Fit to Serve~ Water and a Ab Workout!

Water. Many of us knows that it's good for us, but how many people really act on that knowledge?

Did you know:

~75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

~In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.

~Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3% which can make a HUGE difference if you're trying to keep a weight or lose it.

~One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters (studied in a University of Washington study).

~Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

~Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

~A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

~Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%., and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Are you drinking the amount of water you should drink every day?

Studies show that you should be drinking half your bodies weight in water in ounces everyday to be fully hydrated, and our full bodies weight in ounces when we are sick to heal faster. Most people will drink up to one glass of water or less a day, filling their thirst on such things as soda, coffee and tea, which dehydrates you even more than you were to begin with, not to mention soda and such also pulls needed vitamins out of your system. You’ve probably heard those narrators on the National Geographic specials say things like "Water gives life" or "Without water there could be no life." They’re overly dramatic sounding, but they’re right. Water makes up 70% of our bodies; so how do we become dehydrated? It doesn’t take much, It can happen to an athlete who’s competing, to someone who’s in bed with the flu, has diarrhea, in the very hot weather, or even to someone who just doesn’t drink enough (if any at all) water.

So what happens to us when we are even just a little or even horribly dehydrated?

~Your brain won’t work properly – you’ll be groggy, slow, and feel out of it, tired all the time.

~You’ll lose muscle tone

~Your kidneys won’t be able to function; toxins and wastes will back up in your body, making you feel generally crummy or get sick easier.

~You’ll have trouble regulating your body temperature; you make feel overheated, or you may feel chronically cold and unable to get warm.

~You’ll get constipated and bloated often (And not just on your time of the month)

~Fats stored in your body won’t get used up or metabolized (Won't be able to lose weight)

~You’ll think you’re hungry all the time, and so you’ll be likely to eat more. Also known as the munchies!

~Your skin will get dry, itchy, saggy, and acne can get worse or even appear.

A clear sign of dehydration is in the color of your urine. Did you know that urine is not supposed to be a dark yellow or even yellow? If you are properly hydrated, your urine should be clear or maybe with just a slight tint in it.

Drinking lemon water first thing in the morning before eating is especially good for cleansing the liver. Lemons are also a good source of citric acid, potassium, calcium, phosphorous and magnesium. It helps prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria and the decomposition of tissue, It assists in “cleansing the system of impurities” and will help prevent disease. It is effective at dissolving uric acid (often the cause of pain and inflammation in joints) and other poisons in the body. Helps fix oxygen and calcium levels in the liver, which ultimately affects blood oxygen levels. It can help reduce symptoms of malaria, rheumatism, gout, rickets and tuberculosis (Which I hope none of you have!). One of the most important benefits of drinking lemon water regularly is its effect on the gastrointestinal tract. Lemon water assists in the process of digestion and elimination. The digestive qualities of lemon juice help to relieve symptoms of indigestion, such as heartburn, belching and bloating. Lemon assists in lowering high blood pressure, relieves symptoms of asthma, allergies and other respiratory problems, Nourishes brain and nerve cells due to its potassium content, Helps dissolves gallstones, calcium deposits, kidney stones, and pancreatic stones, and in pregnancy, it will help build strong bones in the child. Lemon water will also help to eliminate waste through the bowels more efficiently, thus preventing or alleviating constipation, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders.

Amazing what just a little bit of lemon and a lot of water can do for the body, right?! It's no surprise God gave us many clear signs that is all He wanted us to drink. Adam and Eve weren't handed sodas at the end of the day, nor were they handed fresh squeezed orange juice. Water is mentioned in the Bible hundreds of times. That's what they relied on. That was their source of life. It's no wonder why today that we have so much sickness and pain in the world. No one's drinking enough of the thing that over half their bodies are made of!

Try it!

Use a freshly cut lemon and squeeze a little benifits you just read!

I can't stress enough the importance of drinking water, it's not that hard grab a glass and go!

Quick! Your body's counting on you...

More on the importance of water:

http://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/health_benefits_of_drinking_water.html

More on lemon water:

http://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/benefits-of-drinking-lemon-water.html

All about water:

http://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/index.html

Did you know that Haley ONLY drinks water?! I guess that's not a shocker to you now!


Now unto the abs with Lea...

Fat, flab, pudge, love-handles, muffin-tops... whatever you call it, we can all agree on one thing: We don't like it. It seems like the abdominal area is where most girls struggle with being comfortable. We look in the mirror and see a little bit of a roll there and automatically compare ourselves to the actors on TV or the models in the magazines and suddenly decide to change outfits to try and disguise our stomachs a little bit. Well first I want to say, you are BEAUTIFUL!! But I also want to say, it's ok when there's something about you that you want to change as long as you want to change it for the right reason; like being healthier. Truth is, there is no secret machine or food that will liquidate the pudge-lining. The simple fact is, you just need to eat right, drink plenty of water, and exercise. You might say, "But I do like a billion crunches every day and still have some flab hanging around!" Know what? You probably have a six-pack actually hiding under the love-handles. But you can't just do crunches for nice abs, you need to burn the fat with cardio, strengthen the muscles with strength exercises, and like I said before, eat right (read Haley Oscar's article for eating right).

Whatever kind of cardio you do, as long as it's got your heart pumpin, you are burning fat. But wait! I've had some people say, "I do some cardio on Monday, some strength on Tuesday, and focus on my abs on Wednesday and nothing's changing." That's because exercise requires variety, endurance, and change.

You need to include all the different areas of exercise each time you work out!! Just focusing on one type each day doesn't work. That just gets ur heart racing and ready to go and then saying, "Hey! Why are we stopping?"

The longer and harder you work-out (without working out too long or too hard for your body to handle) the more fit you'll become. I have a friend who works out two hours each day, and another friend who goes for a half hour each day. They both look good, but my friend who works out longer is more toned, conditioned, and firm. It's like running and then reaching a hill. You're working on your cardio, and then strength to get up the hill. You can't just say, "Ok, this hill is in the way so I'm done." You need to keep going.

You cannot do the exact same workout everyday. Your body gets bored of it, too used to it, and that actually sets you up for injury because the exact same body parts are being overworked.

What I Reccommend:

Along with your cardio exercises, you could try some of my personal favorite ab exercises:

Bicycle Crunches: Lay on your back, put your hands behind your ears, lift your legs and "pedal" slowly as you also use your muscles to lift the top of your back off the ground. DO NOT pull on your neck. Your hands should not be jerking your neck up, they are there for support, not to do the work for you.

Trunk Rotations with Boxing: With your legs far apart, bend your legs and punch from side to side. Keep your hips in place, don't let them turn with you.

These two are my favorites but for more exercises, I suggest http://shape.com or http://fitnessmagazine.com.

Did you know that Lea secretly dreams of wowing the judges on The Voice?!?!