Tomorrow marks the last day of the month and the last day of the water challenge! I have to say that I faithfully drank 65 ounces of water every day except for 2 this month. One day I had a stomach bug and was scared to drink a lot of water for fear that i wouldn't be able to keep it down....but I was so dehydrated the next day that I drank even more. And one day I didn't meet my goal be she's I was just lazy! Yes, I have those days! Overall, drinking so much water wasn't too hard and now I just do it without thinking. I definitely think I have more energy and felt fuller too. I will definitely keep this up! For February our challenge is to keep your sodium intake to less than 2300 mg per day. Our bodies definitely need sodium to balance blood pressure and blood volume, but too much is not so good. The problem is the added sodium in processed and fast food, not the salt found naturally or good for us, sea salt (full of minerals and iodine). I was researching certain foods and their sodium content and I was shocked! 920 mg in a multigrain bagel with cream cheese at Dunkin Donuts! Stay tuned for more awesome info about the good and. Ad about sodium this month and join us in our challenge!

I am on Day 11 of our 2012 monthly challenge. I started New Year's Eve. And in case you don't know what this challenge is, it's a water challnege. Specifically drinking half your body weight in ounces in water every day. Yes, that's a lot. And I am constantly running to the bathroom, but that is the only downside. I definitely have more energy and feel less hungry. I am hoping my body eventually gets used to the water intake and I don't have to go as much! One of our patients asked a good question: "What color should my pee be?"  Good question! The color of your urine is directly linked to hydration status because the yellow tint is a measure of how many solid particles (sodium, chloride, nitrogen and potassium) are excreted. The intensity of the color depends on how much water the kidneys mix with the solids. Less water = darker urine. More water = lighter urine. Light yellow urine is the best and is a sign that you are adequately hydrated. (Remember that some vitamins, particularly B and C can turn your urine bright yellow, so don't be alarmed). When you first wake up in the morning, your urine is darker, right? You haven't had anything to drink all night so that makes sense. That's why it also makes sense to drink lots of water right away in the morning (yes, before your coffee) to replenish the fluids lost during sleep. Aim for half your body weight in ounces each day and more if you exercise heavily. Gotta run to the bathroom and then fill up my water bottle!

Happy drinking!

Dr. Carla

Did you know that only 1 in 5 of us drink at least 8 glasses of water a day? Most of us only drink about 4! And the experts are saying that we need to be drinking half our body weight in ounces each day! That's a lot of water! (I weight 130 lbs. so I should be drinking 65 ounces of water?!) Wow. I'm on day 5 of doing that and I feel great! I challenge you to do the same! Half your body weight in ounces every day for the month of January. Why half your body weight? Well, first of all, our bodies are 75% percent water and our brains are 85% water. Without adequate hydration, our metabolism slows down, energy levels drop , toxics build up and cells are deprived of vital oxygen and nutrients. Signs of dehydration that we have before we even feel thirsty are subtle like feeling sleepy, achy and hungry. What do we usually do? Reach for a snack or a second cup of coffee. Instead, grab a glass of water.....less calories, and it will speed up your metabolism by 3% (according to a study at the University of Utah). Imagine that! Losing weight just by drinking more water?! Some more reasons to drink up:water helps the digestive system operate more efficiently and helps you absorb more nutrients and lessens cravings and water also fights fatigue induced hunger.

Take the January water challenge with me and I promise you will lose weight, have more energy and save money buying coffee at Starbucks!