Tag: Strauss Water

Avoid constipation during pregnancy

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No one enjoys the feeling of constipation. It’s downright unpleasant to face a difficult and painful time when you’re using the washroom.

If you’ve had the good fortune of never experiencing constipation, consider yourself lucky. Constipation is when it’s difficult to empty your bowels or you pass hard painful stool when you do. Many Canadians, both young and old, suffer from this condition with one in four Canadians experiencing symptoms.

Pregnant women face many changes to their body during pregnancy, but they also have a higher chance (11-38%) of experiencing constipation.

During pregnancy, the body adapts to a growing baby by having your intestines absorb more water, which causes the stool to dry out, and releasing higher levels of progesterone and lower levels of the hormone motilin, which leads to food taking longer to pass through the digestive system. Combined with pregnant mothers resting more frequently and taking more vitamin supplements, the likelihood of constipation increases.

Water is usually a simple solution to relieve expectant mothers from the pain and annoyance of constipation, but it also helps them avoid it too.

Mothers to be should be drinking 2.3 litres of water a day. This will help pass more urine through their bodies and loosen up the stool in their systems, which means they’ll use the washroom more frequently and with less stool each time.

But that’s not the only way to banish discomfort the next time you go to the washroom.

You are what you eat. Indulging in a high fibre diet is just what you need to stop constipation in its tracks and women should be eating 25 to 30 grams of dietary fibre each day. Whole grain and whole wheat foods are great sources of fibre, along with vegetables, fruits and legumes. If you enjoy prunes, you might be surprised to hear that they’re a well-known remedy thanks to their laxative qualities from the fibre and sorbitol, an alcohol sugar.

Go when you need to. You may have picked up the habit of ignoring the urge to use the washroom when it’s inconvenient, but it can lead to constipation in the long run. When you hold it in, you are creating a backlog in your bowel that could have trouble passing through the next time you use the toilet. Going to the bathroom shouldn’t be a painful or rushed process.

Keep your body moving. Exercise gets the blood flowing, the heart pumping and helps move food through your digestive tract. Sitting for long periods of time is the new smoking and adults should be doing some moderate exercise, whether it’s swimming or walking, at least three times a week for 20 to 30 minutes. You’ll feel happier too thanks to the endorphins being released.

Redistribute your supplements. Instead of taking a large dose of calcium or iron at one time, split it into smaller doses. Your bowel movements will thank you for that.

As a future mother, you have enough on your plate. Don’t let dealing with constipation slow you down – simply make sure you have a convenient and inexpensive water cooler solution nearby.

Exercise: How much water should you drink?

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Want to pump more weights, run a longer distance or be a better soccer player?

“Practice makes perfect” is one of the best pieces of advice out there for anyone looking to improve their performance, but there’s another habit that all athletes follow – drinking cold water while exercising. It’s simple advice that’s sometimes forgotten.

The warmth you feel while working out is your body working harder, which raises your core body temperature above its normal 37°C. To regulate your body temperature, you sweat. But when you sweat profusely, your body sheds water and electrolytes and once you lose more than two per cent of your body weight, you’re dehydrated and your performance takes a hit.

The warmer your body temperature, the harder it is to focus and combat fatigue. Ignoring the symptoms can result in heat stroke, which is more likely if you’re exercising on a hot day or in a humid environment.

One study discovered that taking sips of cold water before and after your workout improves your endurance by about 23 per cent since less heat accumulates in your body. If you’ve watched the Olympics, you know how much of a difference one or two seconds can make in speed skating event, a 100-kilometre race or a hockey game.

Like many things, moderation is key. Drink too much and your stomach cramps. Drink too little and your body loses its ability to function properly.

The amount of water you drink varies based on many different factors, such as how much a person sweats and how much electrolytes they’ve lost, the type of exercise, the length of exercise time, the weather, the equipment used, metabolism and heat acclimatization.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, if a 154 pound (70 kg) person does moderate exercise, such as a brisk walk or slow jog, they should drink about 0.6 litres of water per hour.

If you take it up a notch with high intensity exercise, you’ll need to monitor your fluid intake before, during and after your exercise.

Pre-workout: You should be drinking liquids hours before you lift your first dumbbell since this helps your body absorb fluids and retain normal urine levels. Don’t feel thirsty? Eat a small meal or salty snack to encourage your thirst.

How much water should you drink? Before exercising, drink five to ten millilitres (mL) of water for one kilogram of your body weight. This means someone who’s 154 pounds should drink 350 to 700 mL at least four hours before working out.

During workout: Each person loses water at a different rate. To figure out the amount of water you should be drinking, weigh yourself before and after you exercise and replenish your body’s fluids with drinks packed with electrolytes. Carbohydrates will also help balance your electrolytes and boost your performance.

How much water should you drink? Drink six to twelve mL of liquids for one kilogram of your body weight for each hour of exercise. A 154-pound person should drink 400 to 800 mL per hour, which is about three to four servings.

Post-workout: Restore your body’s hydration faster by ingesting drinks and snacks with sodium.

How much water should you drink? For every one kilogram of body mass lost after exercising, drink 1.5 litres of fluid, unless you’ve been working out for hours and replenishing your fluids at the same time.

Don’t worry about having enough hot or cold water stored away with the right water cooler solution. You’ll be saving money and helping the environment too by regularly refilling your water bottle.

Healthy ways to spruce up your water’s flavour

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We all know how imperative good hydration is, so it may be worthwhile to look at ways to entice ourselves and our loved ones into increasing our intake of H2O.

Liquid water enhancers have gained widespread popularity since they were introduced in 2011, especially for those on the go, but there are other natural ways you can spice up your water’s flavour to keep you from being dehydrated. (Don’t be afraid to mix all of these flavours together if you want.)

Add citrus fruits. Lemons, limes or oranges add zest to your drink and the benefits of additional vitamin C. Vitamin C helps wounds heal through collagen production, assists your immune system in fending off colds and illnesses and lends a hand in retaining good eyesight by decreasing your chances of developing cataracts. A citrus slice in your water also serves as a palate cleanser and a great way to end your meal.

Add berries. Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries pack an antioxidant punch that protects your body’s cells from damage caused by free radicals. Our bodies naturally produce these free radicals, but there are toxins in the environment, such as cigarette smoke, that stimulate our body’s production. According to a study published in the Annals of Neurology, eating berries also packs an added bonus of slowing down cognitive decline as you age.

Add herbs. Lavender or mint can jazz up your glass and provide a slew of health benefits. Studies show the smell of lavender helps calm people down and has a soothing effect, while also curing headaches and insomnia. On a warm day, mint leaves deliver a cooling flavour that can calm an upset stomach for those facing indigestion or bloating, or clear up your sinuses and soothe a sore throat. The minty fresh breath it leaves also doesn’t hurt.

Add ginger. This root is a frequent ingredient in Asian cooking that’s been used for more than 4,000 years, but it also has many medicinal uses. Some studies show ginger helps treat motion sickness as well as nausea and vomiting for pregnant women. Ginger’s properties have also been used to reduce inflammation in the body with a study showing it helped reduce pain for those suffering from osteoarthritis.

Add a pinch of salt. You probably won’t love the taste of table salt in your water, but salt helps your body absorb fluids right after a workout. With help from Strauss Water Canada’s WaterBar, you can make a homemade electrolyte drink that’s all natural and inexpensive to boot.