It’s been a while since my last nutrition post… sorry for that – but I’ve been caught up in training mode since I’m prepping for a boxing fight…
So today’s topic is one that’s very important – hydration.
I’ve chosen this topic because I was woken up this morning by the mailman with a package that contained my new water filter. You’ll learn more about this later.
I know staying hydrated isn’t the sexiest or most bad-ass topic I could talk about, but it deserves a piece, so I figured I’d get it done then talk about how to choose the juiciest and ripest melons next time. :O
BUT, if you stick around, I promise you’ll learn a thing or two that will improve your performance, health, and even help you lean out.
Not All Water is Created Equal
This is an important concept as not all the water you drink is the same.
First of all, depending on where you live, tap water may not be ideal for your health. Most water has been treated with chlorine and flouride to get rid of bacteria, viruses, etc.
That’s a good thing, but unfortunately, chlorine and flouride are 2 very potent free radicals.
You’ve surely heard all the talk about anti-oxidants, right? Well, anti-oxidants are good because they fight free radicals. So that means free radicals are bad.
Next, because chlorine kills bacteria, if you drink a lot of tap water that has a lot of chlorine, say bye-bye to some of the good bacteria in your gut. Probiotic supplements are also big sellers because good bacteria do lots of nice things for us, such as digest food, keep bad bacteria like e.coli in check, and other things they don’t get paid for.
So, what water do you drink?
To start, you could go the filtered route.
A Brita filter removes some chlorine and other crap. I used ot do this.
But 
I’ve actually chosen to go 1 step further and get a 2-stage filter by a company called Aquasana. It was super simple to setup – I just plugged it into my fauce and voila – filtered water with 99% of chlorine and other junk I don’t want gone, such as PCBs, other chemicals that give men breasts/shrink our testicles, remnants of prescription drugs, etc.
Yup – that’s right – water supplies have been shown to contain prescription drugs. That’s just yummy!
But my new filter gets rid of it all, according to the good state of California that certified it. Come on, you can’t NOT trust Ah-nold Schwarzanegger!
Anyway, filtration is one possibility, and I chose it because it’s cheaper than bottled water, and more convenient than having to lug those big jugs around.
Not to mention the fact that many companies simply bottle tap water; having the filter in my own home makes me feel a lot better and not like a schmuck.
PLUS, plastic water bottles are not only bad for the environment, they can also leak chemicals into the water you drink, especially if the bottle is in direct sunlight.
So if you do drink out of plastic water bottles, at the very least keep it out of the sun!
I drink out of a glass bottle myself. Stainless adds a taste to the water I just don’t want to get used to.
How Much Should I Drink?
Here’s a general guideline for a good amount:
Drink half of your bodyweight in ounces…
If you’re 200 lbs, that’s 100 oz, or about 3 liters for all metric (and logical) people.
150 lbs, that’s 75 oz, or about 2.5 liters.
If you’re training, drink more, obviously.
And another super-ninja-advanced tip – hammer 500 mL of water first thing in the morning to help you flush your system. If you’ve got problems being ‘backed up’, this can help.
Water 2.0
The next thing to do is to add some more minerals to your water. All the Vitamin water crap they’re trying to sell you nowadays is worthless – it’s just tap water with food colour and synthetic vitamins.
I’m going to get my vitamins from fruits and veggies, thank you very much.
But with our water, we can make it even better by adding a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt, or other quality, unrefined, coloured sea salt to it.
[INTERESTING FACT: Did you know that the Earth is about 70% covered with water, and the human body is about 75% water? And, the amount of salt in our blood is approximately the same as the ocean? KEWL!]
To every liter of water, add a pinch of quality sea salt. Just a pinch is all you need.
Quality sea salts are coloured because they contain minerals (electrolytes) like magnesium and/or potassium, which are lost when you sweat…
What about Gatorade you ask?
Gatorade = High fructose corn syrup + Tap water + Food colouring
I’ll pass on the G, thank you very much. Even if GSP is in your commercial.
If I need carbs because I’ll be training for an extended period of time, then I’ll just mix 100% fruit juice and water at a 50/50 ratio.
Even though the vitamins and minerals have been ANNIHILATED due to pasteurization, I’m just after the carbs, and I’d rather not eat food colour or high fructose corn syrup!!
But if your training is an hour or less or pure strength based, carbs aren’t necessary for a good workout.
I give other guidelines on pre, during, and post-workout drinks in my Nutrition-itsu guide, but those are more advanced for guys who need to build muscle, lean out, or maintain weight during hard training going into a fight. (If this is what you’re after, you get Nutrition-itsu with my Ultimate MMA Strength and Conditioning Program)
For general fitness and to be in good shape, follow everything I’ve outlined here and you’ll be the most hydrated and healthy dude in the dojo.
Feedback, comments, or other water recipes? Leave them below please!
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