Aloha friends,
Growing up, my mother’s remedy was to always drink more water if I did not feel well. To be honest, I thought the water got to her head as she was a natural swimmer and in the pool every day. Water also was her drink of choice and would be by her side wherever she would go. As I have aged and learned more of the benefits from water, my mother’s obsession with water makes sense as it improves body function, health, and energy.
As we are mid-summer, understanding how to stay hydrated is essential to remain healthy and enjoy summer fun. Our bodies are 60% water and consistently being hydrated is an important part of our lifestyle. Fortunately, the two factors that influence hydration (body weight & daily activity) are easy to calculate. First, multiply our body weight by 67% and that gives us the needed daily ounces of water (i.e. 220 lbs. * 67% = 148 oz.). Second, if active, add 12 ounces of water for every 30 minutes of physical activity.
After finding how much water we need to drink, tracking our water intake is a challenge with several solutions. Numerous apps are available on iOS and Android platforms to log and schedule when we drink. Infuser water bottles can give variety by adding fresh fruit, cucumbers, mint, and many other flavors to excite us to drink more. I loved each of these options to reach my hydration goals, but I have found a Hydro Flask bottle is the simplest way for me because of two reasons. The Hydro Flask is large enough that I can easily keep track of the number of bottles I drink (just three a day). In addition to the ease of tracking, the bottle is very well insulated, so ice remains for 24 hours and I can mix in limes or strawberries into the ice-cold water the next day.
Travel in the summer can make hydration a difficult priority. However, we should not be afraid to ask wherever we go to fill up our water bottle. There is not anything stopping us from drinking water regardless of where we are. When we make the habit to figure out how much water we need and follow through with our goals, we will see improvement overall while feeling so much better!
Benefits from consistent hydration are abundant. For more information and insights, an article I enjoyed was on Healthline. I hope these tips help us stay hydrated while having fun in the sun this summer!
Keep smiling,
Melissa