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June 26, 2024 By Trupti Hingad 10 Comments

Urine Colour – Can be a good indicator of health

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In my previous blog, I discussed how your poop describes your health status. In this blog, I shall tell you how your pee says a lot about your health.

In a day, we all visit the bathroom many times to pee, but seldom does it cross our mind to check our pee colour before we flush it out of sight.

Urine, or pee, is the body’s way of expelling waste products in a liquid form, mainly composed of water, salt, and chemicals called urea and uric acid.

The kidney creates urine by flushing out toxins and other bad substances from the blood. Various factors such as medications, food, and illness can affect urine colour or odour.When there is a malfunction, the urine may contain clues to the problem. The colour of the urine can be a helpful indicator.

Ideally, the colour of urine should be pale yellow, indicating you are well hydrated. The pale yellow colour is due to a pigment produced by the body called – UROCHROME and UROBILIN.

Let’s understand how the colour of the urine describes your health. There are three main causes for abnormal urine colour

  • Food that you eat
  • Drugs or Medication that you take
  • Health Issues

What does the colour of Urine Indicate?

Transparent: If the pee colour is completely clear, its sign of over hydration. Sometimes excess hydration may lead to dilution of salts in the body.

Brown colour: Shades of brown in your urine may indicate dehydration. It can also signal liver disease, where bile salts that should be processed and eliminated through stool end up in the urine.

Note: If you eat a lot of aloe, fava beans, or rhubarb, these foods can also turn your urine brown.

Red colour: Foods like beets and blackberries can cause red urine. If the red color persists, it could be a sign of blood in the urine, which may be due to kidney disease, urinary tract infections (UTI), or cancers. In such cases, consult a doctor immediately.

Blue or Green colour: Consumption of asparagus can lead to green urine. Certain medications, genetic diseases, and UTIs can also cause blue or green urine.

Orange: An orange color may be due to medications such as high-dose vitamin B2, the UTI drug phenazopyridine, or the antibiotic isoniazid.

Dark yellow: Dark yellow urine indicates significant dehydration. It can also be linked to high intake of B vitamins, especially B12, resulting in this dramatic hue change.

Cloudy or milky: Cloudy or milky urine most often indicates the presence of white blood cells, suggesting an infection.

Bubbles/frothy urine: Excessive bubbles or frothing that occurs every time you urinate can indicate an excess of protein in your urine.

Does your urine smell?

Pee doesn’t usually have a strong smell. However, some foods, especially asparagus, contain a smelly sulfur compound that can change the odor. Vitamin B-6 supplements can also affect the smell. When you’re dehydrated and your pee gets very concentrated, it can smell strongly of ammonia. A strong ammonia smell may indicate a UTI, and a sweet smell could be a sign of excess sugar and diabetes.

How often should you urinate?

It varies for everyone, but normally people need to empty their bladder up to 8 times a day. If you suddenly need to pee more often than usual, it could be a sign of a health problem such as a UTI, diabetes, an enlarged prostate in men, vaginitis in women, or interstitial cystitis.

Urine is something that most of us must take a look and prevent any conditions by prevailing. By understanding what your urine color indicates, you can take steps to maintain your health and seek medical advice when necessary.

Keep yourself well hydrated and stay healthy!!

We hope this article helps you. Understanding the color and characteristics of your urine can provide valuable insights into your health. By paying attention to these signs, you can take proactive steps to maintain your well-being. Keep yourself well-hydrated and consult a healthcare professional if you notice any unusual changes in your urine or speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

March 3, 2024 By Urvashi Sareen 2 Comments

Fluid Replacement and Athletic Performance

water_intake

I am not sure how many of you know that hydration and athletic performance is connected? In this blog, I am precisely going to tell you this aspect. Adequate fluid replacement helps maintain hydration and, therefore, promotes the health, safety, and optimal physical performance of individuals participating in the regular physical activity.

Dehydration can compromise athletic performance and increase the risk of exertion heat injury. Athletes do not voluntarily drink sufficient water to prevent dehydration during physical activity.

