I often run, but never walk.
I sometimes babble, but never talk.
I can be in you, you can be in me.
I am in every pond, lake, river and sea.
What am I?
You guessed it. The answer is water … and more than half of us aren’t getting enough of it every single day. One of the most important lifestyle habits we can follow, drinking our daily recommendation of water can offer so many benefits.
- Boosts energy levels
- Protects spinal cord, tissues and joints
- Stimulates brain function
- Promotes weight loss
- Maintains healthy skin
- Detoxes the body
- Assists with digestion
For National Hydration Day, let’s talk about a few ways to work more water into our daily lives.
Make it easy.
If filling a pitcher, waiting for it to trickle slowly through a filter and transferring it to a glass that then has to be washed and dried (blah … blah … blah) is enough to have you instead reaching for a chilled can of soda, consider purchasing bottled water and keeping it in the refrigerator. Bonus: You can recycle the bottle afterwards to feel even better about yourself.
Add some color.
Why use ordinary ice cubes when you can toss in a few frozen grapes or berries? You can also custom design them by using your favorite fruit chunks and/or juices to add a little subtle flavoring. (These fruit-flavored cubes also work well with iced tea, by the way.) Bonus: The electrolytes from the fruit can further boost your hydration levels.
Use it as a chaser.
Drink a cup of water after every adult beverage. Because alcohol is a known dehydrator, chasing every cocktail with a full glass of water will boost your daily intake and help neutralize its diuretic effect. Bonus: You’ll spend half as much and most likely have a better morning the next day.
Blend it in.
Know what ingredient works nicely in every smoothie recipe? Hint: The answer is in the question. Ice! With the standard-sized ice cube containing one ounce of water, adding four cubes to the blender when making your smoothie is a great way to sneak a half cup of water into your daily intake. Bonus: Your smoothie will thicken up for zero added calories.
And my personal favorite …
Make it a contest.
Accountability and teamwork can help you to reach your goals. Here at Southshore Physical Therapy, we take our water drinking very seriously. In addition to offering and encouraging it to our patients at every visit, we walk the talk thanks to a gift from Lee called the Hidrate water bottle.
Available at hidratespark.com, this smart bottle syncs to an app on your phone to track your daily consumption enabling you to set goals for yourself and compete with everyone in your circle. Best of all … it actually *GLOWS* when it detects you aren’t keeping up with your drinking schedule to serve as a reminder to you … and a narc to your co-workers. (Water shaming … it’s a thing now!)
Just remember that, as with most things, you want to stay ahead of it. Because, by the time you start to feel actual thirst, you’re on the road to dehydration. So, to celebrate National Hydration Day, start sipping, slugging or even guzzling down the agua.
That’s Spanish for “water,” amigo. Portuguese, too, by the way. You are now trilingual. You’re welcome.
by Michele Robert Poche