Efficient Hydration for Effective Mindfulness

By now, everyone knows the beneficial effects of staying hydrated. If you are trying to stay healthy, improve your fitness, and maintain mindfulness, a good place to start is by reaching for water in unsuspecting places.

1. Remember this general rule, drink ½ of your body weight in ounces of water (140 lbs=70oz) each day.

2. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, cucumbers and watermelon especially. In the summer, fruits and vegetables are a tasty way to get a well-balanced mix of water and nutrients.

3. Download the Mission 360 App or visit our website. Part of the difficulty in maintaining hydration is that your day is busy, complicated, and often stressful. Take five or ten minutes to re-center with a quick meditation to get you back on the right track.

4. Mix in a soup! Sometimes water is not quite enough to rehydrate the dehydrated body. Since your body needs more than just water to function properly, soups are a great way to mix in the extra nutrients. As fall approaches, look to squash based soups for an excellent source of vitamins and minerals that will keep your body functioning the way it’s supposed to. Low levels of magnesium, chloride, and calcium will stunt attempts to re-hydrate with water alone.

5. Smoothies too! Need some ideas? How about a green tea, blueberry, and banana smoothie? Want some greens? A kale, spinach, mango, and pineapple smoothie will satisfy. These antioxidant rich, vitamin abundant, protein powerhouses will kickstart your day, propel you through that mid-afternoon slump, or revitalize your body for a tasty desert. Potassium plays an important role in muscle function and many do not get enough of this precious vitamin.

6. Coffee, as recent studies have shown, will hydrate you if consumed in smaller amounts (typically no more than a cup or two). Combined with the mental sharpening and mood elevating effects of coffee, it is an effective method to help keep you focused throughout your day! (*when consumed NOT in excess*)

7. Coconut water is naturally infused with many bioactive enzymes that aid in digestion. While not better than water, it is a great choice for those who are looking to substitute that sugary sports drink or juice. It is a great drink to mix into your routine especially since it is rich in potassium! JUST REMEMBER TO CHOOSE PLAIN COCOUNT WATER to avoid unnecessary added sugars.

8. Drink warm lemon water in the morning! That groggy feeling in the morning can typically be cured with hydration. Bonus! Warm water will flush out your digestive system and the lemon will provide you with a nice list of important nutrients (calcium, potassium, Vitamin C, and pectin fiber).