Water: It Does a Body Good!
Discover How
Drinking Water Can
Help You
• Improve overall health
• Reduce sugar consumption
• Lose weight
• Increase energy
2-week self-directed program
Open to all employees
August 15 – 28, 2016
NUTRITION
• Enhance athletic
performance
WEIGHT LOSS
Water is critical to good health. More than 75% of your muscles, 72% of your skin, and almost 80% of your heart is
made up of water. When the water in your body is reduced by just 5%, nearly all of your internal organs are impacted
and your performance begins to suffer. You can go weeks without food, but only a matter of days without water. Water plays so many roles in our bodies and yet so many of us don’t drink enough. Well Aware challenges you to
drink at least the recommended amount of water per day based on your weight, and avoid or limit drinking sugary
sodas, sweetened juices/punches, and alcohol for 14 days. We hope you enjoy the challenge!
Program steps:
• Participate in the challenge from August 15 to August 28
• Read the supporting material attached
• Complete the log/prize form attached (only MIIA/Blue Cross members are eligible for prizes)
• Return the log/prize form to Mary Harrington, [email protected], or fax to Mary at 617-542-6513 by Sept. 8
Wellness Tip:
Water is a nutrient, just like vitamins, minerals,
proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
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Drink Water! It Does a Body Good!
Look at all the benefits of drinking water.
• Helps maintain the balance of body fluids
• Can help control caloric intake
• Energizes muscles
Tips for drinking more water:
• Helps keep skin looking good
• Drink water BEFORE you feel thirsty,
thirst is not an indicator of need
• Promotes normal bowel function
• Keep a running log at your desk or other
key location
• Lubricates and cushions joints
•K
eep a water bottle in your car and at your
• Improves kidney function
• Helps maintain body temperature
• Protects your spinal cord
• Provides a moist environment for your ears, nose, and throat
work area
• Helps to flush bacteria from your system
•E
at fruits and vegetables (They contain a
• Maximizes athletic performance
•H
ave water with every snack and meal
• Prevents dehydration
How much water should you drink?
The registered dietitians at MIIA recommend following this
formula to determine optimal water intake:
Divide your body weight by 2. This gives you the number of ounces
of water to drink daily.
For example:
Weighing 135 lbs. translates into drinking 65 ounces of water
per day.
Weighing 200 lbs. means drinking 100 ounces of water per
day.
There are 8 ounces in a cup.
You need more water when:
• It is hot and/or humid
• You are physically active
• You are running a fever
• You are having diarrhea or vomiting
• You are pregnant or breast feeding
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good % of water)
•C
hoose water instead of sugar sweetened
and alcoholic beverages
•C
hoose water when eating out
•A
dd lemon or other fruits to your water
(get a fruit infused water bottle or pitcher
to keep in the fridge) if it makes it more
appealing
•D
rink water before, during (if exercising
longer than 20 minutes), and after exercise
• S ubstitute herbal tea for sodas and juices/
punches or simply drink more herbal tea
Water Challenge
Log and Prize Form
Complete and return log form to Mary
Harrington at [email protected] or
fax to 617-542-6513 by September 8, 2016.
August
Place a check mark in each box that applies. In order to earn a prize, you must have:
Checked the blue column at least 10 out of the 14 days and checked either the “drank no” or the “limited”
columns (referring to sodas, juices/punches, and alcohol) at least 10 out of the 14 days.
15
I drank
no sugary
sodas.
I limited
my sugary
sodas.
I drank
no sugary
juices and
punches.
I limited
my sugary
juices and
punches.
I drank no
alcohol.
I limited
how much
alcohol I
drank.
I drank at least the recommended
amount of water for me based on
my weight: body weight divided by
2 = # of ounces/day.
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
Total days
checked
Name:__________________________________________ MIIA/BCBS subscriber #___________________________________
Employer________________________________________ Email address:____________________________________________
Mailing address_____________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone:__________________________________________
Prize selection (please identify your top two choices clearly marking your top choice)
Prizes may be viewed at emiia.org; Well Aware, incentives)
Fruit infused water bottle
Bike repair kit Stainless steel water bottle
Soup to Go container
Sports towel in mesh bag
Pasta Pals utensils Small bamboo cutting board
Salad to Go container
Wind chimes
Water resistant Chill Watch (black, red, blue)
Fitbit Zip watchband (kelly green, black, dark gray) (Fitbit not included)
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