HYDRATION CHALLENGE
hy·dra·tion • /hīˈdrāSH(ə)n/ noun • the process of causing something to absorb water.
Do you ever experience fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, skin blemishes, dry mouth, or sugar cravings? All of these have been associated with a level of dehydration.
Did you know that the first part of your body affected by dehydration is your brain? That means that by the time you are feeling thirsty, or your lips are dry, your brain is already having to work harder to perform with the lack of water!
Here are some quick benefits of drinking more water:
Fewer headaches.
More regular bathroom trips.
Better skin.
Often people lose weight when they drink more water and drink fewer calories.
Save money. That $5 drink at Starbucks tastes great, but water is excellent for you and is FREE!
Try to drink water consistently throughout the day. Going 8 hours without any and then downing four glasses isn't as good as consistently drinking throughout the day. I added reminders on my phone for times that I’m most likely to forget to drink a glass of water. (10am, 3pm, and 8 pm.)
My ideal day looks like this:
One glass when I wake up around 6:30. I like to gulp it. For some reason it sets the tone for the way I want to approach the day.
After I work out and with breakfast around 8:00.
10am
12:00 or when I eat lunch.
3:00pm. This is one of the hardest for me to remember.
8pm with a little bit of salt.
Eight glasses a day is a good estimate, but from what I've found, it doesn't have a lot of scientific backing. You might need six, or you might need 10. Try different amounts and listen to your body.
Often when we feel hungry, the reality is that we are thirsty. Start tracking periods of the day when hunger comes and see what happens if you start adding a glass of water an hour before.
We tend to wake up dehydrated in the mornings, so try starting the morning with a large glass of water.
Go for a glass bottle. Why? Plastics almost always leach a little, while glass shouldn't have this issue. However, they do break, so be careful. Steel is another good alternative to plastic.
When I need something with more flavor, my go-to is Topo Chico. You can also add some lemon, cucumber, or orange slices for added flavor.
I have no scientific facts behind this, but I crave salt at night (think big bags of pretzels walking upstairs with me to be devoured). So, what I've started doing is drinking a glass of water around 8:00 with a small pinch of salt in the glass. It seems to help.
Challenge:
1. What are some possible benefits you could get from drinking more water?
2. After reading the challenge, what purposed actions will you take in the next 30 days? What does your idea hydration day look like? Write down what your purposed action steps will be for that month, and your reason behind it.
3. Who are the 3 people that I'll share my challenge with?
4. Reflect (I would recommend in a journal) on how you did that day with your purposed action. Remind yourself that you are rewiring brain pathways and that it is hard and difficult, but today was another step in the right direction.
-Greg