MILAN - After the Christmas holidays and the family luncheons and dinners of the period, one of the first goals of the new year is to get back to your ideal body weight as soon as possible. Dr. Elisabetta Bernardi, Biologist specialising in Dietary Science and a member of the Sanpellegrino Observatory, explains how proper hydration can help you get back into shape.
What happens during the holidays
“In fact, during the Christmas holidays, there is a risk of assuming about 1,000 calories extra per day, arriving at that much-feared confrontation with the scales with somewhere between two and three kilos more – the doctor explains – However, this gained weight is not only due to the higher quantity of calories that are assumed, but also to the habit of eating more often throughout the day, also neglecting fundamental foods such as fruit and vegetables.”
The importance of water
Once the holidays are over, with the resolution of getting back into shape for the sake of our organism’s health, in addition to resuming physical activity, it is important to avoid drastic diets and fasting that can have consequences that are harmful to our health: “To regain our figure – Dr. Bernardi continues – a valid aid is certainly proper hydration which, along with a healthy diet, helps to favour weight loss: in fact, water contributes to temporarily increasing our metabolic rate and that way our organism burns more calories. Drinking water before meals as well, also lets us reach that sensation of being full sooner.”
Which water to choose
Water is also a valid ally of our health because it allows us to eliminate toxins and guarantees the transport of nutrients within our organism. It is therefore important to choose water that is high in salts like magnesium and calcium: mineral salts are indispensable as components of the organism and they are fundamental for maintaining our salt-water balance. So, with its purifying action and the high saline content, water is an important care and prevention tool.
by Michael Dones
Source: Fotolia
