Drinking water is one of the keys to a healthy life, yet many aren’t aware of the importance of drinking water or do not know what an adequate amount is in order to be properly hydrated.
Water is vital for our survival. It also helps regulate our body’s functions, allows us to absorb nutrients, helps prevent disease, carries oxygen to our cells, regulates weight, increases metabolism, etc.
Each body is different and there are different factors that come into how much water you should be consuming such as your environment, exercise levels, and weight. There are multiple sources with different calculations and advice on the amount of water we should be drinking. You can find a hydration calculator online to measure the amount of water you should be drinking, or use this as a guideline
1, Take your weight (lbs)
2, Multiply by 2/3
3, And then add 12 ounces of water to your daily total for every 30 mins that you work out
For example 120 lbs x 2/3 = 80 ounces (about 2.4 L)
It’s one thing to know how much water you need to be drinking and it’s another to actually apply it to your life. Any new habit will feel challenging until it becomes a habit so if you’re feeling that way right now, don’t give up! Your body needs it and it will thank you.
Water can help you feel more energized, light, sharp-minded, and happier and improve your physical appearance as well.
Here are some common challenges so you can prepare yourself accordingly:
I forget to drink water!
It can be easy to forget to do something until it starts developing into a habit. You’ll find though that as your body gets used to drinking adequate amounts of water again, your body will naturally start to crave it more and you will be less likely to forget! It’s similar to when you get back into eating healthier foods- when you begin eating more vegetables, what happens over time is that your body starts craving it more. It’s a similar concept to water and other healthy habits!
Ultimately, you know yourself best so implement whatever you feel is going to do the trick for you to remember. For some people, it’s setting alarms, and for others, it’s having multiple glasses and bottles in different places around the house so there’s always something in sight. There are fun gadgets you can purchase online that can help remind you by blinking lights, using a timer, etc. Whatever you must do to build it into a habit will be key.
What if I don’t feel thirsty?
Many think that we should drink water when we feel thirst, but we should actually be drinking water before we start feeling thirsty. So even if you don’t feel thirsty, you should be drinking water. That’s when some of the tips above will be helpful for you so you are always one reach away from a glass or bottle of water.
There are also things that you can add to your water to make it more flavourful and increase your thirst (craving) for a drink. We recommend R’s KOSO. You can add 1 serving (or adjust to taste) to your water and it will not only add nutrients and minerals to make your water even more nutritious, but these nutrients will also help your body feel more hydrated so that you can get more from the water you’re drinking.
We recommend avoiding the flavor additives that contain chemicals such as artificial sweeteners. Those may do more harm than good when there are much better ways to make water flavourful while you’re building drinking water into a habit!
We hope this blog was helpful for you to understand the importance of proper hydration, how you can apply it to your lifestyle and how much you need for your body as well.
Let us know which tip was most helpful for you.
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Author:
Lana Maile- Soul Enhancer, Certified Integrative Nutrition Coach
Website: lanamaile.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/itslanamaile
Original Photo by @_saki_yamamoto_