Smoking. Cigarette smoking damages the walls of your blood vessels, making them likely to accumulate fatty deposits. Smoking may also lower your level of HDL, or “good,” cholesterol.

• Obesity. Having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater puts you at risk of high cholesterol. Your BMI can be calculated by diving your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in metres therefore kg/(m)2.

• Poor diet. Foods that are high in cholesterol, such as red meat and full-fat dairy products, will increase your total cholesterol. Eating saturated fat, found in animal products, and trans fats, found in some commercially baked cookies and crackers, also can raise your cholesterol level.

• Lack of exercise. Exercise helps boost your body’s HDL “good” cholesterol while lowering your LDL “bad” cholesterol. Not getting enough exercise puts you at risk of high cholesterol.

• High blood pressure. Increased pressure on your artery walls damages your arteries, which can speed the accumulation of fatty deposits.

• Diabetes. High blood sugar contributes to higher LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol. High blood sugar also damages the lining of your arteries.

• Family history of heart disease. If a parent or sibling developed heart disease before age 55, high cholesterol levels place you at a greater than average risk of developing heart disease.

This adjusted summary comes from the Mayo Clinic.

Look out for other blog entries for more information on cholesterol lowering foods and diet.

Other useful resources:

http://www.heartfoundation.co.za

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu