WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE...DRINK

Now they’ve done it. Pretty soon these exercise experts will be telling us that there is no such thing as being out of shape and every American is in great shape. How can I say such a thing? Answer me this,..how can there be an article in the LA Times’ Health Section (11/20/2000) stated that, “we are a well-hydrated nation,” and “the current infatuation with water as an all-purpose health potion.., key to weight loss-is a blend of fashion and fiction and very little science,“?

This article goes on to report that drinking the gallon of water health and fitness professionals (like us at IFC) suggest, is overdoing it and one liter of any “fluid”, not specifically water, is enough to “replace” the loss of water an “average-sized” adult experiences on a daily basis. How is that possible, when IDEA Health & Fitness Inc. reports that we lose an average of 10 to 12 cups of water a day and one liter is equal to four 8-ounce glasses? The article also reports that when we drink eight 8-ounce glasses of liquid water, it does us no medical good and just goes right through the body. Do you feel water leave your body immediately after you drink in? I don’t. Again, according to IDEA, water regulates body temperature, transports nutrients and oxygen, carries away waste, helps detoxify the kidneys and liver, dissolves vitamins and minerals and cushions the body from injury. I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to leave all of that work up to one liter of water.

Finally, the article states that caffeine is not a significant diuretic and drinking it actually adds two-thirds a cup of water, “if you’re not a regular (caffeine) drinker.” Judging from my experience, when I drink one or two cups of coffee in themorning I find that I need more “breaks” in the day than when I drink water alone. I suggest taking IDEA’s advice, drink an extra glass of water for each cup of coffee you drink per day. Do what makes sense.

----- Bill Belott