Importance of Water

Hydrating adequately with water for your individualized needs is the basic foundation of self care.

What are some symptoms of dehydration?

-Confusion

-Brain fog

-Loss of concentration

-Tiredness

-Sleepiness

-Thirst

-Dry Mouth

-Headache

-Dark colored urine

What are benefits of adequate hydration?

-Moistness in mouth and lips

-Ability to concentrate and focus

-Improves headaches

-Cardiovascular improvement

-Cognition improvement

-Purification of various body systems

-Detoxification improves

-Appropriate urine color (slightly yellow or straw colored)

-We replenish what we lose through sweat

-Physical performance improves

Do you drink enough water?

How can we increase water intake throughout the day?

Here are two quick and easy ways to transform your water:

1. If you dislike the taste of water, or have trouble drinking it on its own, add fruits (berries, lemon, limes, oranges) or vegetables such as cucumber slices (I'm not recommending other vegetables to add into your water).

2. Add in herbs like lavender, mint, or ginger to make it more palatable for you.

If you find yourself drinking a lot of water at the beginning of the day, but not much throughout the rest of the day, help yourself with visual and physical cues. For example:

1. If you are working from home, have your water bottle on the desk so you notice it and take breaks from work to drink water.

2. Have a glass of water by your bedside, in the kitchen, and other areas of your home that you frequent during the day.

3. Maybe you need to invest in a new water bottle that is of high quality, feels good in your hands, and has a hands free opening. Would you drink more water if it had encouraging messages on it? Or, would you drink more water if it listed the amount of water so you knew when you met your individualized goal?

How much water should I drink? Great question and usually everyone has a different opinion on how much. As long as you aren't on a fluid restriction, the "general guidelines" is typically 64 ounces per day. However, we need to individualize your goals based on a lot of factors including age, gender, activity level, laboratory parameters specific to you, current regimen, and future goals.

Progress is key so increasing your water intake is an improvement! I will take this one step further when I host a mini healthy happy hour demonstration during our next roundtable on Wednesday, October 21st, 2020 for RunthePolls.org You don't want to miss it!