“My hands are so dry that I can’t keep enough hand cream on them!” tends to be a frequent comment that I hear from clients this time of the year when they arrive for their thermography screening. The winters in the Mid-Atlantic can be very moisture-depleting and signs of dryness can be felt all over the body. Hand lotion can certainly stop the dryness for a short while, but did you know that getting to the root of the dryness could be as simple as consuming more water consistently on a daily basis? Doing so creates the proper hydration from the inside out.
Many times intake forms from clients read like a laundry list of symptoms that could be resolved by simply boosting water consumption. Things like; dry skin, chronic cough, constipation, headaches, cravings, lack of energy, brain fog and cold hands and/or feet. All items that can make themselves apparent in thermography through increased heat in certain areas showing inflammation or a compromise of the immune system due to dehydration. The fix is simple and can cost you little to nothing other than time and attention.
The Rule of Thumb for water intake in a day is to
“shoot for half your body weight in ounces”.
In other words, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should
shoot to consume 75 ounces of water in a
day for full hydration.
Water consumption does not have to be from just plain water. Some good sources of useful water for hydration include soups and herbal teas. Unlike some poor liquid beverages that can actually cause dehydration, like coffee, caffeinated teas, alcohol, sodas, energy drinks and juices. As diuretics these water-based sources will take you one and half times the amount of water in return to get you back on the hydration track. Literally, for every 8 ounces of soda that you consume you will need 12 ounces of water to eradicate the hydration deficit that it causes. If you drink 16 ounces of coffee in the morning followed by a 12-ounce energy drink mid-morning, you are already at a deficit that will take 42 ounces of water in order to get back to the starting point of hydration! Let that fact soak in like a fine French hand lotion!
Here are some useful tips on making sure you stay on track and get the hydration
your body needs to combat the symptoms that can occur without it.
Accountability –
Keep track! It is easy to take it for granted that you are getting enough water during the day. By keeping track of it in writing or on a phone app it can help you to see if you are getting enough. It would only take a few days of tracking to determine.
Consistency –
Don’t go full force on a huge amount of water your first week if you are not used to drinking frequently. You want a habit that is going to last and not feel like a punishment. Go slow and increase the number of ounces you drink over time until you are at your consumption goal and the habit has been made.
Reminders –
Looking for some ways to remind yourself to consume water throughout the day?
Set an alarm every 3 hours from the time you wake up until you go to bed and consume 8 ounces of water each time it goes off.
Invest in a large 30- or 40-ounce tumbler. Start with a full tumbler in the morning and shoot to refill it by noon.
If you are home and can do this, a visual is helpful by filling and setting up 8 separate glasses of water on your kitchen counter. Make a goal to drink them all by dinner time.
ULLA [1 ] can help! This device is a small electronic “bug” that you can attach to any drinking vessel. If the vessel sits too long without being tipped, a flashing light signal is a very persistent reminder to take a drink.
“But I Don’t Like Water?”
Get creative with how you consume it so that you do not get bored or tired of drinking.
- Infuse a pitcher of water with fruit or vegetables or your choice overnight. Try a different comb each day for variety.
- Need to have some sweetener to enjoy your water? Try an all-natural liquid extract like, Lakanto[2]. This product is sweetened with Monkfruit and not a synthetic sugar substitute.
- Get creative with soups! Stick with ones that allow for a soothing broth base and drink away. Bone broth works great reheated and sipped from a mug throughout the day. It is a nice afternoon pick-me-up.
- Herbal teas are in abundance in health food stores. Try a bunch and see which one you like the most.
-Steam your veggies! Try steaming your veggies with loads of herbs and spices added. Doing so can provide you with as much flavor as roasting.
- Don’t like it hot or too cold? Ideally, you want to drink water at room temperature. Doing so allows you to take a huge swig at one time and swallow it down.
-“I’m not thirsty, I’m hungry” Actually, you really are thirsty, but your brain is sending a mixed hunger signal instead. Next time your brain signals for food, ask yourself if you have consumed enough water. Before grabbing that snack, drink a full glass of water and see if your hunger does not dissipate. This trick can save you loads of unnecessary calories!
Boost your hydration over time and see if your thermography screening does not show improvement in areas of lymph congestion and inflammation. You may just be amazed and feel a lot better too. While the slogan that “you can’t drink all day unless you start in the morning” works for partying “day drinkers”, you can make that adage into a healthier slogan for yourself while boosting your hydration with water. Cheers!
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