Brownies and Zucchini

I think most of us know that keeping hydrated is important for your body.  But even though we know this, it doesn’t mean we all make a conscious effort to keep hydrated. Myself  included.  Until fairly recently, I couldn’t tell you how much water I drank in a day – but I could tell you that it was not enough.  Even when I was playing sports when I was younger, and through high school, people pretty much had to force me to drink water.  I was not – and still am not – very good at keeping properly hydrated.  How could I tell I wasn’t well hydrated?  I was tired, got headaches, and just felt overall blah way too often.

Last summer, some blends and I did a little challenge to get each other out of the bad habits that we had gotten into, and exchange those for new ones.  Eating 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day, get workouts in, and drink 64oz of water a day were all on that list.  Doing this challenge really helped me become aware of all of the things listed, but particularly how much water I was (or wasn’t) drinking in a day. Throughout the challenge, I learned to drink more water, and became better hydrated as a result.

However, once the challenge was over and the weather cooled down, working out became minimal and my days got busy.  Coffee became my beverage of choice to caffeinate and warm my hands and body at work (and at home on dreary weekend days) and my giant size water bottle that I had bought for the challenge seemed to have gotten left in the dust.

Since I realized and acknowledged that I had kind of fallen off of the hydration wagon, I have been making more of a conscious effort to drink more water.  Sometimes when things get busy, just concentrating on one aspect of being healthy is all you can do, but something is definitely better than nothing.

Recently, I received an email with Winter Hydration tips from Molly Kimball, RD – Spokesperson for Crystal Light Pure. 

(side note: I often get emails asking me to share information with you all, but I only share the ones that I really think will benefit you.  Also, I did not get compensated at all for sharing this information with you.  It was helpful to me, so I thought I would share as it would probably be helpful for you as well!)

I definitely learned some things from these tips, so I thought I would share them with you.  I know I am not the only one  that would rather guzzle coffee over water when the weather gets cool and life gets hectic.  😉

So here they are:

1.       Keep a Tally

During cold weather seasons, we may be at an increased risk for dehydration because it’s not hot out and we may not feel as thirsty, but can’t actually tell how hydrated we are by how thirsty we feel. For many of us, by the time we start to feel thirsty, we’re already dehydrated, but just how much water is enough when it comes to staying hydrated? Keep a running tally of how much fluid you’re getting and aim for half of your body weight in ounces of fluid per day, plus an extra 16 ounces for every pound of sweat lost during exercise.  If you’re really not in the mood for cold water, try leaving a pitcher of water out on the counter – allowing it to get to room temperature may make it easier to drink.

Kelly’s Note: Luckily, we have a water-cooler at work, so fresh, filtered, water is available to me all day long.  I bring my water bottle from home in the morning already full (this way it is room temp by the time I am drinking it) and then when it is empty, I fill it at the water-cooler.

2.       Flavor Up to Drink Up

Want to drink water to stay hydrated, but hate the boring taste? Add the flavor you want and none of what you don’t by sipping on naturally sweetened Crystal Light Pure. It’s got no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or preservatives and is sweetened with sugar and Truvia, a natural sweetener derived from the stevia plant. It’ll give your water light, refreshing flavor with just 15 calories and 4 grams of sugar per serving. And the Grape and Strawberry Kiwi flavors have the added bonus of electrolytes!

Kelly’s Note: I actually am not a fan of those types of water flavorings, I’ve just never found any that I like the taste of,  but I am a big fan of hot tea.  Drinking hot tea (without any added milk, honey, or sugar) still brings in ounces of water without that boring plain water taste.  This is one of the only ways that I was able to get in 64 ounces a day during the challenge!

3.       Don’t Forget about Food

Staying well-hydrated is essential for maintaining optimal energy levels, preventing muscle cramping and headaches. But that doesn’t mean you have to force down gallons of water or bottles of sugary sports drinks. Any type of alcohol-free beverage can count toward your fluid intake – and even some foods! Some of the top electrolyte-rich, hydrating foods include all types of fresh fruit, soups loaded with vegetables – even fall and winter foods like sweet potatoes and kale can provide much needed fluids.

 Kelly’s Note: I had no idea that foods (other than fresh fruit) could aid in hydration.  Sweet potatoes and kale? Who knew!

4.       Watch the Caffeine

For years, the widely held belief was that caffeinated beverages were dehydrating. Research has proven otherwise, however.  The amount of caffeine typically found in standard servings of tea, coffee and soft drinks appears to have little diuretic effect. Meaning that these beverages don’t cause us to lose more fluid than they provide.  Drink a variety of beverages every day and remember all fluids, including those in foods you eat, contribute to daily water requirements.

Kelly’s Note: Caffeinated beverages might not be as dehydrating as people once thought, but (in my opinion) that doesn’t mean that you should substitute a latte for a glass of water. I still feel like straight water (or tea) does more for my hydration than any other beverage.  However, it is good to know that drinking a latte every morning isn’t doing as much harm as I thought.

What tips and tricks do you have that help you stay hydrated?
Do you find that you have a hard time with hydration in the winter months?

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Filed under: Words Tagged: | Hydration, Tips, Water, Winter