Hydrate or Die

The military has a saying "hydrate or die." While it may seem slightly overdramatic, there is a slight truth to it. More often than not we downplay the importance of hydrating our bodies. There is a classic tweet out there and it goes like this...

I actually used to be this person. I would go to Starbucks 5-7 days a week and get a venti iced coffee every single time. While I am not saying iced coffees aren't a good thing here and there, when we intake them excessively and neglect to recognize our need for genuine hydration *see tweet above* this is when the issue arises. When we intake any form of liquid and neglect simple and pure water, it becomes an issue for our health.

Let's throw out a few facts about water!

1) 60% of our body is water

2) You can only last 3-4 days without water (we can go a few weeks without food)

3) The earth is 70% covered by water

Water is something that is essential to our health and ability to survive. So, why do we so often throw it to the curb? Or struggle with getting our daily intake in. Maybe we need to understand a few more benefits to be convinced that it's "worth our time."

Benefits of water

1) Healthy Skin AKA That Hydration Glow

Drinking more water can help with prolonging aging such as wrinkles, acne, and overall keeping the skin hydrated and glowing.

2) Our Joints

Our cartilage in our joints are made up of 80% water. If we are dehydrated this can lead to long-term damage and joint pain.

3) Oxygen

Our blood is made up of 90% water and is also responsible for carrying oxygen to parts throughout our body.

4) Regulates Body Temperature

When we workout we sweat. This sweat results in cooling our body temperature down when it evaporates. If we do not have enough water in our body, we create less sweat, which can then cause our body to overheat. Hydration is the key to preventing this.

5) Weight Loss

When we replace our old drink such as juices, sodas, or iced coffees with water it decreases our calorie and sugar intake. Also by consuming water with every meal and throughout the day can suppress hunger which in turn reduces calorie intake as well.

How Much?

How much water should we be drinking a day? The ultimate goal is 1 gallon or 128 ounces. But, if you are just starting out on increasing water intake, and that number seems a little bit overwhelming you can also do it this way. Take you total body weight in pounds, divide that in half, and that is how many ounces of water minimum you should be drinking a day.

Example:

Weight= 140 pounds

Water Intake= 70 ounces

So, now that we understand some of the benefits of water as well as how much we should be drinking. How can we increase our water intake?

Tips For Increasing Water Intake!

1) Get a Larger Water Bottle

As funny as it may sound, many times we won't drink water because filling up a water bottle constantly is too "inconvenient." There are 32 ounces water bottles up to 100 ounces! Pick a 32 ounce or above that you will LOVE!

2) Accept That You WILL Pee A LOT!

I get it, having to pee all the time can be annoying. But, what's more annoying, peeing constantly or not having a healthy and functional body? Really think about it.

3) Get a "Water Tracker" Water Bottle

I have seen really cute water bottles on Amazon that have a "water tracker" on the side of them. Like this one... You can click on this link to shop this water bottle (https://amzn.to/2zpWquE)

I love these because they help you stay on track, give you a "goal" to hit by a certain time, and it is extremely cute!

4) Keep a Tracker on Your Phone

You can do this a couple of different ways. 1) Keep track on an app like "My Fitness Pal." 2) Have a cute PDF set as your background to show you how many ounces to drink by certain time and at certain times. LUCKY FOR YOU I MADE ONE!

Picture yourself as the plant at the bottom, and you need 128 ounces of water to grow!

5) Add Flavoring

Water can be very boring to drink, and sometimes we need something that's going to give it some flavor, without giving it calories or added sugar. This is where products such as Mios and sugar free flavoring packets come in hand. I use these daily and it really has helped me increase my water intake immensely.

Water is essential to reaching our health goals, creating a healthy lifestyle, and overall feeling great! So, the next time you reach for a soda, juice, or iced coffee think about the well being of your body and grab some water instead.

XOXO

Kels