To fully nourish your body, drink water-based liquids with every meal, consume fluid before you are thirsty and eat your water.
While you may understand how important it is to be drinking pure water that has no contaminants, it is absolutely crucial that you are taking enough in every day. We are all guilty of letting our schedules and responsibilities take charge of our day but our bodies need sufficient hydration in order to run at peak performance. Missing out on replenishing your cells can lead to headaches, lethargy, muscle weakness and many more problems.
So, in today’s hectic world, how do we make sure we are taking in enough water to feed our bodies?
First off, make sure that every meal or snack you indulge in is accompanied by water or a water-based drink such as milk or juice. At the very minimum you should be taking in 8 to 10 cups of water per day. You can even increase the amount you intake through the foods you consume. Many foods, like melons, tomatoes and broth soups, have high water content and can supplement what you drink.
Another important factor that we overlook is to drink water BEFORE we are thirsty. Thirst is your body’s way of saying “Hi – I’m already dehydrated!” so you want to avoid feeling thirsty at all. The color of your urine is a huge indicator in how much water you need to be drinking. It should be a very pale yellow. If you notice it’s a much darker shade of yellow then you are simply not hydrating enough.
Get into the habit of always carrying a water bottle with you. While especially good during sports or strenuous workouts, you should have one on hand even when you run errands. Watch out for caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, pop) try to alternate when you consume them throughout your day. For instance, if you drink a pop for lunch, make sure you follow it with a glass of water as your next beverage.
By implementing a few minor tweaks to your water intake, you are well on your way to keeping your body fully hydrated and healthy!
