‘Drink a minimum 1.5 L of water a day’, ‘you don’t have to wait until you are thirsty’, ‘when it gets hot, make sure you are fully hydrated’. We’ve all heard these axioms at least once, and you’ll probably hear them again and again. If water is the only essential drink, then it is not for nothing. The human body is 60% water and up to 70% in a newborn.
Did you know that 1% of dehydration is equivalent to 10% less physical capacity, 2% less than 20% etc … Apart from beautiful skin, to remain hydrated is above all to ensure the proper functioning of the body.. Water molecules (H20) are involved in many biochemical reactions to ensure the functioning of each organ. So how do we stay hydrated under all circumstances?
1. We start the day with a glass of lemon water
On an empty stomach, a good glass of lukewarm lemon water will eliminate the everyday toxins accumulated by stress and pollution. And bang! we’ve already consumed 250ml. Add to that, a hot drink at breakfast, tea or coffee, and we’re already up to 500ml!
2. 8 glasses a day
You don’t really want to lug around a 1.5L bottle all day to find out how much you have drunk? Well, that’s understandable. Firstly it is heavy and secondly it takes up a lot of space in the bag! And lord knows how much a girl’s bag is always filled up with odds and ends.
The solution is to count your glasses. It takes about 8 to reach your goal: 1 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon, 2 in the afternoon, 2 at dinner and 1 at bedtime. There you go ! You just drank your 1.5L. Not so complicated, is it……?
3. I don’t like water! No problem
No problem, there is a multitude of ways to aromatise water.
Add some slices of cucumber, mint leaves, strawberries, lemon juice … Put it in the fridge to cool and infuse overnight and the next morning, your drink is ready!
You can also add some syrup, but go easy on it, it’s a matter of flavouring the water, not turning it into a sweet drink …
And finally, the antésite. A completely natural drink that in a few drops is capable of aromatising water. Originally, this drink was made with liquorice extracts but these days you can find citrus, anise … Just one piece of advice, this drink is not recommended for people with high blood pressure.
4. You’re sporty, then drink even more!
Sports friends, you are even more at risk of dehydration and even more so when it’s hot. Sweating is good but it causes a great loss of water and mineralogy. You lose a lot of salt by sweating. So how do you know you drink enough? It’s simple….
Weigh yourself before and after training. Look at the difference and add the amount of water you drank. Multiply this number by 1.5 and you will know how much you need to drink.
For example :
- Weight before training: 70kg
- Weight after training: 69 kg
- Drinking water during training: 1L
- 70-69 + 1 = 2L
- 2 x1.5 = 3L
So, you lost 2L of water during training: 1L due to perspiration plus the 1L you drank that distorts the water loss. Therefore, you have to drink 3L to compensate for all the water lost during the exercise, in addition to the recommended 1.5L. That’s not impossible. Increase the hydration during the exercises, just buy 2L cans in specialised stores, like Decathlon®. Drink a few sips regularly and you will see you’ll reach the goal without even realising it.
Some little tips from your nutritionist….
Add a pinch of salt to your workout drink (i promise you the water won’t taste salty) and you’ll have a great drink to offset your losses of sodium.
5. I don’t want to drink any more, it wakes me up at night …..
If you wake up at night to pee, it’s because you have not drunk enough during the day! Nothing more than that.
We dodged the bottle all day because we were in a meeting and we did not take the time to sit for 5 minutes for a drink. And then in the evening when we came back we drank to 2 big glasses of water, or more..… There you go, that’s why we drink a lot more in the evening.
Your body does not have the time to do its work during the day and it ends up doing it at night then you are woken up to 3 or 4 hours to empty your bladder. Take the time to drink more at the beginning of the day and you will see that instinctively you will drink less in the evening, and with that, your night time awakenings will be a thing of the past.
Some other options….
Always keep a small bottle available. In the evening beware of alcohol. Alcohol dehydrates … Alter a glass of alcohol with a glass of water, it will prevent you from having a headache the next morning. Seriously? Yup, a hangover is little more than the body’s dehydration.
And finally, complete your hydration by consuming foods rich in water, such as fruits and vegetables. Some have up to 97% water. A balanced diet can provide up to 1L of water through food. Just like that!
