Hydration

Have you ever thought of how important sufficient water intake is to your overall health? Being properly hydrated brings forth an abundance of positives including helping to keep blood sugar balanced, eliminating cravings, helping with weight loss, and supporting a strong metabolism. Hydration is something so simple, yet has a massive impact on how we feel.

Your body is made up, on average, of 60% water and your brain is over 70% water - so it makes sense that we have 'brain fog' or headaches when we are dehydrated! Every chemical reaction in our body needs water to happen. Water also helps move excess sugar out of our bloodstream and flushes other toxins out of our bodies through our kidneys. Our bodies hydrate our major internal organs first and then move outward to our skin - so if you have dry skin, consider drinking more water and hydrating fluids!

While we typically think of summer as the time to focus on hydration in the heat (which is still very important!), winter is especially hard on our bodies as we tend to desire less hydrating beverages yet, with the dry winter air, our bodies are constantly losing moisture. 

Here are some of our favorite tips to help hydrate all year long:

• Infuse water with fruit or herbs. You can squeeze lemon or lime juice into your water or freeze herbs in ice cubes. Cucumber and mint are both great choices for infusion!
• Brew decaffeinated, herbal tea. You can drink this hot or cold! Brew a big batch and let it chill in your refrigerator so you can sip on it throughout the day - unlike caffeinated beverages, this is not a diuretic and thus will not dehydrate you.
• Upon waking, drink water! When we wake from a night’s sleep we are dehydrated, so drinking 16-20 ounces of water will help you get your day started, wake up your brain, and give you energy!
• Eat hydrating foods such as celery, cucumber, apples, and melons.
• Track your goal. There are a number of free apps for hydration tracking. Fill up a gallon jug and pour from it throughout the day - when it is gone, you’ve met your goal! One of our favorite visuals is to add a rubber band to your water bottle each time you refill it. If your water bottle is 20 ounces and your goal is to drink 100 ounces daily, then when you have 5 rubber bands on your bottle you know you’ve reached your goal!
• If you are out and about all day, fill mason jars with water and keep them in a small cooler in your car.
• And last but not least, don’t drink from plastic water bottles! They’re bad for the environment, and your wallet. Invest in a nice reusable bottle that you enjoy filling up and drinking from.

As for how much is enough, the average guide is 67% in ounces of your body weight in pounds (e.g.: if you are a 150lb person, you’d need about 100 ounces per day). But, you'll need to take into account activity level, dry/humid air, dehydrating beverages you consume, etc. So while this is a good guide and starting point, the better answer is to drink until you aren't thirsty and your urine is clear and, over time, your skin isn’t dry!

Oftentimes, cravings are actually your body signaling you are thirsty! When you get a craving for something sweet, drink water until your craving subsides. If you feel hungry, check in with yourself and ask "Am I hungry because I'm bored? Emotional? Actually hungry? Or am I thirsty??" Many times, you are just thirsty and drinking a glass of water or herbal tea will handle the feeling of hunger.

As you dig deeper into making healthful choices, remember the simplicity and importance of proper hydration for improving your well-being!

Cheers!