Most of the time when we think about health and wellness, we revert back to the pitfalls of that life altering diet or exercise regimen ad that casts an image of ripped abs and urgency of shame; especially if you have failed to adhere to their protocols. However, you never see any of these ads promoting water or how it is the most vital thing your body needs. Remember, back in gym class when the P.E. instructor was yelling to you to push harder, or how about when you decided to pick up all those leaves or weed your garden on that oddly warmer than usual spring day. What did you do right after that? Did you think, “Oh man, I totally can’t wait to eat some kale and spinach for dinner tonight with a large portion of grilled chicken and a side of sweet potatoes”.Probably not! If you were like me, you probably felt thirsty.
Water like breathing is essential to the bodies daily performance and living. Today I want to give you some tips on how to get more of the good stuff that aids all aspects of the human’s basic function.
Tip 1: Begin everyday with one or two large glasses of water. The purpose here is to wake up from that slumber and hydrate as soon as possible. You won’t believe how awake your body becomes once that perfectly balanced crisp water hits your lips and down your throat.
Tip 2: For every cup of coffee you have, try to have an additional 6-8 ounce cup of water. Remember, caffeine and coffee is a diuretic, which makes you lose fluids faster (bathroom anyone?!). So, for every cup of coffee you drink you need to make sure you replace that loss of fluid with water. This not only helps you feel hydrated but also promotes recovery after those hard days at the gym.
Tip 3: Try and drink half your bodyweight in ounces of water. It has been said the average person should drink 64 ounces of water a day, but the truth is, if you are more active physically or mentally your body burns energy and needs to be fueled. Water helps facilitate those precious nutrients and minerals in your body.
Tip 4: Try to consume enough water during the day and avoid it more before heading to sleep. The rule that should be followed is limiting beverage consumption two hours before bed or carefully drinking a little less before sleeping. Just the way water helps recovery, sleep also is a vital part of health and you can’t get much sleep if you are waking up all night running to the bathroom.
Finally, these tips are not foolproof and doesn’t work for everyone the same. If you find yourself running to the bathroom every five minutes, be a little more strategic when and where you get your ounces for the day. These tips can be a great start to helping adjust your strategy and should be considered as one of the more important points in anyone’s nutrition.
