Hydration

Watch the video to check out a few handy tips of how to stay hydrated. And read on below to here why. 

Rainy days. 

I was sat here in Auckland today listening in on the Wintery swirling wind and rain that was passing over outside. Keeping myself all toasty inside. 

Its on these days that the ‘keep your fluids up’ struggle is real. Blah keeping hydrated. I’ve never been one to naturally be gulping back at my water bottle all day! This takes effort and all kinds of imaginative thinking to find ways to keep hydrated and engaged. 

You’d think as an Olympic athlete you’d truly understand the importance, but truthfully its only more recently after completing my nutrition studies and becoming a mom did the penny really drop and I started to truly understand the importance.

And when its feeling cold and wintery, days like today that I have to really remind myself of WHY!!! 
I mean, I know, you hear it ALOT drinking fluids is crucial to staying healthy and ultimately it helps to maintain the function of pretty much every system in our bodies, heart, brain, muscles, everything but why? To be reminded of my motivation I went looking for WHY?

Here’s my top 7 reasons WHY drinking fluids is so crucial:

1. Fluids, aka water carry nutrients to your cells, flush bacteria from your bladder, and prevent constipation. i.e. makes trips to the toilet that little bit easier.
2. Water is a key element responsible for human life on earth and is vital for our survival. Theres a strong statement. BUT Did you know? Water makes up 95% of our brain, 90% of our lungs, 83% blood, 76% muscles and 22% of our bones. Which shows rigorously the importance of keeping hydrated for our bodies to maintain favourable health and feeling good.
3. Water regulates our internal body temperature. While sweating our bodies can avoid overheating. The blood on the skin surface is cooled, and this cooling effect it carried to the body’s interior.
4. Our joints are lubricated through water and keeping hydrated. 
5. Water acts as a cushion to our vital organs
6. Research has shown that a body water loss of as little as 1–2% can have a marked effect on concentration.
AND 
7. Did you know? ... Glucose cannot leave the body without a water molecule attached via urination. Thirst is your body's cue for help in removing excess glucose. Drinking water and going to the bathroom are PLAN A to get glucose (sugar) out of your system.

If not for anyone else but for me, reading these again gave me that little nudge, a needed reminder of what value keeping hydrated has and it made me jump up from my warm, cozy spot and pour myself a glass of water. 

Take this as encouragement, and I hope you’ll join me. 
Cheers!