Are you drinking enough?

What can you do that costs almost nothing and takes very little time and requires very little energy, yet can eliminate constipation, hemorrhoids, canker sores, IBS, irritability, heatstroke, UTIs, not to mention prevent a long list of chronic diseases?

Drink water.

You would think the obvious benefits would ensure that none of us would ever suffer from dehydration. But unfortunately it’s not just people suffering from dementia that overlook hydration and pay the price. Many of us simply don’t place a priority on it, and by the time we realize we haven’t had much to drink, it’s getting late and we don’t want to be up all night.

But the cumulative effects of dehydration aren’t something we can ignore forever. As we age, our entire person will pay the price: from papery skin, to irritability at people we really do love, to a low quality of life due to inefficient circulation of necessary body fluids.

Three ideas to help you hydrate: 

• Get a drinking buddy. A WATER drinking buddy. And yes, not a coffee buddy or a Diet Dr. Pepper buddy. It matters that your body gets pure, unsugared water. Get a friend who also needs to do better, and regularly ask one another if you’ve drunk enough today.

• Aim to have 3/4 of your desired daily intake completed by noon. that way, you’re not playing catch up in the heat of the afternoon, and you’re also not risking insomnia by having to get out of bed in the middle of the night.

• Set a large glass of ice on the table last thing before bed. In the morning, you’ll have some delicious cold water that’s been de-chlorinated by sitting out all night. And drinking at least a pint of water first thing in the morning is a GREAT way to stay regular.

As the heat of the summer approaches, water intake becomes more and more crucial. Electrolyte drinks are also important for those hard-to-hydrate days. As you stay hydrated, you’ll feel so much better that you’ll naturally help those you love to also focus on their hydration. Enjoy!