Hydrate! HYDRATE! HYDRATE!!!!

Drinking water before and after your workout helps minimize negative affects of water loss due to sweat. High fluid intake can prevent diseases such as bladder cancer, kidney stones, gallstones, and colon cancer. I have been drinking about five blender bottles of water a day (120oz) and all I really drink is water. It's hard to find any drinks really that taste good without any added sugars. Like I say, drinking soda is drinking empty calories! Even sweet tea.. Yes, I am a die-hard fan of Lemon Snapple. But I finally looked at how many sugars it has that had to stop. Home made tea is just as good, bottled up to go whenever you are :) BUT! Water is definitely the best thing you can drink. SmartWater has electrolytes you need in it when working out.
Here's a little formula I picked up from my gym manager to calculate what your daily water intake should be. I'll use my info for example:

1. Divide your body weight in half

      170 / 2 = 85


2. Add 20% of your body weight

      170 x .20 = 34                85 + 34 = 120 ounces of water a day!


Try drinking about two cups of water two hours prior to your workout to hydrate yourself with what you're about to sweat out. Make sure to take as many water breaks as you need during workout!
Get on the scale before and after your workout to see how much weight you lose in sweat. If you lose a pound, that's two cups of water, You should drink about 20% MORE water than you lost (so say you lose a pound which is two cups, drink another two and a half to three cups. How do you know if you are hydrated? Take a long pee! If it's clear, you're good. If you're urine is dark, drink up.