Day 27 - H2O

Some of the things I learn as I dig around in the world of health and fitness are just so stupidly intuitive that you wonder what the fuck some people were thinking when they let that information get buried under everything else they know.

I'm kind of a hypocrite for saying that, because I have quite a bit of trouble with this as well, but I might as well change my life in this way also, since I'm living that kind of lifestyle and acting so crazy.

As it turns out, your body needs water. Go figure, right? We're only made of the stuff. Scientists estimate that the human body is made of around 70% water.

But we're so afraid of it. We try to put a bunch of shit in it, flavors and extra stuff, and as it turns out, we make it nearly useless by doing so.

Before I get to what it does for the body, I'd like to talk a little bit about the state of the public opinion of water consumption in this country. First of all, after recognizing how vital it is to living (and living optimally) I wonder why the hell we have to pay for it. We don't have to pay for air. Shit, I said that now. The NSA will probably report that brilliant idea to the administration and soon "air bill" deductions will fill everyone's IRS reports.

This may come as a surprise, but not too many decades ago, we DIDN'T have to pay for access to clean water. I'm pretty sure it was one of those inalienable rights we had as a human. We got air, water and not to die, and that was about it. But today, it seems as though its in short supply.

The whole bottled water industry is built on a bet on human stupidity. The first bottled water company started by the owner betting someone else that the average human is so stupid, that he could actually sell them water in a bottle, which was a preposterous notion at the time. You might recognize the name of the company. They still bottle water today. It's Evian. Try flipping that word around and figure out how the owner feels about the consumers. Here, let me do that for you:

E V I A N

N A I V E

Anyway, off of that soapbox, the vast majority of people in America have much lower water intakes than they need to function at their best. Especially if you follow this blog and are a fitness hobbyist or bodybuilder, or just anyone who wants to change their body composition for the better, really large quantities of water intake is necessary to you. Bear in mind, I say "really large" in comparison to how much you probably drink a day, which statistics say is an average of 8 oz., which is less than a can of coke. You should be having a gallon a day. If you are trying to build muscle or burn fat, then you might want to kick that number up to a gallon and a half. And I don't mean just liquids, I mean pure, unflavored, unsweetened, H20. If you add sugar, or flavoring, then the body doesn't immediately recognize it as water, and the absorption drops from 100% down to around 20%. In fact, some drinks, like soda, coffee, or alcohol, actually rob your body of what water you already have, causing you to dehydrate, and even store excess water on your belly like some kind of weird, fat, backward camel.

Bottom line, you need to drink more water. Here's why:

• Water keeps you from being dehydrated. This may seem like a no-brainer, but lack of water can do some horrible shit to you. Headaches, fatigue, joint pain, and even death can be caused from a lack of water.
• Almost all body functions occur on water's back. More equals better body functionality.
• Water is essential for digestion, chemical reactions and absorption of nutrients. 
• Water transports waste material from your body.
• Water is necessary for circulation. You are more well oxygenated with enough water.
• Waters removes toxins from the body.
• Water keeps the body cooler, more efficiently.
• Here is what you were waiting for: Water causes you to store less fat, retain less excess water, and build muscle faster.

You heard it right, water can intensify the results of any diet or exercise. Studies show that people who drink enough water have fewer fat deposits on their body than people who don't. Also, people who drink more water have less sodium, which means that their body doesn't soak up water and store it in awkward places like the belly. Finally, all body functions, including the holiest process, the making of gainz, the building of muscle, occurs best when you are properly hydrated.

This is something I struggle with. I do love me some Coke Zero. (sponsor) But starting today, I will be having at least a gallon a day, and I'll aim for a gallon and a half. 12 16 oz bottles will get me to 192 oz which is 1.5 gallons for you mathematically impaired readers.

I will have a gallon a day, unquestionably. I have decided. Somebody stop me. See what happens.