Fun & easy ways to drink more water and stay hydrated.
Elitia Barnes Water plays a vital part in keeping your body healthy and performing at its best. Staying hydrated helps you stay energized, regulates your body temperature, supports your immune system and even helps protect your skin from sun damage. Your skin is 64% water and is one of the most vulnerable organs during sunny summer days. And while sunblock, hats and seats in the shade all help to prevent skin damage, it’s also important to keep your skin moisturized from the inside. Drinking water and staying hydrated helps keep your top layer of skin healthy and less susceptible to damage.
The human body is around 60% water. Everything from your cells and blood, to your brain requires water. Water provides the conduit for transporting nutrients throughout your body and helps determine blood volume. Water even plays a part in how you think and process new information. Neurotransmitters in your brain need water to create new synapses.
Have you ever noticed feeling wiped out, lethargic or more sluggish when you’re in the summer heat? When the temperatures rise, physical activities can feel harder and your brain may struggle to concentrate. How well your body is able to function during hot summer months has a lot to do with your hydration levels. When it’s hot, you sweat and loose water faster and more consistently, even during your normal day to day routine. During these hot days, it’s even more important to actively replenish your water loss.
Water is great, but let’s be honest, it isn’t always the most exciting beverage to drink. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to give your water a little flavor beyond the classic lemon wedge. Infusing your water with summer fruit, mint or cucumber adds refreshing flavor, without adding empty calories. Adding rosemary or lavender flowers to water gives you fresh savory flavors. Or you can try infusing water with ginger or thin slices of habanero peppers if you like a little spice.
It might seem silly to think getting a fun water bottle will help you stay hydrated. But having a water bottle you love increases the chances you will drink water throughout the day. A stainless steel water bottle can keep your water cold while you're out in the sun and ensures you have quality filtered water with you at all times. Plastic bottled water can be expensive or inconvenient to buy while you’re out having fun or running errands. And studies warn against leaving plastic bottled water in hot cars. Over time, plastic has been shown to leach into your water when left in sunlight.
You know what makes drinking water easier? Having water that tastes good and is actually refreshing. If you are among the majority of people who don’t like the way your tap water tastes or smells, then installing a whole house water system can help you fall in love your water again. Rather than buy endless cases of bottled water, you can have filtered, great tasting water straight from every tap in your home. Enjoy filtered, great tasting water at home and fill up your new water bottle so you always have water you love on the go.
Summer is a great time for yummy hydrating foods. Fresh fruits and veggies are a great source of water. Munching on healthy snacks that are also extra hydrating, like watermelon, cucumbers or grapes supports healthy hydration. Smoothies can be a great way to pack a lot of hydration, protein and nutrients into one sip. Combine strawberries (90% water) and spinach (91% water) with your favorite protein powered or nut butter for a yummy, hydrating way to start you day without any added sugar.
Before you reach for a cup of coffee, soda or cocktail, have some water. Water isn’t the only hydrating drink, but it is undeniably one of the best. During your day, pay attention to the number of dehydrating drinks you partake in, such a coffee or alcohol. Make sure to balance out your body with a glass of water before or afterwards. Simply starting your day with a glass of water can make a big difference. Most of people wake up slightly dehydrated. Drinking water first thing in the morning replenishes all the water you naturally lose during the night when you sweat and exhale. Drinking water in the morning gives you a boost of energy and helps kick-start your brain.
Remember, don't wait until you feel thirsty to drink water. The most effective way to stay hydrated is sipping water regularly during your day. When you gulp water down, the body can’t absorb it efficiently and most of it just passes through you. This is why always having water you love with you at all times is so important to keeping your hydration on track.