We all probably know that staying hydrated can help with energy levels, staying head ache free and keeping skin lusciously plump and healthy. What we often don’t know and struggle to do, is actually REMEMBER to drink, especially when we are super busy!
So I wanted to share with you some hydration ‘hacks’ to get you thinking about different ways you can increase your water intake and get you on the path of long term liquids.
Like with most healthy practices, drinking enough water is a habit that often takes time to develop. So maybe take some time to try some of these suggestions and keep with it!
- Get drinking first thing!
Get into the routine of reaching for water first thing in the morning. You might go for the plain variety or if you are feeling a little more adventurous (like me most days!) you might want to add some freshly sqeezed lemon juice into some hot water. Not only do you get the benefits of hydrating after a potentially dehydrating sleep, the citrus also stimulates the release of bile which can support digestion and has also been shown to protect liver function and help the liver’s natural ability to detoxify. (1)
2. Get on the bottle!
The water variety kind! Having the right type of water bottle to fit your lifestyle will make it much easier for you to stay hydrated throughout your busy day.
Make sure:
- The bottle fits in your bag
- It fits in the car cup holder if you are in your car frequently/ for long distances
- You can drink easily from it! This might seem obvious but a few bottles I have had in the past have been really difficult to suck through the attached straw… silly!
- Its pretty enough for you to proudly get it out in any situation and enjoy carrying it around
- Ideally the bottle will also not be plastic to avoid any chance of the plastic leaking into the liquid (unfortunately this can disrupt hormones). I go for a stainless steel variety
3) Get some reminders throughout the day
Even with the best intentions in the world it is sometimes easy to forget to drink once we are stuck into a juicy bit of work or we are going from meeting to meeting. To take the pressure off a little, we can get technology to help us out a bit!
Find something that works for you… Some of my clients set email reminders to drink through the day or even down load apps like ‘waterlogged’ which has pop up reminders straight to your phone. One client even used the hourly fitbit reminder to move more as a ‘drink more’ reminder too.
Other ideas to help you remember is about making links throughout the day.
- If you are a tea or coffee drinker, why not fill up a glass of water every time you make a tea
- Maybe everytime you get back from the toilet drink a glass of water (especially if your wee is darker than a pale yellow!)
- Even every time you find yourself distracted by social media maybe take a few sips!
Find whatever works for you and get into the habit of relating normal daily practices to prompt you to stay hydrated
3) Eat up your water!
Yes! Some food is obviously full of water too so you can eat your way to a more hydrated lifestyle! Try and incorporate high water fruit and vegetable like tomatoes, cucumber, melon and celery. You can even put things like cucumber and some fruits into water to jazz up the flavour a little bit if you fancy a change. These foods will also have added vitamins and minerals for extra goodness so its a win win.
4) Switch up your evening routine
Herbal teas are an amazing option in the evening to offer that warm comforting drink without any added caffeine. I personally love peppermint and liquorice which is naturally lovely and sweet. Other amazing herbal tea to have in the evening are teas like camomile. Camomile will not only help hydration but have in some cases been seen to support sleep (2).
Obviously you probably also know that having caffeine in the evening can not only effect sleep but because it is a diuretic (makes you go to the toilet more!) it could make you more likely to have to wake up for a wee in the night. Not ideal.
So they are my 5 hydration hacks!
I hope you find some or all of them helpful and hopefully start using some of the ideas especially now the weather is getting warmer.
For more personalised recommendations on increasing hydration levels or even looking at your particular health concerns, please get in touch through the ‘contact me’ page to see how we could work together.
Thanks and speak soon!
Laura 🙂
- Abdel-Salam, O., Youness, E., Mohammed, N., Morsy, S., Omara, E. and Sleem, A. (2019). Citric Acid Effects on Brain and Liver Oxidative Stress in Lipopolysaccharide-Treated Mice.
- Abdullahzadeh, M. and Naji, S. (2014). The Effect of Matricaria Chamomilla on Sleep Quality of Elderly People Admitted to Nursing Homes. Iran Journal of Nursing, 27(89), pp.69-79.
