5 Tips to Stay Hydrated
Witten by: Haneen
Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe? –The Holy Qur’an (21:30)
We are blessed to have the key to life in a liquid that is highly accessible to most of us. Yet we sometimes struggle to consume enough water. Today, I bring to you 5 easy steps to implement into your everyday routine to help you increase your water intake and stay hydrated.
- Keep a re-usable water bottle or glass handy and know your water consumption preferences. You will find yourself sipping on water unconsciously if you keep a bottle/glass with you at all times. It is important to know how you enjoy consuming water. If you prefer cooler water, keep a smaller amount of water with you in order to consume it while it is still within your preferred temperature range. However, if you prefer room-temperature water, keeping a larger amount in a nearby bottle or glass guarantees easier access for longer periods of time.
- Pace and track your daily water consumption. As you attempt to increase your water intake, you’ll want to avoid gulping down large volumes of water in one sitting. The best way to space out your intake is by scheduling it over the course of your day. To help you stay on schedule, use a permanent marker to mark your water bottle with target time intervals and meet those targets.
- Limit consumption of caffeine-rich drinks. Limit your intake of drinks high in caffeine such as soft drinks, coffee, and energy drinks. These drinks tend to offer a false sense of satisfaction while leaving your body in a more dehydrated state due to their diuretic activity [1].
- Increase your consumption of high water content fruits and vegetables. Fruits with lots of water include watermelons, strawberries, apples, cantaloupe, oranges, and grapefruit. You should also incorporate vegetables that have a high water content, such as cucumber, lettuce, celery, spinach, and peppers.
- Make infused water. Many people find it difficult to drink water due to what they often perceive as a lack of flavor. Fruit and/or herb infused water is an easy way to introduce flavor into your water while also reaping some of the nutritional benefits of the plants you add to it. Additionally, this helps you limit your consumption of sugary drinks as it satisfies your flavored drink cravings.
I hope these simple yet efficient tips help you stay more hydrated on the go. As always, I look forward to hearing your feedback and experiences!
Finally, always remember that healthy is beautiful!
Stay healthy, stay beautiful.
~Haneen
References:
[1] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-277X.2003.00477.x/full