The DASH diet is easy to follow because it uses common foods that are available at your local grocery store. The DASH diet suggests daily servings for each of the different food groups. The number of servings you eat will depend on your daily calorie needs
The highest priority in any diet is making sure that you get the right nutrients. A big part of getting the right nutrients includes drinking enough fluids. There are many people suffering from dehydration on a regular basis because they simply do not drink enough water to keep their vital organs saturated with healthy fluids.
The perils of dehydration
The average adult body is comprised of 50 to 65 percent water. Fat tissue does not contain as much water as lean tissue so the more fat you have on you the harder it is for your body to store the required water needed to help your vital organs function properly.
With the body already being comprised of so much water you would think that it wouldn’t need anymore but that is not true. If one area of the body starts to get dry it reduces the entire flow of fluids within the body. This lowers blood pressure by decreasing the volume of blood flow and it slows the blood pressure against the artery walls.
When this happens, a reduction in the amount of oxygen in the blood occurs thus lowering the oxygen levels that are reaching the vital organs and body tissue. As this continues, your whole system eventually begins to get unbalanced because it does not have enough water to keep the fluids flowing properly in your body.
How much water do you need?
If you are working out and sweating you need to increase your fluid intake to account for the extra loss of fluids. You should drink between 4-8 ounces of water during a workout every fifteen minutes and another 16 ounces after you finish working out just to compensate for the loss of fluids during a workout. Our bodies need 64 fluid ounces of water every day to keep them working effectively.
How to obtain the required amount of fluids
You can obtain fluids through other liquids besides water though not all liquids are created equal and some can actually harm your body if you drink too much of them. Alcoholic beverages or sodas are a couple examples of fluids that can harm your body. Milk, on the other hand is a decent source of fluid that can help keep you hydrated. It comes in second to water
Signs of dehydration
If you go for an eight hour period of time without emptying your bladder, you are dehydrated. Signs of dehydration include dark urine, feeling tired, cranky, moody and experiencing headaches. When you are dehydrated your heart also has to work harder to push blood through your veins. Your body will react negatively when it has to compensate for a lack of fluids so make sure to stay hydrated
Fortified Cereal, Bread, Rice, Pasta
The second tier of the DASH Diet food pyramid includes fortified cereals, breads, rice and pasta. Whole grain varieties of this food group are best since they provide you with the most nutrients and contain higher levels of vitamins and minerals. They will also contain the least amount of processed chemicals like added sugars and dyes. But what do these foods do for you and how are they going to help you in your weight loss efforts?
