“I try to start drinking water as soon as my feet hit the floor in the morning.”
We shout Bravo! for a great performance, and no single thing we put into our bodies does more for us than water. By some estimates, 70 percent of you is water. Great stuff. It helps flush waste products and toxins from your body, promotes healthy kidneys and bowels, increases skin elasticity, and boosts energy. Staying well hydrated can also help you make healthier food choices.
All day long you lose water--through breathing, sweating, urinating--and if you don't replace it, you become dehydrated. Severe dehydration can have lasting effects, can kill you in fact, but even short-term dehydration is bad. For example, it can cause your brain to shrink and pull away from the skull, triggering pain receptors that give you a headache. We all know water is a good thing, yet many people go through life dehydrated. Don’t let that be you.
How much water should you drink each day? It varies, but a good rule of thumb is 64 ounces of water daily (eight 8-ounce glasses or four 16-ounce bottles). It can be carbonated water as well as “just plain water.” Develop the habit of drinking at least that much at specific times--after waking up, with meals and snacks, or when you just want to enjoy a nice drink of water. Drinking it straight or with a lemon slice or flavoring, water can be quite delicious.
Talking to your coach. Tracking water consumption is easier if you drink it by the bottle, and refillable bottles are inexpensive and convenient. You can even have fun saying Bravo each time you finish a bottle or a glass. Once a day or throughout the day say Bravo! to H2O and let your coach know why you’re drinking enough, or why not. The coach will ask questions, not expecting an answer, but to make you aware of cues and reinforcers that determine when and where you drink your water.
These tricks make sipping water less of a chore.
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