Summer is almost here, can you feel it? I know I can: I’ve started to sweat like a little piglet, my cat has taken to meowing at the fan in terror when I turn it on at night and it’s no longer acceptable for me to wear my favourite winter beanie (I still do).
Of course, with warmer weather comes dehydration. So I thought today, I’d talk a bit about ensuring we stay hydrated this summer and some fun ways to make it easier for those of us that struggle to drink enough water every day.
First things first: water is absolutely essential for the body. The adult body is made up of 60% water, and without water, you’d perish in only a few days (without food, you could still stick it out 6-8 weeks). It’s what makes up our blood, digestive juices, lymph, tears, urine and sweat.
Water
*makes your skin soft and smooth
*is necessary for digestion, absorption and circulation
*eliminates wastes from the body
*is a source of minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium
*accelerates re-epithelialization (the body’s ability to heal and make new skin)
Dehydration
- is linked to a bunch of chronic illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, arthritis, muscle cramping, back pain, colitis, migraines, adult-onset diabetes, heartburn, etc.
- Don’t know if you’re dehydrated? If your urine is a dark or bright yellow colour, you could need more fluids in your diet!
So how much water should we be drinking? On average, we need about 12 cups of water a day. Thankfully, we get about 4 cups of water through our food, so you should be shooting for 6-8 cups of water daily–more if you’re active, if it’s warm outside or if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
EASY TIPS TO STAY HYDRATED
1. Ditch the coffee and soda. Coffee is a diuretic, meaning it causes your body to lose more water than the cup of coffee actually provides. If you need your morning cup a joe (I get it), drink an extra cup of water to make up for it and limit yourself to one cup of coffee a day. As for Pop, there’s no reason to keep it, there are no benefits to drinking it and it causes you to pull water from your body to help dilute its sugar content, leaving you more parched than you started off.
2. Add coconut water ice cubes to your water: the electrolytes help your body retain water and it’s super refreshing! Simply fill an ice cube tray with coconut water and stick in the freezer for a few hours.
3. Add frozen fruit, mint, slices of cucumber or lemon to water to make it taste flavourful (and get some added nutrients).
4. Drink a tall glass of water first thing in the morning before you have your coffee to start your day off right and help eliminate toxins.
5. Choose a stainless steel water bottle to carry your water and avoid BPAs that can leech into your drink.
6. Make a batch of herbal tea and stick it in the fridge for a cool drink later on. Or, if you’re like me, feel free to have a few cups of warm herbal tea all year round!
6. Pick the best quality water you can get for your budget, your area and your lifestyle. Whether that’s a reverse osmosis system, gathering spring water at the source or using a carbon filter on your faucet, you can help limit your intake of harmful chemicals like chlorine, microorganisms, asbestos, PCBs, lead and mercury. If you want me to go into more detail on how to pick the best water for you, leave a comment! 🙂
I hope this post inspires you to stay hydrated and stay healthy! Let me know what you think or what you’d like to see in the future, in the comments below!
Have a wonderful week,
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