It's no secret that water is essential for life and that one of the most important things we can do for our health is stay hydrated. Our body's hydration will affect our entire quality of life: from our mood and energy, attention span and logic, stress, and even our good looks! Hydration can be especially challenging in the hot months when we are losing more water to perspiration than in the cooler months. The solution is obvious: Drink More Water. So easy, right? Yet this vital piece of our health is so easy to neglect - especially during the summer when the sun is out, and the social calendars are full!
Why Hydration is Especially Important During the Hot Months
- Proper hydration helps regulate body temperature, and will help you deal with the heat.
- Increased sweating during hot weather means increased loss of hydration - meaning you need to drink more water just to keep up.
- If you find yourself more stressed and moody during the hot weather, improper hydration could be a contributing reason. Dehydration places undue stress on your body which can manifest as anxiety, headaches and joint pain, mood swings, and fatigue.
- They say the camera adds 10lbs, but dehydration can add 10 years. Dehydrated skin can appear dull, ashen, wrinkly and less radiant.
- If you struggle with summer weight gain from all the barbecues and pool parties, getting your 8-per-day can help by curbing your appetite, improving digestion, and flushing toxins from your body.
Here are Some Tips to Help You Drink More Water and Achieve Healthy Hydration in the Heat
Healthy Hydration Tip #1) Jazz it Up
A glass of ice cold water is truly a delight on a hot summer day... and sometimes you simply can't beat it in its simplicity. But for times when you want something a little 'extra' in your glass, instead of reaching for a margarita (which is full of dehydrating sugars and alcohol), try one of these simple tips instead:
- Cut up some seasonal fruit and berries (like peaches, or strawberries) and freeze these to use as 'ice cubes' in your water. The frozen fruit will both chill and flavor your glass of water while giving you energy from the natural sugars and vitamins.
- Make yourself a mocktail: Muddle some fresh mint and a lime wedge in the bottom of a glass, top with ice, and fill with sparkling or still water for a lovely treat to beat the heat.
- Make a pitcher of infused water: Wrap some cut-up watermelon and cucumber in some cheesecloth (or a large tea strainer) and refrigerate it until ready to drink. You can even top this off as you take the first few glasses and let it infuse longer.
Get creative and come up with your own combinations of fruits, herbs, and vegetables to create custom flavors. The possibilities are endless!
Healthy Hydration Tip #2) : Set Yourself Up
Think about the places where you spend the most time: Home, work, car, relative's houses, or others. Make sure you have what you need in each of those places to make your goal achievable. For example: Bring a 16 ounce travel mug with a straw to the office. The straw makes it easy to grab and sip with one hand, and the larger capacity means you're getting more water in between refills.
Healthy Hydration Tip #3) : Give it a Sense of Urgency
When we are busy (which let's face it - is pretty much always), it is far too easy to procrastinate mundane tasks like refilling your glass. To make sure your water intake doesn't fall between the cracks at work, try this: Drink a glass of water as soon as you arrive at work and bring a full glass back to your work station. Each time you get up to use the bathroom, first finish what is left in your glass; then refill your glass before heading back to your desk; and repeat. It may be easy to procrastinate refilling your water glass, but the call of nature is not quite as easy to ignore. And the beauty of this system is that it's self perpetuating! The more water you drink, the more you will use the restroom, the more water you will drink, and so on.
Healthy Hydration Tip #4) Eat Your Water
Chugging water isn't the only factor in healthy hydration - a significant amount of our moisture also comes from the food we eat. While a big bowl of hot soup is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind on a hot summer day, a nice slice of watermelon can definitely hit the spot, and is made of over 90% water! Cucumbers, tomatoes, Apples, and generally most fresh fruits and vegetables will also supply you with a refreshing dose of H2O - so a crisp cold salad is always a nice choice.
Bonus: add a handful of walnuts or chickpeas to your salad. Most types of nuts and legumes contain significant amounts of electrolyte minerals, which will help support more efficient hydration.
Healthy Hydration Tip #5): Give Alkaline Water a Try
Alkaline water has been getting a lot of attention lately- and like any new fad, the amazing and incredible health claims do get pretty hyped up. While we are not here to tell you that alkaline water will cure your every malady, we can tell you that it's not all just hype. Let's take a quick look at what alkaline water is and how it helps. (Don't worry - we won't get too sciencey on you.)
What is alkaline? -It's not a magic word, it's just the opposite of 'acid'. Where the term acidic means a liquid has a low pH value (below 7 pH), alkaline means it has a high pH value (above 7 pH).
Alkaline water is just regular water that has been infused with electrolyte minerals. The mineral content is what makes the pH higher. These same electrolytes promote healthier and more efficient hydration. According to the results of a 2017 study "The effect of mineral-based alkaline water on hydration status and the metabolic response to short-term anaerobic exercise": The consumption of alkaline water was associated with improved acid-base balance and hydration status. So there you have it - alkaline water does have at least one important benefit: Hydration.
Also, many find the mineral flavor delicious - making it easier to gulp down more of it! See? It wasn't all scientific!
Healthy Hydration Tip #6): Alternate Drinks at Barbecues and Parties
With summer and back-to-school come the pool parties and back yard barbecues... and with those festivities come libations and sugary foods which can accelerate dehydration. We've all heard (and maybe even used) the phrase "but there's water in beer"! While that is technically true, beer along with any alcoholic or sugary beverages. is a diuretic which causes your body to release more water than it contains - so it actually acts as negative water. To mitigate this, drink a glass of water between every alcoholic beverage or after every sweet treat. Tomorrow-morning-you will thank you!
Healthy Hydration Tip #7) Take it to Go
√ Keys
√ Phone
√ Wallet
√ Water
Don't leave home without your water in hand to sip on as you're out and about doing your beach trips and daily activities. Consider getting a reusable bottle with a strap or clip to make it easier to carry.
Take this a step further by personalizing your bottle or mug with stickers to make it into a personal and stylish accessory.
Healthy Hydration Tip #8) Make it Easy
All the good intentions and practices in the world will fall flat if you run out of water to drink. Buying, carrying, and storing expensive, heavy and bulky cases of bottled water is not a sustainable solution - not for you and definitely not for mother earth. We recommend choosing a sustainable solution that will ensure you have an endless supply of drinking water on hand. There are water filtration solutions out there to fit any situation. From basic water filter pitchers or counter top RO systems for those living in apartments, to the classic under sink reverse osmosis, and even the more boujee alkaline water systems, and customizable mineral RO systems.
There are a variety of ways to make clean, great-tasting water that is better than bottled water to have readily available on tap at home or in your office.
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