Poll: Drinking Eight Glasses a Day Might Not Be Necessary After All
Yesterday, on Day Seven of the Raw Food Challenge, I ate:
– Smoothie made by juicing together 1 small zucchini/1 1/2 carrots/1 1/2 stalks celery (this was disgusting), and then adding the juice to the blender and combining it with frozen blueberries, pomegranate seeds, 1/2 scoop calcium/magnesium powder, orange juice pulp, kale pulp, and a squeeze of lemon. I also had a small bite of a granola bar… I combined about 5 small dates, 1/2 cup buckwheat, generous amount of cinnamon, just a teensy bit of sea salt, a couple tablespoons of flaxseed, and a vanilla bean in the food processor along with some sesame seeds and some raisins (recipe adapted from Raw Food Talk). I shaped them into bars and put them in the dehydrator, all except for the last little bit which I popped in the fridge overnight. The one from the fridge is what I ate for breakfast.
– 1 glass lemon water, 1 apple with cashew butter, and 1 (dehydrated) granola bar. Wow these granola bars were tasty! Very crunchy. I am absolutely going to make them again. It was much better after being in the dehydrator all night than the little bit was that I kept in the fridge overnight.
– Chopped carrot, broccoli, and cauliflower, along with some of the chocolate brownie that I made yesterday
– Cashews, potato chips, and 2 cups rooibos tea
– Open-faced veggie burger sandwich (not really anything like an open-faced veggie burger sandwich, but that’s what we’re calling it ;)): I made juice pulp patties in the dehydrator but kept them a little thicker so that they would be “meatier”, and put one on top of a piece of chickpea flatbread along with some mashed cauliflower, cucumber, tomato, and sprouts.
– 1 mug rooibos tea and another granola bar, plus a lot more brownie with cashew butter.
– 1 glass lemon water with 1/2 scoop calcium/magnesium powder
This was the first day that I felt really hungry and overate (not even kidding, between the brownie and the nut butter and the raw nuts I probably ate close to a whole cup’s worth of nuts. Goodness). The night before I had also had a very poor sleep, which hadn’t happened in a couple weeks. I’m definitely thinking that there’s an association there.
Last Month’s Poll
In December the question was What does your morning routine look like? We had 13 total voters: 38% roll out of bed, grab coffee and run out the door; 46% set aside a small amount of time each morning for meditation, stretching, or some other form of relaxation; 0% kick off the day with a large amount of yoga or calming music; 15% like to energize by heading to the gym; and 0% are too busy looking after other people to take time for themselves. While it’s a pity that so many of us are in a rush first thing in the morning, it is wonderful that no one answered that they’re too busy looking after other people. We all have to be a wee bit selfish from time to time, and taking care of ourselves is very important.
Re-cap on the Metabolic Analysis and This Month’s Poll
In mid-December I mentioned that I was going to my nutritionist for a metabolic efficiency analysis. A metabolic analysis involves taking a urine and saliva sample and testing them to analyze the body’s chemical composition. From that, we can determine what are the best foods (including vitamins, minerals, herbs, and supplements) for that individual’s diet- everyone, after all, is different, and has different requirements.
The person who conducted my metabolic analysis was not my nutritionist; it was another professional who deals specifically with metabolic analyses. My nutritionist Nicole and I agreed to take it all with a grain of salt, but to still consider what was suggested to us. Some of it matched up with what we had already determined was right for my body, so that was quite interesting to see the similarities.
A few of the recommendations that my metabolic analysis gave me were to increase my intake of raw vegetables and sprouts, to add carrot and apple juice to my diet, to start eating walnuts and ground flaxseeds (or flaxseed oil), and to include lemon water and calcium/magnesium supplements. Check, check, and check! It’s amazing how all of that fits in perfectly with my current raw food diet.
I drink a lot of water, mostly in the form of tea. When the analyzer (is that what her title would be? I haven’t got a clue) was going over my metabolic analysis with me, I was surprised that she told me that I might need to cut back on the amount of liquids that I consume, because I am likely losing a lot of nutrients by them being flushed out. The nutrients apparently might be going through my body too quickly for my body to absorb them.
I don’t drink all of those liquids necessarily because I’m thirsty; instead, I mainly drink large quantities of tea to stay warm and also because I know that by the time we start to feel thirsty, we’re already dehydrated. So I dutifully drink up to keep my body hydrated, though I’ve never felt as though I were “overdosing” on fluids. I also like to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and the high ratio of water in these foods could also contribute to my high percentage of body water.
So that is the question for this month’s poll! Where are you at with your intake of fluids? Do you get too much? Too little? Just right? Answer the poll and elaborate in the comments. Have you found that you have had any health issues related to insufficient (or toxic amounts) of water?
[polldaddy poll=2485102]
I drink when I am thirsty. It varies with my activity, and even more so, with the time of year. In the hot-hot Florida summer, lots of water 🙂
Great post!! I’m curious about this metabolic analysis. Is there a website I can look at for this information? I have never done one before, nor have I even read about them, which is strange sinc eI’ve been in school for nutrition for 6 years. I’d like to learn more!
I drink all the time, too. And I chug tea at work because it’s under-heated in the winter and blasting air conditioning in the summer. I’m bummed to hear there’s a possibility of flushing the nutrients out.
I’ve heard a lot of conflicting evidence on the water issue. It seems the verdict is still out.
Me, I listen to my bladder. If the urine is clear, that’s good (another sign that multivitamins are not ideal?). And since if I drink up I’ll be visiting the potty every half hour or so, I camel it.
Dr. J- Changes in activity level and the weather definitely have a big impact.
Gina- I haven’t been able to find a website for it… I’ll look around a bit more and if I find more info I’ll email it to you!
Tracey- I go through a ridiculous amount of tea because it’s so cold at work. Pots and pots! Tasty.
Westwood- “Camel it”, hehe. Agreed about the urine being clear that that’s a good sign, and interesting that you made the note about multivitamins… very good point.
I go by how I feel – sometimes I seem to need more water, sometimes less.
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Ah, I’m bad about drinking enough water! I”m like you though – I love drinking hot drinks to keep me warm so maybe I’ll just focus more on herbal teas etc.
I try to drink as much water as I can, but honest to God, I usually forget to have a glass of water with all of my meals.
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I always have water at hand, but don’t really gulp it down. Since I eat a high raw diet, I am convinced that I get loads of pure water into my body. I quite like that online hydration calculator, because it takes so many things into account – diet, ambient temperature, activity, health, etc. – before recommending a quantity of water. Of course I don’t agree that coffee can be substituted for water – that’s just ludicrous!
I used to worry because I don’t drink a lot of water. Then I learned that the bulk of the fruits and veggies I eat are loaded with water. Whew!
JavaChick- It can depend on a whole lot of variants 🙂
Charlotte- I figure that if it’s of the herbal/green/white variety of tea, then we’re probably good to go!
Tony- Water is such a simple thing- maybe that’s why we take it for granted.
Hanlie- I don’t think that coffee counts either. Diuretics will only exacerbate the problem! Must go find an online hydration calculator to play with.
Cammy- Reason #371 for why we should all eat more fruits and veg 😉
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Even when I ate an exclusive raw food diet, I still needed a gallon of water a day (NOT including green juice, etc). Looking back, I think it was because I ate more sugar than what was good for me in the form of excessive fruit, dates, dried fruit, agave, etc. Sugar is sugar (refined or not) and I have the tendency towards insulin resistance. I dont/cant eat nearly as much now.
Even on a very low sugar/low fruit diet, I still drink about a gallon a day. Heavy workouts four days a week is a factor.
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