How to keep Hydrated with the right liquids during the day
Drinking enough water during the day is vital for our body to carry out its normal maintenance functions 24/7. Water delivers nutrients to our cells and aids metabolism, keeps joints flexible and lubricated, helps with digestion and detoxification through the kidneys and digestive tract. Keeping well hydrated is important for a good nights sleep, as well as regulate body temperature. Our brains are made of nearly 70% water, therefore good hydration will help with brain function and cognition.
Women's bodies are composed of nearly 45-55% of water. We can last much longer without food than we can without water. Adequate hydration is not about the amount of liquids that we drink during the day but about which liquids add to our water intake and what drinks will impair our hydration . Certain liquids will not hydrate us the way nature intended, and instead will have a negative impact, and cause us to Malhydrate.
How much water is needed is very much dependant on our individual needs, our lifestyle, where we live and where we are on our monthly cycle, or when we are having profound hormonal shifts, especially during pregnancy, postpartum when we are breastfeeding, perimenopause and menopause.
How do we know how much our individual water intake should be during the day can be easily measured. Essentially we will need the equivalent of 0.033 litres of water per kg of weight. So if you weigh on average 55kg you will need the equivalent of 55 x 0.033 , 1.82 litres per day.
Keeping hydrated, is even more important when we are in Pre and Post Menopause. Being adequately hydrated will reduce the occurrence of UTI’s which can be more prevalent during this time. The volume of water we drink is directly related to the ph of our urine which can be made more acidic if we are dehydrated. We can see how dehydrated we are by the colour of our urine, which will range from a very pale yellow, to a darker mustard colour.
With hormone levels imploding, the diminishing levels of Oestrogen and Testosterone impacts on the elasticity and dryness of our intimate skin making it thin and itchy. Adding a more acidic urine into the mix will add to the irritation and fire down below which can lead to an increase in UTI’s. Hydrating will ensure that your intimate microbiome will have the right environment to flourish, and alleviate the symptoms of dry skin.
Water can be our best beauty hack by optimising our collagen in our skin, hair and nails. Water does this by binding to the collagen fibres , creating a space between the fibres which will add to the plumpness of our skin. Plump skin, will be less wrinkle prone and more elastic, and will lead to a vibrancy and an inner glow. No need for a facials and those expensive “Fillers”. Drink water, and enjoy being a plum as opposed to a prune.
Here our some of my favourite ways to ways to “Water Stack” during the day.
First Drink of the Day
Make water the first drink of your day, by keeping a glass of water by your bedside, and drink this on waking. You could also try having a glass of hot water with a slice of lemon first thing. Add another glass of water after you have had your shower or bath in the morning. Make this a habit every day, and see how you feel after a week. Add water into your daily morning routine and your hydration stack will soon add up.
Hydrate to Caffeinate
Having a cup of Coffee first thing in the morning, although will help with that quick jolt of caffeine to get your going in the morning, can have the negative effect of dehydrating an already parched body first thing. On waking, our body is dehydrated. All our bodily functions are crying out for water. Adding Caffeing to an already dehydrated state, will reduce our water levels. Caffeine is a diuretic and will make us want to pee and reduce our body’s percentage of water. This fact is well known in the Mediterranean, where, you will always have a glass of water accompany your espresso. Therefore before you reach for your morning cup of coffee, hydrate to caffeinate and help reduce the dehydrating effects coffee can have.
Keep a bottle of water handy with you always.
Make sure you leave the house in the morning with your water bottle, BPA plastic free, and ideally filtered. Having a refillable water bottle with you at all times, will allow you to monitor the amount of water you get through during the day, is a zero calorie thirst quencher, and will support your metabolism.
Switch to Caffeine Free Hot drinks in the winter after 2pm.
Alternative hot drinks in the afternoon in the winter months, can be soothing, satiate hunger, not impact on our insulin levels and add add to our water stack. Choose herbal drinks that have proven health benefits, such as turmeric and ginger or cinnamon and Rooibos tea. Plus the no caffeine will not interfere with your sleep cycle and help you feel calm. Herbal teas, such as chamomile also feature in my sleep routine
Habit your Hydration
Add water to your daily routine, keep a bottle handy by your front door or by your dog leads when you take your dog for a walk or after you have taken a comfort break at work, have a glass of water. Make it a regular thing and it will soon become a habit. Associate these two things together and you will soon learn to incorporate the hydration part as a habit to your everyday activities. These small additions will soon add up to your overall water intake during the day.
Avoid Artificially sweetened drinks such as those labelled “Diet” or low calorie flavoured waters
During Perimenopause and Menopause, our Metabolic flexibility gets thrown into disarray. Drinking artificially sweetened drinks may seem like a good idea to increase your hydration stack. What they really do is that the sweeteners in the drinks, switch on the hunger hormones, by increasing the levels of cortisol and insulin. The body does not differnentiate between sugar and sweetener. Higher insulin levels can impair metabolic function especially during our already imploding hormone levels. Staying hydrated with clean liquids will also keep the levels of blood sugar lower and keep you hydrated rather than de-hydrated. So next time you think of that glass of fizzy cold Diet Soda, think again, and make it a glass of sugar free herb tea, or flavour a tall glass of water with a slice of cucumber or wax free slice of lemon.
So if you are looking at ways of increasing your daily water intake, try my Water Stacking habits, give it a try for one week and see how you feel. Let me know how you get on I would love to hear from you.
Some of my favourite ways of drinking no added sugar iced cold drinks:
Frozen Berry Summer Sparkler.
Add 1 tablespoon of frozen berries to a tall glass , top up with cold sparkling mineral water end enjoy.
Rooibos and Cinnamon Winter Warmer
Warm a pot of Tea, add one tablespoon of Dried Rooibos Tea and a broken cinnamon stick. Top with boiling water. Steep for four minutes strain and serve.
Morning Lemon and Hot Water quick detox
A great way to hydrate first thing in the morning, with the added benefit of a quick detox.
Slice an unwaxed organic lemon and add to your cup of choice. Top with hot water and drink first thing. This drink will aid digestion and get your metabolism going first thing.
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