The Importance of Hydration

The Importance of Hydration

Hydration is critical to our health as our bodies cannot function properly without enough water. It is recommended you drink half of your body weight in ounces of water, more for excessive sweating or exercise. Listening to our bodies is the best way to determine if we are drinking enough to promote health. Some signs you may need to hydrate more include headache, dry skin and lips, dry eyes, dizziness, lethargy, dark urine, and fatigue. We know it can be a challenge for some to drink that much water in the day. Below we have some tips for staying hydrated.

 

1. Add natural flavor to your water by adding things like berries, pineapple, cucumber, mint, lemon, lime, etc.

2. Enjoy herbal teas and decaffeinated coffee, as excessive caffeine can result in a diuretic effect that causes us to excessively urinate and lose both water and important minerals.

3. Invest in an insulated, stainless steel water bottle to keep your water cold

   • Hydroflask

   • Thermoflask

   • S’well

4. Add electrolytes to your water after sweating a lot

   • Dr. Spencer uses LMNT

   • Avoiding sugary sports drinks like Gatorade, Powerade, Vitamin Water, etc

     • Read the labels for added sugars or sweeteners

5. Other ways to get hydration in moderation, again beware of added sugars or sweeteners

   • Watermelon

   • Lemonade

   • Ice pops