Welcome to the Simple Steps to Improved Health Challenge Day 3 Drink Your Water
Reminder to choose 1 of the first two actions to work on this week starting today or whatever day you want the week to start on for you. See Day 1 for more information about the challenge.
How Does Drinking Your Water Improve Health
There are many reasons to drink your water. When I say “your water” it’s so you know that you have a specific amount of water your body needs based on your body composition, the area you live, and how much you are exercising (sweating.)
Your body is around 60% water and your blood is around 90% water. Water is important to form saliva and mucus, improve skin health, cushion the brain and spinal cord, as well as lubricate joints. It also delivers oxygen in the blood, regulates body temperature, and maintains stable blood pressure.
In the digestive system, it helps to decrease constipation, helps kidneys work properly, and flushes body waste. There are many other functions it helps with because water is such a large component of our bodies.
How to Take Action to Drink More Water
It is important to decide how much water you want to drink in a day. The 8 glasses of water or 64 ounces is a starting point.
Next, you need to check for thirst and hunger. Often being hungry is a disguise for thirst. When you are hungry drink water first then wait 15 minutes to see if the hunger goes away.
Another way to tell if you are dehydrated is by looking at the color of your urine. If it is pale or light yellow you are probably getting enough. When it is dark yellow, drink more water.
If you are in a dry climate you might need more water. Also, drink more water if you are doing intense exercise that makes you sweat.
Some other times that might require more water include having a fever or diarrhea or vomiting because more water is removed from the body during those times.
Once you decide how much water you need in a day, then you decide how you will drink it and remind yourself to drink it.
Go Do it – Drink Your Water
There are many interesting ways to get your water.
There are apps for your phone that can notify you to drink water.
You can get a water bottle with markings that tell you what time to have the water bottle empty.
Use hairbands on your water bottle to indicate how many refills you want in a day. And move them from top to bottom once you do a refill.
You can have an accountability buddy that taunts you when they get all their water in before you. All the ways help to motivate you to remember your water.
You may say yes but it is boring. Add some flavor to your water with lemon or lime juice. Be careful with flavored waters on the market and look to make sure you are getting a flavor and not a bunch of sweeteners or sugar.
There are also many essential oils that can be used internally. Just ensure you are following instructions for the brand you get and usually 1 drop is overly sufficient to get the flavor.
Go do it and have fun getting in your water.
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