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Don’t rely on thirst to tell you when to drink. By the time your mouth feels

parched, you’re already mildly dehydrated. Prevent dehydration by drinking

all day long. Keep a water bottle at your desk, and always carry a bottle when

you work out. See Chapter 26 for some innovative products that make drink-

ing water more convenient. You know that you’re not drinking enough if your

urine is dark and scanty rather than clear and plentiful. Keep in mind that

vitamin supplements can make your urine dark or fluorescent yellow; in this

case, volume is a better indicator.

Don’t Waste Money on Useless Supplements ..........................................

Supplements are promoted everywhere these days — on infomercials, in

health-food stores, and at health clubs. Whether they claim to build muscle,

burn fat, or boost your metabolism, the vast majority of supplements —

including pyruvate and chitin — aren’t worth the cost of the plastic bottles

they come in. That’s why we include them in our list of fitness rip-offs in

Chapter 27.

Are any supplements worth taking? Actually, yes. A multivitamin/mineral

supplement isn’t a necessity, but for many people, it may be a good idea.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, about 90 percent

of us fail to get enough magnesium, chromium, vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin

E, zinc, and many other nutrients. The typical woman gets less than two-thirds

the calcium she needs to help prevent osteoporosis. In a typical four-day

period, nearly half of all women fail to eat a single piece of fresh fruit, and the

vast majority fail to eat even one dark green leafy vegetable. This explains

why women are so deficient in vitamin C, folic acid, and other vital nutrients.

The second reason we recommend supplements is that even if you make all

the right food choices, getting optimal amounts of a few particular vitamins

and minerals is tough. For instance, research suggests that vitamin E may

lower your risk of cancer and heart disease, but only when you consume at

least 100 IU (international units, a way of measuring tiny amounts). To get

this much vitamin E from your diet, you’d have to eat 25 cups of cooked

spinach or drink 1^1 ⁄ 4 cups of vegetable oil (not recommended, by the way).

Unlike with vitamin C, there’s no easy way to get vitamin E from food.

However, none of this means that you should rely on supplements for your

vitamins and minerals. Scientists are learning that the vitamins or minerals

alone may not prevent certain diseases; instead the benefit may come from

the way these nutrients mingle with other components in food. Aim to get the

Chapter 7: Nutrition Basics 101