Hydration

Tips:

• The 64 oz amount that is prescribed is hard to meet and not necessary. A lot of food we eat contains water, especially fruits and veggies.
• Try not to let yourself get thirsty. Once you feel thirsty you are probably somewhat dehydrated. Of course, if you are in the heat for long periods, or are exercising heavily, you need to drink more.
• Listen to your body and it will tell you what you need to know. If you have the symptoms below, hydrate with water, not another beverage. Electrolyte drinks are not necessary unless you are an extreme athlete. Note: Anything that contains caffeine as well as carbonated sodas are not considered sources of hydration.

Signs of dehydration include:

• Dry, cottony mouth
• Dry, itchy, flaky skin
• Muscle cramping
• Thirst
• Dark colored urine. Your urine should be pale yellow

Try Flavored Water

How to Quickly Make Flavored Water to store in the refrigerator, complements of https://www.theyummylife.com/Flavored_Water.

Experiment with different flavors of fruits, veggies, and herbs to make it a fun exercise.

You can use frozen or fresh fruit depending on season. Try:

• Any berries alone or in combo
• Berries with an herb like basil
• Cucumber
• Any citrus fruit alone or in combo with any other flavors

https://youtu.be/XLFBTwZkhUo

There are a number of vessels you can use to store your flavored water.

1. Mason Jars or any jar or pitcher with a lid.
2. Fruit Infusion pitcher or water bottle.

These are readily available and inexpensive at Walmart, a craft store, or Amazon/Target.

Feel free to add ice or drink hot as a tea. Store any leftover water in the refrigerator or freeze into popsicles. You will need to experiment a bit with the ratio of water to flavor — it will depend on what flavor you choose and how strong you want the flavor. You will get more flavor by mashing the ingredient(s) before adding the water or by pouring hot water over the ingredient(s), letting it cool, and then storing it in the refrigerator. Otherwise you may need to wait longer to have the flavor permeate. You can also place the finished water vessel in the sun which will help the flavor(s) infuse faster.

Two alternatives to plain or flavored water include:

1. Taking a very small amount of fruit juice and diluting it with water. Use just enough fruit juice to add a little flavor. Try cranberry, tart cherry, or ginger-flavored juices as these are great for digestion and provide healthy antioxidants.
2. Herbal teas, either hot or cold. Placing an herbal tea bag in cold water still infuses flavor but will be more subtle.

Challenge:

Each week replace one or more sugar or artificially sweetened drink with flavored water. Once you adjust to this, continue to slowly replace other beverages with water.