December 6, 2016

Staying Hydrated in Winter

I read about a jillion articles on hydration, tips on staying ahead of it, signs of dehydration, and so on. I probably could have made a list of 50+ different things, but 5 major ones were in almost everything I read, so I summarized for you.    

1. Water Bottle is KEY. Have a bottle with you at all times, ideally one you can easily refill, that doesn't leak or have condensation etc. My personal favorite is my new MOBOT that doubles as a foam roller!  How cool is that?!



2. Water Doesn't Only Come from Water. Well okay that doesn't make sense, but the point is to get fluids from other places. If you keep a diet of whole foods, with plenty of fruits and veggies, you get more water. If you drink (real) juices, eat soup, have herbal (read: no caffeine) tea, or put an extra 8 oz in your Shakeology, it ALL counts.

3. Schedule Everything! There were tips galore on this. Setting a timer, set an alarm, set emails to be sent to yourself, all to remind you to trip water. There are water apps, water reminding water bottles, and more. When I was working in an office, my favorite was to get water after every bathroom trip and/or trip to the printer. You'll always be replenishing  your liquids AND eventually you'll do it out of sheer habit, since we are conditioned to things like that so easily.

4. Cold/Hot Swap. I find it really hard to drink cool water when I'm cold.  Does anyone else have this problem??  I have much more success getting my water in during the colder months when it is at room temperature or slightly warmer.  Warm (not hot) water with a little lemon is my go to ... and it is gone in no time!

5. Don't Take Water OUT of Your Body. This is less about getting the water back in, but preventing the dehydration in the first place. Caffeine can be a diuretic, so too much coffee and tea could offset the water you are taking in with them.  And let's not forget the elephant in the room, good old alcohol, especially at those holiday parties.  If you must drink, or just REALLY want to, I suggest alternating between your alcoholic beverage of choice and water.

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