We’re all for the health benefits Dry January can offer, but we all know it’s one resolution that only lasts so long. Set the year off right with healthy hydration habits to last you all year. We’ve come up with 8 tips to help you stay hydrated.
Stay Properly Hydrated, Even in Winter
When we think of hydration, we often associate it with the scorching hot days of summer. But hydration isn’t a summertime-only priority—it should be a year-round commitment. Adequate hydration supports everything in our body, from our skin and muscles, to our heart and organs. It facilitates healthy digestion, blood pressure, and body temperature. Even mild dehydration has been linked to impaired cognitive function and can take a toll on our short-term memory, concentration, and alertness.
How Much Water Should You Drink?
So just how do we avoid these negative effects of dehydration? There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to water. An appropriate amount for someone will be determined by their weight, gender, activity levels, and the presence of any health conditions. However, the experts at Harvard Health suggest that generally healthy people should consume four to six cups of water daily.
8 Ways to Celebrate Hydration January
To help you get enough water, you can kick off 2023 by celebrating Hydration January! Approximately 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. So, to help support adequate sipping, here are 8 tips to help us all drink more water.
1. Know signs of dehydration
By the time you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Other signs you may notice include hunger, infrequent or dark urination, dry skin, headaches, fatigue, or even dizziness, confusion, or fainting.
2. Limit your alcohol intake
Yes, Dry January does have a place in Hydration January. Alcohol is a diuretic. It encourages your body to remove fluids from your blood, which on its own causes dehydration. If you’ve experienced a hangover headache, it’s a result of this dehydrating process. So, curb the amount of alcohol you’re consuming and be sure to supplement it with a higher volume of water.
3. Avoid sugary drinks
Don’t be tempted to regularly turn to sugar-laden sports drinks or juice to satisfy thirst. While these contain water that will hydrate you, the excess sugar can cause a range of problems on its own (weight gain, diabetes, etc.). That being said, coconut water, sparkling water, and even tea or coffee can be good sugar-free and thirst-quenching drinks.
4. Use a water bottle
Always having a full stainless steel water bottle on hand is an excellent way to drink more water. It will take the stress out of finding water while working, on-the-go, or socializing. Double-insulated, it will keep cold drinks icy cold for 24 hours, too.
5. Stay hydrated through food
Here’s an unlikely source for proper hydration: food! On average, we get about 20-30% of the water we need from food. Water-rich foods include cucumber, lettuce, strawberries, watermelon, peaches, zucchini, celery, and—perhaps surprisingly—yogurt and cottage cheese.
6. Try infused water
Many of these fruits and vegetables can be used to give water a splash of flavor and color, too. There’s an abundance of infused water recipes out there, but you can always get creative with whatever fruits, vegetables, and herbs you have on hand.
7. Stick to a hydration schedule
If you struggle to remember to drink water, it may be helpful to stick to a schedule or track your hydration. This is especially beneficial for athletes. An example schedule may include 8 oz of water upon waking up, 4 oz every two hours that follow, 8 oz before a workout, 8-16 oz after a workout, then 8 oz every two hours until bedtime.
8. Drink clean, pure, delicious water
If you don’t constantly feel inspired to drink tap water, we understand. 75% of homes in the U.S. have unsafe drinking water that contains more than 270 different dangerous contaminants. Who would feel motivated to drink several cups of chlorine, lead, fluoride, PFAS, or nitrates every day?
Fortunately, we don’t have to. An AquaTru Reverse Osmosis Water Purifier rids your tap water of these dangerous contaminants, leaving you with safe, crisp-tasting water. Kick off the New Year with an AquaTru purifier and your commitment to healthy hydration.
