Staying Hydrated
We're sure you all know that it's important to drink water, but sometimes it helps to know why...
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This is a short video with some really helpful visuals that explains why it's so important to stay hydrated.
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To sum up what the video says....
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Ways that our body uses water include:
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Cushioning our joints
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Regulating our body temperature
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Nourishing our brain and spinal cord
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Dehydration can lead to the following:
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Less energy
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Low skin moisture
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Cognitive impairment
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So what is enough water?
The amount of water your body needs can depend on a lot of things, but a good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces.
Don't worry about calculating the number of ounces of water you are drinking to the tee... just make sure you are consistently staying hydrated throughout the day.
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**It's important to note that drinking too much water can be bad for your body too.
This is very uncommon, but it's definitely something you want to keep in mind, especially if you're trying to quickly change your habits.
What happens is your kidneys can't regulate the water as fast as it's coming in, which dilutes the sodium in your blood, negatively affecting your body's functions.
This is why if you do a lot of physical activity and need to stay hydrated, it's recommended to make sure you're replenishing your electrolytes.
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Making drinking water more exciting!
Even if you know you should be drinking water, sometimes it can be hard to stay motivated to do so. Try some of these tips below to get you more excited about drinking water.
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Printable Tracker
This is a printable tracker that you can use to track the number of glasses of water you've had each day of the week.
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You can also draw one out yourself if you would prefer that :)
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If you have a sheet protector, you might want to consider putting your tracker in one of those and using a dry erase marker to track your water intake so that you don't have to print or make a new one each week.
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App Tracker
There's also an app called "Plant Nanny" that customizes your daily water intake based on a few factors. It sends you reminders throughout the day to keep drinking water, and every time you do drink a glass, your plant "grows."
Time-Marked Water Bottles
If the printable trackers aren't really your thing, you can also find water bottles that have time markers on them. These are two that are on Amazon that you might like.
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Click on the image to get the link to the Amazon product.
You can even make one with a water bottle you already have, like this:
Fruit-Infused Water
You might also find it more interesting to add a little natural flavor to your water. You can do this by adding things like lemon, cucumber, strawberries, oranges, ginger, etc. To get a stronger flavor, let it sit in the water for a few hours or even overnight.
