It's Wellness Wednesday and overall wellness is so much more than just the number on the scale! Optimal wellness means you also FEEL good and staying hydrated is an important ingredient in the wellness recipe. I don’t know about you, but if you’re anything like me you may find it hard to keep hydrated or at the very least meet the minimum recommendations set by many medical professionals. It’s been about a year that I have made a very intentional effort to focus on my water intake and to try and meet those minimum recommendations and it sure isn't easy, but it's so worth it. Before I share with you my tips and tricks, I thought I would first share with you WHY staying hydrated is so important for your body and your mind!
7 benefits of staying hydrated:
1. Water helps to maximize physical performance
Losing as little as 2 percent of your body’s water content can significantly impair physical performance.
2. Hydration has a major effect on energy levels and brain function.
Mild dehydration (1-3 percent of body weight) can impair energy levels, mood, and lead to major reductions in memory and brain performance.
3. Drinking water may help to prevent and treat headaches
4. Drinking water may help with constipation
5. Drinking water may help with kidney stones.
Do not take this one lightly. I’ve had one kidney stone in my life and it was the most painful thing in the world. It was worse than labor contractions and my appendix bursting.
6. Water helps prevent hangovers
7. Drinking water may help you lose weight
Drinking water is shown to increase your metabolism. Studies have shown that by drinking two liters of water a day you can burn an additional 96 calories.
*Information provided by: healthline.com
What is the recommended intake?
I have heard the recommended water intake broken down in these three ways:
1. General rule of thumb: Drink eight, 8 oz glasses of water a day.
2. Drink half of your body weight in ounces. For example: you weight 120 pounds, you should be drinking 60 ounces of water.
3. Drink enough fluids so your urine is a pale yellow.
Five tips to help you stay hydrated:
1. Every night before I go to bed I fill a 20 oz. bottle of water and have it ready to drink while I get ready in the morning. It’s important to re-hydrate your body after sleep and before you even walk out the door you’ll have 20 oz. of water down.
2. Eat up! Incorporate foods that are high in water content. For example: watermelon, lettuce, grapes. More examples here.
3. Add your favorite fruit or essential oil to make your water more refreshing. I like adding lemons or cucumbers.
4. Buy a pretty water bottle with a straw.
5. Bubble up! There are lots of flavored carbonated waters on the market. Make sure to find ones that have zero sodium and then they can count towards your overall intake.
I hope this helps motivate you and encourages you to get those ounces in! If you have other tips and tricks that help you reach your intake goal each day I would love to hear them. Please comment below, so we can all learn from each other!
Happy sipping!
Jenna
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