If you’re finding it hard to stay hydrated, we’ve rounded up some easy things you can start doing to get you back on track and help you drink enough water every day.
When you’re dehydrated, the loss of water literally shrinks the volume of your brain. Before the headaches from your shrinking brain start kicking in, even mild or temporary dehydration can impact your decision-making, mood or alter brain function. Therefore, staying well hydrated is vital for your body. Dehydration means that your body does not have enough fluid, so here are some tips to to ensure you stay well hydrated and drink enough water every day and all year round.
Stick to a routine
If you’re not used to drinking water on a regular basis, make it part of your daily routine. First, start off with setting reminders. You can do this on you phone, download an app (Drink Water Reminder is free), or use your smart device such as a FitBit to stay on track. After a while observing these reminders, your body will begin to adjust to the amount of water it take sin and get thirsty more often and soon, it will be a regular part of your day. It’s worthwhile to remember that lots of drinks count towards hydration, including tea, milk, juice, sports drinks and coconut water, and some foods with high water content such as cucumber, watermelon and soup are great too. Start by slowly increasing the amount of water you consume day by day and it will become much easier after just one week.
Keep it nearby
Drinking water everyday is crucial for many reasons. It prevents infections, keeps organs functioning properly, improves sleep and improves your skin. Whether you use a reusable water bottle or a dispenser near you, make sure you’re able to have water around you all day. If you’re working from home or sitting in your office, take regular sips throughout the day. This way you won’t feel like it’s something you must do, and instead it will simply become a habit while you’re doing other things. Some people love reusable straws or sport cap bottles to help them through the day. The key is to find what you like and stick with it.
Make it taste good
For women, it is recommended to drink eight 200ml glasses or about 1.6 litres of water each day. At first it might seem like a lot to drink in a day but mixing it up and adding what you like can help you to keep you on track. Try adding fruit or infusions into your water such as strawberries, lemon watermelon or cucumber to give it a different taste each time. Add a drop or two of your favourite water enhancers for a flavour boost from time to time. If you’d prefer not to use sugar, look for ones flavoured with sweeteners such as stevia.
Avoid salty foods
When we eat salty flavours it can make us extra thirsty, but this doesn’t necessarily we will be more hydrated. Highly salted foods tend to be dehydrating and can reduce the amount of fluid that the body retains. Look at nutritional and ingredient labels to see how much salt you’re taking in to ensure you’re not dehydrating yourself through meals.
Here are some handy reusable items to help you grow your healthy hydration habits:
Mother Reusables 500ml (€35) available at motherreusables.com
Eco Straws (€10.95) available at ecostraws.ie
Infuser Water Bottle (€6.95) available from The Organised Store, Dundrum Town Centre and here
Fulfill Nutrition Water Bottle 2.2L BPA-free (€8) available here
Joseph Joseph Dot Active Water Bottle (€20) available on brownthomas.ie
