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Eating for Energy

Lose Weight With Water!

Part 1

Amy Coates, BSc, RHN

Hungry?

Grab some water!

Reaching for a glass of water instead of food can save you many, many unwanted pounds over the years. The sensations of thirst and hunger are one and the same, generated whenever the brain is in need of sugar or water. So why do we often choose food over water? I am certain this is due to our highly processed food supply.

Let’s take white bread for example, which does not exist in nature, and is therefore a highly processed food! Its lack of nutrients and fiber makes it act like a drug within our bodies. Broken down quickly, the simple carbohydrates enter our bloodstream causing a fast rise and fall in blood sugar. The fall causes the feeling of hunger to increase blood sugar and the need for water goes overlooked because we have created a more pressing need for sugar!  This also makes us more likely to reach for a sugar-laden drink over water, both situations result in packing on extra calories. This yo-yo battle with blood sugar will result in constant dehydration. If we ate whole foods like our ancestors did, we would be more in tune with our need for water.

Another mistake that leads to weight gain is assuming that manufactured beverages can replace our need for water. Our bodies need water, not just liquids. Drinking 8 glasses of bottled juice, 8 cans of pop, or any other highly processed drink will not hydrate you. They have many other ingredients that influence body chemistry, none of which do us any good! I’ve come across many people who are adamant about telling me that as long as a beverage contains water, it’s just as good as water. You can fool yourself, and you can argue with me all you want, but it won’t change the fact that every cell in your body needs a pure source of water!

Let’s take for example someone who drinks upwards of 8 Diet Cokes a day. The caffeine found in coke acts directly on the brain, like a drug. Caffeine also acts as a diuretic, increases urine production, and leaves the body in a constant state of dehydration. This is why a person can drink so many sodas and never satisfy their thirst. These people assume they have drunk enough “water” (in the form of soda) and assume they are hungry. Overeating and weight gain will be caused by the confusion between thirst and hunger. Water 1, Opponents 0.

Let’s talk about another constituent of diet coke: aspartame. Aspartame converts to aspartate, phenylalanine, and methyl alcohol (formaldehyde) in the small intestine. The first two are highly excitatory neurotransmitter amino acids, and cross the blood brain barrier. There is a claim that the body renders the methyl alcohol non-toxic, but their claim has yet to be proven. According to the video “Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World,” aspartame complaints represent 80-85% of food complaints with the FDA due to its multiple neurotoxic, metabolic, allergenic, fetal, and carcinogenic effects. Aspartame is known to erode intelligence and affects short-term memory.

The most frequent complaints about aspartame include brain tumors, birth defects, lymphoma, diabetes, MS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety attacks, epilepsy/seizures, migranes, numbness, hearing loss and ringing in the ears, blindness, blurred vision, other eye problems, and stomach disorders. Artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite by spiking insulin levels, leaving you hungry shortly after eating, This leads to an increase in carbohydrate cravings and the increased intake of food will stimulate fat storage and weight gain!

Tune in next month for Part 2 of this Water series!

Learn more about the power of water in Eating for Energy

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