Hello!

Welcome to the EVOLVE Flagstaff Nutrition Program. Let's go over a few things before we dive in. THIS IS NOT A DIET. Let me repeat…. THIS IS NOT A DIET! There are no “meal plans", no paleo, no keto, or anything else here. Why? Because diets don’t work. We are here to make actual change. This is not a temporary fix, we are going to teach you how to eat for life. We going to give you the tools that have been proven again and again to promote health, decrease chronic disease risk, change body composition, and stop the cycling of dietiting.

In the beginning it may not feel like we are making astronomical changes. This is because it shouldn't be hard. Doing too much at once makes it less likely that you make long term change. But, if you stick with it and actually DO THE WORK, we promise that you will notice changes in how you approach food and nutrition.

For the next 8 weeks, we will tackle just one behavior change per week. We've found that by focusing on just ONE thing, you can focus and create a new sustainable habit. Each week, you will receive a message explaining that week's “Nutrition Habit” along with a video going in depth about the "why" and the thought process behind it. During the week, you will also be sent messages with friendly reminders to remind you of the weekly goal. We do this because change is hard, it takes time, though and support. We are here to help hold you accountable to do the things you said you were going to do. It is always easier with a friend. If you have any questions about the weekly habit, feel free to pop by Abby’s clinic hours to dig a little deeper.

So let’s begin.

Water

Learn why water is essential to good nutrition and overall health.

Our first habit is drinking water. You already do that? Rad! But do you drink enough? Most of our clients do NOT drink enough water, not because they hate it (some do), but because they aren’t aware of it. Nobody likes feeling dehydrated, but some of you are probably chronically dehydrated. So we all know we should drink it but why?

60 % of your body is water- that’s a lot
EVERY system in your body required water to function.
It is involved in transporting nutrients, circulation, temperature regulation and getting rid of toxins.

We are going to let you in on a little secret. You don’t need a fancy drink with lemon juice, maca and a million other superfoods to “detox” you really just need to drink water and eat less crap and move more. I digress...

You may be asking yourself, “How much water do I need per day?”. The golden rule of eight 8oz (64 ml or 1892 ml) glasses per day is actually not enough for most people. Let's figure out how much you need (....and get mathy and super Euro).

Find your weight in kilograms. Weight in pounds / 2.2= weight in kg
Multiply your weight in kg by 25 ml. This will give you your lower end of needs. Weight in kg x 25 ml = ml/day
Multiply your weight in kg by 35 ml. This will give your your upper end of needs. Weight in kg x 35 ml = ml/day upper end

Example: 140 lbs/2.2= 63.63 kg

63.63 kg x 25 ml= 1590 ml

63.63 x 35 ml = 2227 ml

Your range is 1590-2227ml/day. Your goal is 2227ml/day! This is your baseline that you need everyday to sit at your desk, carry on conversations, go to the grocery store and maybe an evening walk. There are many other factors that influence how much water you need per day, here are a few...

Activity
Temperature
Elevation
Body composition- muscles produce about 20x more heat than non-lean body mass
Sweat rate
Humidity
Aerobic capacity- As you become more trained, your body adapts to lower your core temperature to help increase efficiency
Hormones- females have a tendency to sweat less than men due to hormones. Which also means women are more prone to overheating and need to pay more attention to hydration.

Anything that you drink during exercise or activity is a bonus and should not be counted towards your daily goal.

You may ask… Do other things like tea or coffee count? No. They are not necessarily dehydrating, as is commonly believed, but they do not count towards your water goal.

Enough blabbing. Watch the video if you want to learn more. So here is your first goal...

Goal: Meet the upper limit of your hydration goal EVERY DAY. Here are some way to help you achieve this goal:

Bring a waterbottle with you everywhere. Make it your new best friend. Give it a name. Make it a cool color. Put a really cool EVOLVE sticker on it.
Make yourself water goals. Set an alarm in your phone that reminds you either to drink or reminds you that you should have had ¼ of your water for that day.
Drink water with meals.

Again, this may seem simple at first and it should be.

We'll send you a few reminders throughout the week, and will be back next week with a new Nutrition Habit.

Concerned or confused about nutrition? Not sure if your current nutritional habits are helping you meet your goals? Feel free to pop in Abby's office, schedule an appointment, or shoot her an email at abby@evolveflg.com

EVOLVE Nutrition Foundation Week 1: Water