Discover the Power of Hydration: This Week’s Focus on Drinking Water

Welcome to the “Take Your Life Back” newsletter! As a busy professional, it can be challenging to prioritize your health and fitness goals amidst your busy work schedule and other responsibilities. However, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial for your overall well-being and success in all areas of your life.

This newsletter aims to provide you with practical tips, strategies, and inspiration to help you get and stay fit, even with a busy schedule. We’ll cover a range of topics, including healthy eating, exercise routines, stress management, and more.

As your guide, I’ll share my personal experiences and insights as a busy professional who has successfully incorporated a healthy lifestyle into my daily routine. Together, we’ll explore various ways to prioritize our health and fitness, and ultimately achieve a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life. So let’s get started and embark on this exciting journey towards TAKING YOUR LIFE BACK AND BECOMING A BETTER HEALTHIER YOU!

I hope this newsletter finds you well-rested and ready to tackle the week ahead. As we dive into another busy week, I want to remind you that you are capable of overcoming any challenges and achieving your goals. I believe in you, and I’m rooting for your success!

Before we get started on this week’s focus, I’d like to share a couple of my favorite quotes from former Navy Seal and author, Jocko Willink!

“THERE IS NO EASY WAY. There is only hard work, late nights, early mornings, practice, rehearsal, repetition, study, sweat, blood, toil, frustration, and discipline. DISCIPLINE.” – Jocko Willink

“If you don’t think you are disciplined: It is because you haven’t decided to be disciplined. YET.” – Jocko Willink

This week’s focus is on drinking water and why it may be more important than you think.

Okay, so I have to admit that I wasn’t a big fan of water before I started my health and fitness journey. After all, why would I drink water when there are so many and much more tasty choices out there. I’d rather drink tea, coffee, juice or beer. Boy was this line of thinking wrong and I wish I would have learned sooner. I wonder how much potential damage I have done throughout the years or how many opportunities I may have missed due to dehydration? Oh well, let us not waste time on the past as it is now destiny and cannot be changed. Let’s focus on your water intake now, so we don’t make the same mistakes as we have in the past!

Simply put: Water is good for you. It is necessary for cell function and you need to absorb enough of it to make a real difference in the way you feel.

I have learned from the professionals and continue to learn more and more each day about this very powerful molecule called H2O.

Please allow me to introduce a brilliant scientist named, Andrew Huberman. Huberman has a podcast where he talks about science and science based ideas. He makes science easy to understand and apply to our everyday lives in order to maximize our existence. I highly recommend tuning in to his podcast.

The reason I bring up Huberman is because he was instrumental in helping me achieve better habits by broadening my understanding of how the mind actually works to make good and or bad habits stick. That’s right, there is a chemical process called neuroplasticity which allows the brain to either accept or reject a change in habits. Listen to Huberman, apply the theory and get changing those habits! Why do you think most people work-out first thing in the morning? It is because you have less limbic friction at that time of day and are more likely to stick with your plans or new habits. As the day progresses, you will likely find a stronger resistance and less will-power to change your habits.

Good, I am glad you decided to listen and learn from Andrew Huberman, you will learn from him and he is quite brilliant! Back to water – take a look at episode #114 to learn about optimizing water intake.

Now, here is some info you can digest. You may already know that staying hydrated is essential for your health, but did you know that dehydration can negatively impact your cognitive performance and physical endurance? According to a study published in the journal Nutrition Reviews, even mild dehydration can impair your mood, memory, and brain function.

So, how can you ensure you’re getting enough water? The Institute of Medicine recommends that men drink at least 3.7 liters (about 13 cups) of water per day, while women should drink at least 2.7 liters (about 9 cups) per day. However, this can vary depending on factors such as age, weight, activity level, and climate.

To improve your hydration, try incorporating these tips into your routine:

1. Carry a water bottle with you wherever you go. This will help you remember to drink water throughout the day.

2. Add flavor to your water with a slice of lemon, lime, or cucumber. This can make drinking water more enjoyable and increase your intake.

3. Eat water-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables. These foods not only provide hydration but also essential vitamins and minerals.

4. Set reminders on your phone or calendar to drink water at specific times throughout the day.

For those who exercise, staying hydrated is even more critical. A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that dehydration can impair athletic performance and increase the risk of heat-related illnesses.

To ensure you’re properly hydrated during exercise, try these tips:

1. Drink water before, during, and after your workout.

2. Consider sports drinks that contain electrolytes for longer workouts or intense physical activity.

3. Monitor your urine color. If your urine is dark yellow, you may be dehydrated and should drink more water.

Remember, staying hydrated is essential for your health and overall well-being. By incorporating these tips into your routine, you can ensure you’re getting the water your body needs to function at its best.

Okay, enough about water for now, I will circle back to water from time to time just to keep you in check and make sure you don’t forget. But for now, let’s check in on the 75Hard program we mentioned last week.

For those of you who started 75Hard last week. I am on day number 7 and feeling great! How do you feel?

As always, I hope this newsletter has provided you with valuable insights and inspiration to help you prioritize your health and fitness goals. Until next time, keep taking steps towards a happier, healthier you!