WHY HYDRATION IS NON-NEGOTIABLE (IF YOU WANT TO FEEL AMAZING!)

I know, you’ve heard it all before – you should drink more water for your health. But do you know exactly how many benefits optimal hydration has for your mind and your body??

I bet the answer is no – because if you did, you’d be slurping it down at every opportunity. But never fear, I’m going to share with you why you want to stay hydrated, as well as how much is enough.

HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD I BE DRINKING?

When I tell my clients how much water I’d like them to drink… well, you should see their faces! Shock, disbelief, calculating how many trips to the loo in a day, swearing they could never drink that much, I’ve heard it all before.

You want to work up to 35ml/kg of body weight per day. So for example, if you weigh 80kg, you’re looking at 2.8 litres of water every day for optimal hydration.

Before you freak out – no, you don’t have to start drinking that from today if you usually struggle with 2 cups a day. And yes, you will pee a lot to start with, until your body gets used to plenty of water.

We also want to make sure your electrolytes stay balanced. That’s why I recommend using salt on your food if you eat primarily wholefoods. And when I say salt, I don’t mean iodised table salt (that’s essentially the white bread of the salt world!) Look for a sea salt or lake salt instead.

THE COUNTLESS BENEFITS OF HYDRATION

So why on earth would you want to drink that much every day? I’m glad you asked.

It is one of the easiest, cheapest and simplest healthy habits you can build to support your well-being. Every single body system relies on water in one way or another. So hitting optimal hydration means:

• More energy and less fatigue
• Improved cognition and brain function
• Brain fog vanishes
• Digestive function balances out (no more straining!)
• Bloat and water retention go bye-bye
• Flushed out toxins (which makes weight loss MUCH easier if that’s your goal)
• Glowing, radiant skin
• Fewer headaches and migraines

And this is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many other indirect benefits – for example, improved digestion has a ripple effect across your hormones, your immune function, your sleep, your stress… the list goes on.

It’s also critical during the festive season. It helps your body to detoxify and eliminate toxins and irritants such as alcohol. Yep, I said it. And while I’m at it, remember to stick to the government guidelines on alcohol intake over the holidays. Large quantities do far more harm than good!

ONE IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT WATER

Drinking plenty of water is awesome. But if you really want to reap the maximum benefits, you want to be filtering your water.

At the very least, you want to filter out the chlorine (this makes it taste better and protects your good gut bugs). But if possible, we want to filter out the fluoride as well.

Why? Although it’s been added to the water for your teeth’s sake, it has some serious health concerns that come along with that.

The biggest concern is for your thyroid gland. Fluoride competes with iodine for absorption, and iodine is the key component for thyroid hormones. And considering the thyroid is already vulnerable during perimenopause, we want to protect it as much as possible.

There’s no one-size-fits-all for filters, as it depends on your needs. I like:

• Gentoo – find their water jug here
• Southern Cross Pottery (make sure you add a Royal Doulton filter)
• Zazen
• Waters Co

You can also get under-bench filters (that’s what I have) or instal a tank and filtration system for your drinking water. Keep in mind that if you live under a flight path, a tank is not a good idea!

HYDRATION IS ONE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE TO FEELING AMAZING

If you want to dive into the New Year feeling energised, cool as a cucumber and able to tackle anything the world throws at you, I’m here to help. Book in for a free Clarity Call today, and we can explore how I can help you to support and nourish yourself – mind, body and spirit.