5 STRATEGIES FOR HOW TO STAY HYDRATED
Summertime requires a heightened focus on staying hydrated. Warmer temperatures, humidity, and spending time outside may increase water loss through sweating. Here are 5 tips to help you stay hydrated this summer.
#1: LEVERAGE FOOD.
As mentioned in our Hydration Blog Post, typical U.S. diets contribute about 20% of daily water intake. Try incorporating some of these into your weekly routine:
- Oatmeal: When oats are cooking, they absorb liquid (water or milk). If you don’t enjoy hot oatmeal in the summer, try Overnight Oats (see our recipe). Adding chia seeds to your Overnight Oats adds an extra hydration boost to your breakfast.
- Fruit Salad: Make a fruit salad with melon and berries.
- Celery: Incorporate celery as a snack. Dip it in hummus or nut butter for some added protein, healthy fat and other health-supporting vitamins and minerals, such as folate, iron and magnesium.
- Salads: Add a side salad to your lunch or dinner. Incorporate tomatoes, bell peppers, and carrots to give your salad a hydrating boost.
#2: ENHANCE YOUR WATER.
Add some color to your water glass. From lemon and lime to cucumber, strawberries and mint, there are plenty of ways to get creative and add some flavor to your water.
Don’t want to take the time to do it yourself? You can find flavored seltzer water almost anywhere now. My top pick is Waterloo. Just make sure to check the ingredient list. Artificial sweeteners often unnecessarily make their way into flavored water. Stay away from aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and other ingredients that are not ‘carbonated water’ and ‘natural flavors.’
#3: CHECK THE SCALE BEFORE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.
If you enjoy summer hikes or exercising outdoors, water replenishment is critical. Try weighing yourself before your activity of choice. For each pound lost during activity, drink an additional 16 ounces of fluid.
#4: INVEST IN AN INSULATED WATER BOTTLE.
There is no shortage of high quality, reusable water bottles on the market. Find one you like and commit to bringing it everywhere with you. Make sure it is insulated, BPA free and leak proof. Here is a helpful article that narrows down the thousands of choices to 16 contenders and 3 top picks.
#5: CREATE HYDRATING HABITS.
Habit stack drinking water with other behaviors you do naturally. In his book, Atomic Habits (recommended in our June Four Capitals Reading List), James Clear describes the concept of Habit Stacking as identifying a current habit you already do each day and then stacking your new behavior on top.
After/Before [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].
For Example:
- After I wake up in the morning, I will drink a glass of water.
- Before I leave work, I will drink a glass of water.
- Before I eat a meal, I will drink a glass of water.
Think about things you do habitually, and stack a hydration technique with it.