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Smart and Effective Ways to Stay Hydrated During the Ber Months

The ber months are upon us once again. While it signals the start of the Christmas season and the excitement that surrounds it, the ber months is also a time of erratic and intense weather conditions, with strong typhoons and heavy rains affecting almost the entire country. These weather changes can totally disrupt one’s daily routine and cause health concerns from dry skin, diarrhea to flu and illnesses caused by contaminated water.

Keeping healthy is key to warding off illnesses these wet ber months, what with the weather changes, the virus still lurking around and even the stress related to the holiday season. Staying hydrated helps keep one’s health in check.

It may seem a simple and easy thing to accomplish, but you’d be surprised how many of us find it hard to stay hydrated during the day. Here are several ways to make hydrating a habit.

 

Start your day with water

Hours of sleep deprive our body of water, and so drinking first thing in the morning starts the rehydration process right away. Drinking water in the morning also helps in cleansing the stomach and jumpstarting one’s metabolism.

Some prefer to take warm water upon waking up. Whatever your preference will do. What’s important is to start the day with water, hot, warm or cold.

Make sure to drink water throughout the day and not just during meals. Don’t wait to get thirsty to drink as that already indicates slight dehydration.

 

Monitor your water intake
On a daily basis, women should aim to consume 2.7 liters of fluids while men should go for 3.7 liters, according to the Institute of Medicine. [1]

Dehydration can slow down a person’s physical and mental performance. It can eventually lead to chronic dehydration, which raises the risks of developing kidney stones, urinary tract infection, hypertension or a stroke.

As dehydration can happen whether outside or at home, one surefire way to get you to drink water more often is to always have a bottle of water next to you. If you’re heading out, carry a water tumbler with you wherever you go.

Make it a habit to track your water intake for the day. Some use large bottles that indicate volume content to measure how much they drink. The more tech-savvy ones turn to applications dedicated to tracking one’s water intake. Many of these are free online and will send you notifications throughout the day to remind you to drink.

Tracking your water intake will help you see what times of the day you are prone to drinking less and what causes this. More importantly, it helps you form the habit of drinking often, and once you’ve gotten more consistent on drinking the appropriate amount of water in a day, it will be easier to keep the habit going.

Hydrate with vegetables and fruits
Fruits and vegetables are great sources of water as well as vitamins and minerals. Adding water-rich foods to your daily meals will not only help keep you hydrated but also rid the body of toxins and make it stronger and healthier.

Some examples of water-rich fruits are watermelons, which contain 92 percent of water and is a great source of antioxidants; and cucumbers, which hold more than 90 percent of water and is rich in fiber, vitamin K and vitamin A.[2] Oranges have 88 percent water content as well as vitamin C and potassium while apples are made up 86 percent water and are also a source of vitamins, antioxidants and fiber.[3]

As for water-rich vegetables, lettuce, celery and cabbage are good for healthy hydration. Raw lettuce is made up mostly of water and strengthens bones, sharpens vision and helps you get better sleep. Celery, also made up mostly of water, can be beneficial when aiming for weight loss. Finally, cabbage has a water content of 92 percent and contains antioxidants that can help protect the body against certain types of cancer.[4]

 

Minimize dehydration

When it’s too hot, try to stay indoors as much as possible to avoid getting dehydrated. Keep the fan or air condition on if necessary. If you have to go out, plan your activities with the weather in mind, and bring a bottle of water with you.

Wearing light and comfortable clothing when the weather is humid or warmer than usual also helps.

[1] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20National%20Academies%20of,fluids%20a%20day%20for%20women [2] https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-water [3] https://www.bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourviews/ten-water-rich-foods-hydration [4] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/19-hydrating-foods#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6

Written by dotdailydose

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