#5stepping to Wealth, not just Health

Another very good reason to drink water is that it’s the world’s best diet drink … it has ZERO calories!!

By comparison, the typical ‘2 unit’ alcoholic drink contains between 200 and 300 calories, and a bottle of cola or an energy drink over 300 – and what’s worse, they’re ‘empty’ calories, devoid of any nutritional value.

So, if you’re #5stepping (and, if you’re not, you should be), you’ll see why replacing one alcoholic and one caffeinated drink per day is going to help you lose weight – to put it into perspective, 500 calories a day is ONE-THIRD of the average daily requirement for most adults, it’s the equivalent of two Mars Bars, it’s 3,500 calories a week, it the equivalent of a whole meal, it’s 182,000 calories a year!

Who needs to diet if you’re #5stepping?  

Are you getting Cold Dehydration?

Another good reason for drinking water is that it stops you getting dehydrated.

Obvious?  The average adult is made up of about 40 litres of water – that’s 60% of your body mass.  Lose as little as half a litre, and symptoms start appearing; by the time you’ve lost a litre, you’ll be suffering from impaired cognitive function, reduced physical performance, headaches and symptoms of fatigue.

In the long-term, there is evidence to suggest that chronic mild dehydration is associated with increased risk of a number of conditions, including constipation, urinary tract infections, hypertension (high blood pressure), coronary heart disease (CHD) and strokes.

But you won’t get dehydrated in Winter because it’s cold … WRONG!

It’s actually easier to become dehydrated in winter.  In summer, it’s hot (well, sometimes) and you sweat, both of which trigger thirst – which makes to want to drink.

STEP #1: WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE … SO WHY NOT DRINK SOME!

So the thirteenth day of Christmas has arrived and within the seasonal conundrum of how to lose the half a stone gained over the previous fortnight and pay off the credit card purchases that didn’t seem a problem until the statement arrived.

It’s time to start #5stepping, and you can follow the campaign with daily tips and updates @5stepper and on Facebook http://ow.ly/GVb6H

So, in the spirit of seasonal panto, let’s start with a simple question: Do you take drugs?

Oh no I don’t…

Oh yes you do…

Although most of us wouldn't dream of consciously taking psychoactive drugs or drinking poison, how many of us down caffeine every day in our teas, coffees, colas and energy drinks – or even in products such as waffles, sunflower seeds, trail mix, jelly beans and chewing gum? The UK's Food and Drug Administration's recommended maximum intake is the equivalent of four to five (regular) cups of tea or coffee per day: without any extras from other caffeine containing products.

Then, when we’ve finished spending the day downing caffeine (a stimulant), we're countering it with a poisonous depressant – alcohol! Almost everyone thinks they drink less than they actually do; often by underestimating the size of home measures or the strength of the drink, and about one-third of the adult population are estimated to be seriously damaging their long-term mental or physical health by the amount of alcohol they consume.

Cutting down on coffee and booze are usually top of the New Year's Resolutions list but, rather than giving up, why not do something positive about it instead?