The two main factors influencing early fatigue and impaired performance (both physical and mental) in all types of sports and exercise are depletion of body levels of Carbohydrate and/or fluid. Fluid replacement is probably the most important nutritional concern for athletes. As an athlete exercise, fluid is lost through the skin as sweat and through lungs when an athlete breathes. If this fluid is not replaced at regular intervals during exercise, the athlete can become dehydrated bringing about metabolic changes.

Hypohydration (total body water below normal) impairs the body’s ability to regulate heat resulting in increased body temperature and an elevated heart rate. Perceived exertion is increased causing the athlete to feel more fatigued than usual at a given work rate. Mental function is reduced which can have negative implications for motor control, decision making and concentration.

Gastric emptying is slowed, resulting in stomach discomfort. All these effects lead to impairment in exercise performance. Most types of exercise are adversely affected by hypohydration, especially when they are undertaken in hot conditions, and negative effects have been detected when fluid deficits are as low as 2 %

Recommended water intake before, during and after sport/workout

Before Sports

Drinking fluids prior to exercise appear to reduce or delay the detrimental effects of dehydration.

  • 1 to 2 hours before sports: 4 to 8 ounces of cold water
  • 10 to 15 minutes before sports: 4 to 8 ounces of cold water
  • A good meal with containing water (e.g. fruits).

During Sports

  • Every 20 minutes: 5 to 9 ounces of a sports drink, depending on weight (5 for a child weighing 88 pounds, 9 ounces for a child weighing 132 pounds)
  • Any time a child feels thirsty
  • Encourage drinking fluids during timeouts and breaks
  • Encourage drinking from their own fluid container and avoid sharing with others
  • Encourage the ability to drink whenever they want and not to wait until they are told to take a break
  • Adjust fluid needs during practice according to the weather, the amount of equipment worn, and practice duration and intensity.

After Sports

Post-exercise hydration should aim to correct any fluid lost during the practice and help the body to recover from the sports activity:

  • Within the first 30 minutes after exercise, drink chocolate milk or a specially formulated sports drink containing protein and carbohydrates such as Gatorade G3 Recover.  Not only do they hydrate but, the protein helps the body recover from exercise by enhancing muscle repair, and the carbohydrate replenishes glycogen stores in muscles, which are a source of fuel during prolonged exercise of an hour or more.
  • Within two hours: 20-24 ounces of a sports drink for every pound (16 ounces) of weight loss
  • Replace all fluids lost during exercise plus any lost after exercise through urination
  • Eat a good meal with foods containing water

Given the above before, during and after sports water intake recommendations, one should follow these properly for healthy and active life

Proper hydration is the cornerstone of athletic excellence. Understanding the connection between fluid balance and performance can significantly enhance your physical and mental well-being during sports activities. Follow these recommended water intake strategies to fuel your body for peak performance and sustained health. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

November 21, 2022 By Anushree Ashtekar 6 Comments

How Much Water Should You Consume Before, During & After A Workout?

waterWater is an indispensable part of our daily diet. It makes up about 70% of our total body weight. It is also a component that is very easily taken for granted. Staying well hydrated is one of our body’s basic needs. Thirst is a late indicator of dehydration. When thirsty, our body is already dehydrated at a cellular level. The color of the urine can also determine our hydration status. Dark yellow urine indicates dehydration whereas clear urine indicates a well hydrated body. Along with the diet, we must also pay attention to what and how much water we drink, especially before, during and after a workout.

Why Is Water Intake Important? 

1. Pre-Workout Water Intake
If we start our workout in a dehydrated state, it will adversely affect our performance. We would feel low on energy, stiff muscles and also get cramps easily. That is essentially because water forms a major part of our muscles and also helps in keeping the joints well lubricated. Intake must start well 2-3 hours before a workout. The water intake also depends upon the intensity of activity and the individual’s own body condition.

If a person sweats too much, at least 500-600ml of water 2-3 hours prior to exercise is a must. This will ensure good hydration status. If the workout lasts for a longer time, like over an hour, then it would be advisable to consume a carbohydrate drink (up to 8% concentration). This will help to prevent fatigue and dehydration.

