Learn the single most important step for optimal hydration.
How much water do you drink? If you’re like I used to be, drinking water wasn’t a problem but the continuous pee breaks were. Who has time to continually run to the Loo?
What I didn’t realize at the time, is that even though I was drinking a lot of water, I was actually dehydrated. How could that be? I was drinking a ton of water? What I came to understand is that drinking water isn’t the primary factor for healthy hydration.
The water I was drinking needed minerals in order to get into cells. Instead, the thoughtfully filtered water I was drinking was literally running right through me and was actually adding to my own dehydration by flushing vital minerals from my body.
This Is All You Really Need to Know About Staying Hydrated
Every single cell in the human body needs water to function properly. Water serves several major functions in your body. It provides the fluid for your blood to regulate your temperature to cushion joints and organs and aids in smooth digestion.
If you don’t drink enough every day, you may feel dizzy & fatigued. Thirst can also be mistaken for hunger leading to unnecessary calories and weight gain. Below are some simple tips on when you should be focusing on drinking water.
Everyone has different hydration needs, based on weight, activity level, and other factors. Make it a starting goal to drink three to four (8 oz.) glasses of water a day, and adjust according to your needs.
Key Times For Drinking Water
Here are some of the key times that you should have a glass of water:
- When you wake up – your body uses water while you sleep so this replenishes your system. It also helps your body remove toxins. Drink 8-16 oz of water upon waking. Include warm water with lemon to boost your metabolism and help flush out toxins.
- 30 minutes before and or 60 minutes after a meal. Drinking during meals can actually interfere with digestion and your stomach acids levels. Drink water 30 minutes before meals it helps you to eat less and may tame your hunger altogether.
- Sipping water is best. Your body can only absorb 4 ounces of water every 30 minutes.
- Drink before & sip during exercise – you will lose more water during exercise than you can replenish by sensible drinking, so you should drink a glass of water before you train
- After exercise –drink to replace the water lost during the physical activity. If you’re working out for more than an hour or sweat excessively, include some electrolyte, sea salt or trace minerals.
When we sweat, we lose electrolytes, which are minerals found in the blood that help to regulate (among other things) the amount of water in the body. Research suggests proper electrolyte balance, can help prolong exercise which plain old water does not. This ensures that your mineral levels are balanced and can properly hydrate you.
Electrolyte Balance
While an ordinary workout may not require electrolyte-replenishing, those participating in longer and more intense periods of exertion, such as running a marathon or going through a particularly intense workout, will benefit from a good dose of electrolytes mid-workout. Skip the sports drinks they’re loaded with chemicals, preservatives and sugar. Use these recommendations instead:
- Water-enhancing trace minerals, coconut water, or a homemade sports drink could be potentially effective substitutes. These are my favorite trace minerals to add to my water daily.
- Try adding 1⁄4 tsp of sea salt, not table salt, per quart of water that you drink. Simply salting your foods with sea salt and/or sprinkling the salt into your water as your drink it can work too. (This is recommended especially for that water which you are drinking during your workouts).
- You can read the www.watercure2.com for further reading on the importance of water and salt intake.
Excess Intake
It’s important to understand that you can drink too much water, a condition known as water intoxication and it can be deadly. Elite athletes are at the highest risk for this complication. Your kidneys cannot process more than 3 to 4 cups of water an hour, according to “Scientific American” magazine. Because water intoxication can lead to death, it is important to be aware of the symptoms. In addition to frequent urination, symptoms can include nausea and confusion.
Hydrated?
Two ways to know if you’re properly hydrated is to check your urine – it should be a light yellow color. Thirst isn’t a fair indicator because sometimes after years of chronic dehydration.
Hydration Tips
Drinking regularly throughout the day is the goal. The real question now is how. Here are some simple tips to make drinking water a daily automatic habit:
Start your day with 8 ounces of filtered water with lemon. As discussed previously, lemon water is an incredible way to improve digestion, alkalize your body and start your morning off right.
Keep water handy or carry a water bottle with you. Keep one in your car, one at your desk, and one on your kitchen counter in plain sight. Keeping your water bottle in plain sight will act as a constant reminder to drink.
Get reminders or use WaterMinder app to track your water intake and give you reminders to drink throughout the day.
Don’t care for plain water or are craving some flavor, try infused water. You can infuse your water with herbs (mint), fruits, or even vegetables to improve the taste without sacrificing your health, it’s super refreshing and you can kill two birds with one stone by getting your veggies in!
Here is a great post about 14 different ways you can infuse water to make it de-lish >
Take charge of your hydration starting today, and you will be one step closer to achieving your health goals. By following today’s healthy habits, drinking water will become a natural and regular part of your daily routine.
