On long hot summer days, its easy to reach for the Pimms or the prosecco, to give a bit of a holiday feel to endless hot sunny days. While you might justify this as good for the soul, your body actually thinks otherwise. Without sufficient water, your body will start ‘rationing’ it for crucial functions, such as cooling you through sweat. Don’t understimate just how much you dehydrate this way, even if you feel cool and comfortable in an airconditioned environment. Chances are if you start feeling irritable, grouchy, tired and even vaguely faint/light headed, you may be experiencing mild dehydration.
Most of us in the UK are currently facing hosepipe bans. Whilst the gardens may be getting dryer by the day, there is no need to treat our bodies the same way. But it seems that staying hydrated is harder than it should be.
Here are 3 reasons why that humble glass of water does more for you than you think:
- Gut motility or the ease with which partially digested food travels from your stomach through your small and large intestines to your colon.I know this is not sexy, but it is essential for good health. So hands up who gets mildly (or seriously!) constipated when the thermometer stays consistently in the red? You are not alone. There are days when I include myself if the count. And I’m willing to bet, that for most of you, a few more glasses of water to top up your hydration levels will make a noticeable difference.
- Skin health. None of us want to look tired and wrinkly, do we? But here is the hard truth: there is absolutely no point in forking out on expensive face creams and supplements such as collagen if we are not drinking enough water. Remember: the word ‘hydrate’ comes from the latin word for ‘water’. So get back to real basics and drink more of it.
- Brain function: yes, your brain gets thirsty too. And if it’s not getting enough liquid refreshment, it slows down. That good old midlife brain fog? If your liquid intake is mainly tea, coffee, fizzy drinks, or that leisurely Pimms, then your mental sharpness will take a hit, and the mid-afternoon energy slump will be more intense.
The answer is to all of these is simple – keep knocking back the water. Whether you are a sipper, going for little or often, or a chugger, downing the whole glass in one go, it doesn’t really matter. I’m a chugger.
My top tips for remembering to drink the water:
- Set a timer on your phone to go off several times a day – set a specific ring tone for hydration time.
- Every time you have a cup of tea or coffee, drink a glass of water while you wait for the kettle to boil (or while you’re waiting for you coffee in the coffee shop).
- Invest in a water bottle bag – I have one that has a strap long enough to go cross body, so I don’t have to lug a handbag big enough to take a bottle (and risk leaks!) or faff around getting a bottle out of a rucksack. Something like this does the job nicely
Sometimes it’s useful to have a visual reminder of exactly what we are drinking. Download my free habit tracker to keep tabs on what you actually are drinking every day. This can be a real eye opener! There is no right or wrong with it (except if you have few or no ticks in the water boxes!). But you may realise that you don’t quite drink as much water as you think you do. Want some support in creating better habits around food and drink? Book a complimentary call to find out more about working with me.