2. Water Intake During a Workout
The consumption here depends on the duration of the activity. If the exercise or sport event lasts for less than an hour, then there won’t be a chance to ingest too much fluid within the duration of the activity. Here, we can consume 1 small glass (180-200 ml) of plain cold water every 15-20 minutes. Cold water would make a better choice over water at room temperature because cold water has a faster gastric emptying time. Also, if the person has consumed enough dietary carbohydrates, the glycogen stores in his muscles and liver will suffice for providing energy to sustain the activity. In the case of a high intensity workout or sport event (marathon, game of football, etc), that goes for over 1 hour, the individual is at a risk of decreased performance due to dehydration, fatigue and hypoglycemia. Their fluid intake must include carbohydrates and electrolytes. Carbohydrate will prevent hypoglycemia. The electrolytes like sodium and chloride need to be replenished due to sweating. Also, sodium will help in water retention.

3. Post-Workout Intake
We need to pay good attention to eating and drinking right post any workout or exercise. There arises a need to replenish the carbohydrates, salts and water that are lost during the activity. Immediately after a workout, for the next few hours, work on improving your hydration levels. Do not start with any new activity without attaining good hydration levels. Replenishing the salt reserves must be your top priority as sodium has good fluid retention capacity which keeps up the urge to drink water. Fluid consumption, containing carbohydrates, salts and water, must continue up to 5-6 hours after the activity. The best way to ensure that you are hydrating yourself well is, to weigh yourself before and after the exercise/event and drink at least 400-500 ml of water for every 1 pound lost. Fluid intake needs to be planned and distributed at regular intervals.

It would always be better to carry a bottle of water with you wherever you go and sip on it regularly. Many a times, your performance during a workout can be improved only with optimum hydration. We hope this article helps you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below.

For more tips on workouts, hydration and being fit, check out Healthy Reads or ask your GOQii Coach directly by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce 

April 18, 2018 By Luke Coutinho 2 Comments

Dehydration and your Metabolism

water

Water is the most important thing that we should never ignore. How many of us have been told that we should drink at least 2.5 to 3 litres of water every day or 8 glasses minimum. And, how many of us actually follow this? Most of us drink water only when we realize that we are very thirsty. But, ideally that should not be the case.


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Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink water. If you are thirsty, then it is already too late. The problem is that many of us have trouble deciding when we are thirsty.

I know I am thirsty when I feel sluggish or tired, experience mild headaches, have trouble concentrating or constipated. A dry mouth and a flushed or tired feeling are all signs that you could be thirsty, but you have realized it when it’s already too late.

‘Thirst’ is a tricky phenomenon to understand. The feeling of thirst is governed by the hypothalamus in the brain. It reads the salt levels in the body. When you are dehydrated, the salt concentration in your body rises. That triggers your thirst alarm. But, by this time, many of your vital organs are already severely deprived of water.

                                                                                          

Water is a miracle liquid. You are a mixture of water, protein and a myriad of molecules blended together to create a physical you. Two-thirds of your body is water. Cells, bones and blood both hold water and float in it. Muscles are 75% water.

 

You need water to enable your body to keep eliminating the toxins generated, to produce digestive enzymes, maintain healthy skin, hair, organs and to help your body absorb essential vitamins, minerals and natural sugars. Water also regulates your body temperature, cooling you down by evaporating through your skin.

Even on a cold winter day your body will use and lose about 2 liters of water. Imagine how much greater that amount is on a hot summer day.

 

The important point over here is to understand that less water or getting dehydrated frequently SLOWS DOWN YOUR METABOLISM.  A slow metabolism means slower fat loss and slumps in your energy levels and growth.

 


SIGNS OF DEHYDRATION:

  • Fatigue
  • Lethargy
  • Irritability
  • Headache
  • Blurred vision
  • Flushed skin
  • Lack of mental clarity
  • Constipation
  • Cystitis
  • Back pain
  • High cholesterol
  • Cellulite
  • Water retention
Don’t reach a point of dehydration.

** Always carry a water bottle with you.
** Wake up to 500ml to 800ml of water every morning.
** Sip through the day and keep a bottle at your desk so you remember to drink in case you get busy.
** Remember, coffee is a diuretic, if you drink coffee you need to drink 2 cups of water post that.
** If you drink alcohol, drink one glass of water for every drink you have.

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