Hydration Appreciation: The "Skinny" on Water

Ok team! It’s Family Feud! Top six answers on the board. Here’s your question:

Name something that is considered a nutrient.

Your team has now answered 5/6: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and vitamins, but you are all receiving that big blasted red X on that last one. And then the audience laughs when your 16-year-old brother says “water”.

Dude. Your brother just won you 20 grand.

Short and sassy--you may love water.  You may hate it.  But here's the deal. Your body needs it. It simply functions 1000% better when you consume the proper daily amount of water (which, for most people doing normal daily tasks, is half your weight in ounces). Not enough water, or dehydration, affects the brain, muscles, kidneys, skin, and cardiovascular system, but sometimes, speaking generalities doesn't convey the seriousness of the message.

Let’s get specific.

When you don't get enough water, your mouth cannot produce the saliva it needs to fight off bacteria, resulting in bad breath. No Valentine’s Day kisses for you, cottonmouth! Your body produces sweat to reduce body temperature when needed.  Can't do that without water! Three cheers to sleeping with the AC on in the winter! How about that dark urine? That means you are on your way to a urinary tract infection, ladies and gents. NOT ENOUGH WATER.  Feeling dizzy when you stand up? How much water did you drink today? Your cardiovascular system cannot live on blood alone, and it NEEDS water to keep your blood pressure up! Oh, you are pooping pebbles? GUESS WHAT??? Your dehydrated body is holding on to every ounce of water it can, so you can forget about getting any in your colon to make that "special" time any easier. These, believe it or not, are the minor effects of water depletion. When your organs are deprived of proper hydration, it is a whole different, possibly life-threatening ballgame. And that requires a whole different, more sober, earnest blog. We have plenty of time for that later!

Did you know that 50% of the water you consume actually comes from your food? Think about it. When you begin a diet that reduces food intake, why do you think the first week of dieting is so unproductive? The body catabolizes (breaks down) fat, but it also holds on to water. Ahhh. NOW the “drink water to help you lose weight” theory is making more sense!

For now, get creative and get that water in your body any way you can.  I will share with you some of the things I have done to make sure I increase my water intake:

  • I have an app on my phone that reminds me to drink water every hour. I keep a reusable water bottle close to me. I like really cold water, so I have one that maintains the cold temperatures and keeps ice in there for days! I also have a ginormous silicone straw that I tuck away in my water bottle. I am a little peculiar in that having a straw of any kind, but especially one with a large lumen, animates me to return to my water a lot more frequently. Who knew?
  • Wanna know what I have to drink before breakfast? Water. How about with lunch?  FLAVORED water (shakin’ things up!) I will give you three guesses on what I drink with dinner, and the first two guesses don’t count! Don’t drink your calories. Replace other drinks with water.
  • Drink a variety of water as well. I will have filtered water from my fridge in my big water bottle.  I will use a semi-frozen bottle of Deer Park or Fuji Spring Water to mix in a Vitamin B flavor packet (I want to save the environment too, so I don’t do this all the time.)  I cannot tolerate really strong or sweet tasting flavors in my water (I have not had soda in 16 years!) I recently stumbled across Hint water in all kinds of light fruit flavors. It is just enough to make it diverse and keep my attention.

Other suggestions:

  • Invest in a filter. It can taste better than what’s coming out of the tap or fountain. And hey—you put money into it, so hopefully it makes you more likely to use it!
  • Herbal tea. Deliciously flavored water. Hot or cold. End of story.
  • Grab some cucumbers and raspberries and throw them in a water pitcher in your fridge. Or google “fruit infused water” for some added inspiration!
  • Munch on healthy SALTY snacks, like nuts or beef jerky, and someone might have to fight you to get your water bottle out of your hands. You will be through a bottle of water in no time!

I am sure that many of you have other brilliant ideas to make drinking more water a little less…torturous. Your organs will thank you for developing a habit to continue your journey to…

Be well!

 

 


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