(Source)

Drinking plenty of water wasn’t something I always made a high priority. I knew it was healthy, but I didn’t feel like my busy lifestyle lent itself to multiple potty breaks all day long.  I made excuses about why I couldn’t drink more water, but I knew I wasn’t functioning at my best living constantly dehydrated.

However, since committing to a holistic lifestyle, I’ve really tried to make water a priority.  I started by using the water tracker on my FitBit, which was really helpful.  I don’t use that as much now, but I do keep a mental note of how many glasses (or water bottles when I’m not at home) I refill.  I admit that I don’t love running to the bathroom, but I do love the way true hydration makes me feel!  And I can really feel a difference when I slack and don’t get enough – I’m sluggish and tired, and I even feel more hungry.

To make sure I stay hydrated, I try to start the morning with a big 16 oz glass of water after my oil pulling/oral care routine.  That gets me going before I even take a sip of my morning coffee.  I also like to get another 16 oz with breakfast, which brings my total to 32 oz before 8:00am.  I’ll typically have another 16 oz glass throughout the morning, and then another 16 oz glass with lunch.  I’ll then refill my glass again to drink throughout the afternoon, and finish off with another glass at dinner.

Life doesn’t always work quite like that, but having a game plan sets me up for success.  I also keep a glass water bottle in the car at all times so I can stay hydrated while I’m out and about.  Sticking to this general schedule keeps me hydrated and has made such a positive difference in my overall health.  I can definitely credit my water consumption to feeling better and having more energy.

We all know that drinking enough water every day is important, yet so many of us don’t get our daily amount. In fact, it’s estimated that up to 75% of Americans don’t drink enough water. That means that most of us are walking around and doing life in a chronic state of dehydration! With the average American only drinking 2.5 cups of water each day, most of us are well below the Mayo Clinic recommendations of 90 oz per day for women and 125 oz per day for men.

Dehydration can be difficult to pinpoint because the symptoms are fairly nondescript, but oftentimes we simply need to drink a big glass of water when we’re feeling a little off.

“’Because the human body is so unique that it will say ‘I want water’ in food, in any way, shape or form,’” said Grace Webb, Assistant Director for Clinical Nutrition at New York Hospital. “’People just think that when they start to get a little weak or they have a headache, they need to eat something, but most often they need to drink.’” (Source)

Not getting enough water can lead to conditions like dizziness, sleepiness, and being unable to think clearly.  With our body weight being 60% water, proper hydration should be a high priority for all of us.  Water is needed in every single one of our body systems to function optimally – the circulatory, respiratory, digestive, excretory, nervous, endocrine, immune, integumentary, skeletal, muscular and reproductive systems all need proper hydration to function well.

Water is needed to:

• regulate body temperature
• lubricate our joints and maintaining flexibility
• flush out toxins through our kidneys and liver
• regulate blood pressure
• aid in digestive functions
• stay regular

Additionally, water is a natural appetite suppressant, so it can help us curb cravings by not overeating.  Also of note, drinking water temporarily increases metabolism by 30% following a 16 oz glass of water!  That sounds like an awesome reason to down a glass!  Another excellent benefit is that water hydrates the skin and even makes it look younger. I’ll take that!

Fortunately, staying hydrated is easy to do.  And even if we do get dehydrated, it’s estimated that it only takes 45 minutes to re-hydrate after consuming two bottles of water. That’s good news!

The key is to find a plan that works for you, and then stick with it.  Some people do better if they have a nice stainless steel or glass straw to drink from.  Others drink more water if they flavor it with essential oils.  But oftentimes, simply keeping a nice water bottle with you is all that’s needed.  I do recommend glass or stainless steel instead of plastic, so that chemicals aren’t leaching into your water.  Some plastics are supposed to be non-leaching, but I’d rather err on the side of caution.  I prefer glass and typically use THIS one, as I just don’t like the way stainless steel tastes.  But the most important thing is to drink your water!