Nutrition

It’s true. You are what you eat. If you eat junk, it will be reflected in your health. If you don't exercise, you will lose muscle mass and calcium density in your bones. Every one of the top 10 causes of illness and death in the U.S. has a nutrition component, and many have a lack of exercise component as well. Controlling your weight is one of the best ways to reduce your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. If you want to live a healthier life, eat healthy foods and exercise to maintain a healthy body weight.

How Much Should You Drink?

You may have read or heard that you need at least 8 glasses of water per day. This quantity won't hurt a healthy adult, but such a one-size-fits-all answer fails to tell the whole story about the body's necessary balance of fluid intake and loss. We normally lose about 10 cups (2.4 liters) of fluid a day in sweat, urine, exhaled air, and bowel movements. What is lost must be replaced to maintain a fluid balance.

Not all fluid replacement must come from water. Other drinks consist mostly of water, and foods contain water as well. However, your thirst is generally a good guide for when you need to replace fluids, and water is generally the best choice. If you are in good health and have a normally functioning set of kidneys and lungs, the maximum amount of water that can be tolerated is huge and the minimum required is less than 8 glasses a day.

Caffeinated and alcoholic beverages are actually dehydrating because they increase urine output, so don't count on those to replenish fluid loss. Studies show that during vigorous exercise, an important amount of your fluid reserve may be lost before you are aware of thirst. Make sure you are sufficiently hydrated before, during, and after exercise. During exercise, it's recommended to replenish fluids at least every 20 minutes. Burning calories also increases your fluid requirements. For every pound of weight lost during exercise, drink 2 cups of water.

Water:

• Cools the body
• Eliminates toxins
• Relieves fatigue
• Maintains mental alertness

Fat Intake

There is no Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for fat. As little as one tablespoon of vegetable oil a day provides our needs for essential fatty acids. On the other hand, too much fat provides excess calories, can aggravate weight, and increase risk for heart disease and some cancers. Health experts recommend getting no more than 30% of our daily calories from fat—with no more than 10% from saturated fat.