The importance of staying hydrated!

With the summer heatwave in full-effect, we are all looking for exciting ways to stay hydrated. We’re well aware of the need to stay hydrated when we have that strong feeling of thirst on a hot day, and then the refreshing feeling of relief when our thirst is “quenched”. But have you ever asked yourself why it’s so important to stay hydrated?

Drinking enough water is essential for many reasons. It’s important for regulating our body temperature, delivering nutrients to cells, keeping our joints lubricated, preventing infections, and keeping our organs functioning properly. 

The easiest way of staying hydrated is (ta-da!) by drinking plenty of water. The rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight in pounds, in ounces of water. If this sounds boring to you, the good news is that not all this water has to come from plain water. Infused water with fruits, vegetables, and herbs like berries, lemons, cucumbers, mint, or basil, also keep you hydrated and are much tastier than plain water. You can even brew some cold tea (no sweetener!) to throw into the mix. 

When hydrating, it is important to stay away from sugar-sweetened beverages. As Walter Willett, the professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said: "Americans are conditioned to expect high levels of sweetness in everything…. You might say we are malhydrated, because we drink so much soda and fruit juice and other sugar-sweetened beverages, and by that, I mean we drink beverages that harm our health. Even energy drinks and vitamin waters, most are loaded with sugar and not worth the use.*"

Keeping hydrated is essential, as dehydration can be the cause of headaches, low blood pressure, skin issues, and fatigue. So keep enjoying your Summer, and don’t forget to drink your water! As always, please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or thoughts you may have. 🧡