Have you ever gone out of town for a few days and returned home to find your houseplants a little droopy and sad? (Or if you are like me, you TOTALLY forgot to water them?)
All it takes is a little water…. and literally within minutes, they’re like brand new plants!
Well, how do you think YOUR body feels when you don’t give it enough water?
Are you drinking an optimal amount of water? For most of us, that’s about HALF your BODYWEIGHT in OUNCES every day! This is not necessarily right for everyone. This evidence based article in Healthline talks to that. The article is worth the read especially if you are thinking that there is NO WAY that you could drink that much water and go beyond the bathroom all day. Can anyone else relate to that?
Why do we need water?
Well, our bodies are made up of about 60% water! Having our cells hydrated is critical for us for the following reasons:
To properly digest food, absorb nutrients, power your circulatory system, maintain your body temperature, and more.
Staying hydrated will help keep energy levels high and even help you maintain a healthy body weight!
Having enough water in your system can help reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles, and keep your skin looking soft and youthful.
Drinking water can help rid your body of toxins by helping to keep your “plumbing” in working order.
Did you know that if your crave carbs or sugary foods at night, that’s probably a sign you aren’t drinking enough during the day.
Need more convincing? With as little as a 1.5% drop in hydration, you can start to experience headaches, muscle cramping, bad breath, and the list goes on. Check out this article: entitled 12 Reasons Why Dehydration Is Bad for Your Body.
Here are some strategies for getting enough water:
Have a big glass of water first thing in the morning
Drink a glass of water 30 minutes before a meal ( improved digestion)
Enjoy soups, herbal teas, high water content fruit knowing that you are hydrating yourself in a healthy way
Use a fun water bottle or glass that you enjoy drinking out of!
Flavor it with lemon, lime, mint, cucumber, or strawberries to switch it up! (nothing artificial!)
Know that too much water is not better. Worst case scenario is that you could die ( not an exaggeration).
A less drastic but still worrisome state can be one of depleted minerals. Be wise with your quest for healthy hydration. Some of you will have to modify the total amount of liquids ingested to adjust to your needs and requirements.
