Drink Up!

So I’m a Master Certified Nutrition and WELLNESS Coach. I love the addition of wellness to my certification because it captures the holistic approach I take in my practice. Meaning, good nutrition needs support from many areas in our lives in addition to mindful eating (see my last blog for more details.) These other areas are what we graduates of The Nutritious Life Studio call Pillars of a Nutritious Life. So today I’m delving into the Drink Up Pillar. 

Drinking water is really important. But why? Because our bodies are 50-75% water. We need it to live. And to break that living part down as it pertains to how our bodies function, water:

  • Keeps our cardiovascular health optimal
  • Aids digestion and helps us poop regularly and with more ease
  • Helps our muscles and joints work properly
  • Flushes toxins from our body
  • Increases energy and promotes clear thinking

It is recommended that we drink 64 ounces per day and more if you sweat a lot. Be NOT afraid of the 64 oz/day!!! I have tips below that will help you reach your hydration numbers! We are trying to avoid dehydration which causes a whole host of medical issues which most of us thankfully will never experience. The general public is more often slightly dehydrated which makes us feel sluggish, tired, and hungry (when we are not!) 

So how do you know if you’re properly hydrated? The sure fire way to know is to check your urine color. If it’s deep yellow towards brown, you are dehydrated. The lighter your pee is, the more hydrated you are. 

So besides keeping us alive, what are other benefits of staying hydrated? 

  • Our metabolism runs at its highest
  • We don’t mistake hunger for thirst
  • We are energetic + clear-headed 
    • Fun fact: The​ ​most common​ ​reason​ ​people​ ​are​ ​sluggish​ ​in​ ​the​ ​afternoon​ ​is​ ​due​ ​to​ ​dehydration.
  • Helps us feel full
  • Keeps skin clear
  • Keeps fascia plump and supple

That all sounds pretty good to me. Now some tips to help you down your daily water:

  • Herbal tea counts! So does coffee but not too much or it will have the opposite effect and dehydrate you. Stick to no more than 2 cups daily.
  • Watery vegetables and fruit count. Here are a few examples: cucumbers, lettuces, melons, green beans, grapes, stone fruits, tomatoes, and sweet peppers
  • Bone and vegetable broths count

And finally, here’s my ritual to get in my daily dose: I drink a 16 oz glass with lemon before breakfast to get my metabolism started. Lemon has antioxidant properties and studies on animals have shown it can counteract alcohol injury to the liver. Then I get in 2 more before noon which helps me feel confident I’ll get 1 more in by bedtime. Other people drink a 16 oz glass before each meal. This helps them to feel full, aids digestion, and they know they can count on 48 ounces.

Hopefully this has provided you with some major inspo to get drinking – water that is! Next up, what does Empowered Eating even mean?