Make hydration second nature!
Water is required for survival and has incredible power to keep us healthy and thriving. We are each made up of roughly 70 percent water, and while we can survive for months without food, we can only live for a few days without water. And we lose water every day through sweat, urine, and breath! Yet we often forget to replace it through conscious daily hydration.
It seems so simple – HYDRATE DAILY! And still, the clever marketing campaigns of big food often trick us into choosing alternative drinks that do more harm than good (hint: pretty much any sports drink). And the coffee shops on every corner have us drinking coffee from when we wake up, leaving us further dehydrated.
So let’s bridge that gap between knowing we need to hydrate and making water your drink of choice so hydrating becomes second nature, like brushing your teeth!
DO YOU NEED TO UP YOUR HYDRATION?
You might be wondering, “am I dehydrated?” The good news is your body is so intelligent it sends you distinct signals to let you know if you need to up the hydration. These warning signs from your body include:
- Feeling thirsty
- Dry skin
- Chapped lips
- Headaches
- Low energy
- Lack of concentration
- Constipation
- Dark urine
If you have any one of these, you should consider increasing your water consumption and watch for yourself how these symptoms improve, often immediately.
HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD YOU BE DRINKING DAILY?
How much is enough? We are all different and have varying hydration needs based on our size, exercise regimes, temperatures we live in, etc. The general rule is to drink half your body weight in ounces daily. So, for instance, if you weigh 150 lbs, you should drink 75 ounces of water daily. That number is a bare minimum. You should increase your water intake if you exercise regularly or are in hot weather. Suppose you are drinking dehydrating beverages like alcohol and caffeine. In that case, you will need to consume extra water, to the tune of two additional glasses for every dehydrating beverage you consume.
RESOURCES + TOOLS
Want someone else to calculate your water intake? Here is a LINK to a Daily Water Intake Calculator
Some easy steps to get you used to hydrating properly:
1.) Start your day by drinking a glass of water
Each night before bed, fill a large bottle of water and put it on your bedside table. This way, you don’t even need to think about it.
2.) Make it easy to drink water anytime and anywhere
Invest in a bunch of reusable water bottles you can fill daily and stock in your fridge. These are great to carry around the house or take with you because they don’t spill, and you can easily monitor how much water you consume.
3.) Make water the beverage of choice at meals
Serve a tall glass of water with breakfast, lunch, and dinner to ensure that you and your family consume enough water.
4.) Add flavor to your water
If you find water boring, you can quickly “spice” things up by adding healthy flavors naturally with fruits and herbs. Pour a pitcher of filtered water and add some citrus like lemons, limes, or oranges. Cucumber slices also make for a great infusion as do herbs like mint or basil.
Our go-to brands for hydration “on the go”: Corkcicle, bkr, Swell, Yeti, and Hydro Flask.