Water is the answer.
My son and I start our afternoon grabbing lunch at a restaurant in Malibu; one we’ve never tried. I decide on the salmon over quinoa with a mango salsa. The waiter delivers the dish to our table; it looks fantastic. It tastes as delicious as it looks, and I wipe it out in four bites. In my mind, I feel like it wasn’t enough food, even though there was plenty of nutritious density.
Getting home, I head into my office to resume my work day. I’m immediately hungry. I know I won’t be eating again until mid-afternoon, so I attempt to focus. The hunger signals make it increasingly difficult.
Finally, after what seems like forever, 3:30 finally rolls around. Snack time! I waltz into the kitchen, down a glass of water, and I head outside to hydrate my plants prior to eating.
Back inside, barely five minutes later, a tenth of my hunger remains. I realize what I interpreted as a hunger signal was actually my body letting me know it was thirsty. Thinking back, I walked quite a bit over the course of the day and didn’t pay attention to my water intake. I had some irritability throughout the morning, but hadn’t put the puzzle pieces together.
To avoid these types of moments (most of the time, at least) I drink a huge glass of water with lemon first thing in the morning. I wait a few minutes and drink another tall glass to continue to flush my system. My water intake comes before I eat anything. I try to wait at least a few minutes to let the water hydrate my cells without my body doing any work breaking down foods.
Maintaining proper hydration helps to rid your body of toxins, carries nutrients to the cells, increasing absorption and ensures a proper environment for ear, nose, and throat tissues which helps in preventing infections like the cold and flu.
Mild dehydration is linked to headaches, moodiness and fatigue. If folks would simply do the research, they would avoid the expense of Advil and energy drinks.
The first thing I do when I get a headache is reach for water. Cranky? Water. Tired? Water. More times than not, I feel better quickly.
If you’re trying to achieve your fitness goals, water is even more important for you. Even 1% dehydration (by body weight) begins to decrease physical and athletic performance. Drinking a big glass of cold water can increase your metabolic rate by as much as 30%. Studies have also shown that drinking more water helps maximize weight loss.
Skincare? H2O checks that box, too. Dehydration causes the skin to look dry and wrinkled.
For all of these reasons, when teammates and loved ones ask me to help them achieve their goals, I ask them to take the very simple step of drinking more water. I don’t waste my time or theirs with step two until they’ve completed that task.
Right on! I actually write prescriptions for “WATER. Sig:1 glass q 2 hours x 6 a day and prn after exercise”. You’d be surprised how effective that is in getting people on the right track to health. My first question for patients who come in complaining of fatigue, sleep disturbance, depression, and weight gain is water intake. I anticipate a blog post on sleep too 😉
I am taking you up on your prescription. Plus as in my post below, sleep is a major issue for me.
While I am on a path to correcting years of poor dietary choices, one thing I have always followed without reservation is drinking plenty of water throughout the day as well as my coffee (black) in the morning. Other than the occasional indulgence, this is paramount. Water trumps all. Period. Thank you for all of your insight. I found this blog today and am now inspired to make changes. Please continue this. It is inspirational.
Thank you, Gary!
Thanks for the insight Gabe, I grew up a Tigers fan but I can honestly say I am a bigger fan of you now than when you were a player. Keep it up!
To follow up on EAL’s comment, I’d love to hear your take on sleep. I suffer from sleep apnea and chronic insomnia and for years I believe adrenaline got me through most days, but the past few years that adrenaline is gone so I have taken a really hard hit.
I have no idea what you look like or your body type, but sleep apnea is often linked to obesity. I’ve heard it almost always disappears after weight loss as well, but again I’m not a doctor and have no idea if you’re obese either. Regardless physical exertion during the daytime almost universally improves sleep quality
Hi Zach, when I was first diagnosed with sleep apnea I wasn’t as heavy as I am now. It is a vicious cycle, the poor sleep caused by the sleep apnea makes it tougher to keep weight down (decrease in energy, body craving carbs & sugar). I need to find a way to turn that cycle around to get more energy and eat better… which should result in better sleep, but it’s a challenge.
Couldn’t agree more, Zach – while I was always a bit of a snorer (sp?), as I steadily put on ~30 extra lbs. over the past 5 years, my snoring and sleep quality got markedly worse. Shedding those excess pounds in the past year (and still losing) has made a significant difference in my quality of sleep
Gabe,
Great blog – appreciate all of the insights you’re sharing in this space. As a recovering Diet Coke drinker and someone who doesn’t drink as much water as they should, I was curious as to your thoughts on seltzer (flavored or otherwise). It’s increasingly become my go-to when I have a Diet Coke craving (2-3x per day), but wasn’t sure if that’s a lateral move from a health/hydration standpoint.
Steve
Sparkling water is a MUCH better choice than Diet Coke. Add a squeeze of lime, lemon or grapefruit for a little flavor if you need to. Kudos to you for your effort.
Kap
I’ve been drinking sparkling water plus 2-tsp raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with about 2oz fruit juice a couple times a day for a couple years now. When I’m craving sugar (fruit juice notwithstanding), alcohol, or caffeine, this magical concoction usually rights the ship. Way to go for kicking the can, Steve!
Gabe – what is your stance on adding Vitamin supplement drink mixes such as emergen-c to that huge glass of water in the morning? I’ve read your post on the potential negative effects of supplements but Vitamin C supplements were not mentioned so I’m curious whether my use of a Vitamin C supplement is beneficial
Thanks,
Robbie
GK,
How do you take your water? Faucet, filtration system, bottled water, all of the above? Any insight into plastic bottles and BPA? Do you try and stay far away? The majority of my water intake comes from bottled water and would enjoy your thoughts.
Thanks!
-Steve
Gk
Since I read your blog I’ve substituted water for soda as a morning or afternoon pickup and seem to have kicked the soda habit. I really feel better physically and mentally. Thanks for the advice!
Scott