Tips and tricks to get your body its most essential nutrient: WATER!

Two words: HY-DRATE. (OK, jokes, that’s one word, but it needed EMPHASIS)

Tips and tricks to get your body its most essential nutrient: WATER.

Water. H2O. That stuff that falls from the sky. That clear shit that comes out of the tap.

You need it. Constantly. Every single bodily function is made possible because of the absolutely vital role of water – it facilitates every single function your cells perform. Without water, we get grumpy, we get headaches, we get cramps, we die (in extreme cases).

If you LOVE drinking water, if it’s your drink of choice at all times, then maybe these tips aren’t for you. But for those of you looking to rethink or even spice up your relationship with water, give these a go and see what you think. Keep what you like, and forget the rest if it doesn’t vibe.

1) EAT YOUR WATER

I LOVE to eat my water – what the fuck do I mean? We’ll get to that, stay with me… I’ve pretty much always found water boring, and, being neurospicy, hate the taste of water from specific sources – in which case, I won’t drink it. Unfiltered tap water? No thanks! I can TASTE the TAP. Fancy bottled hotel water? NOPE. Miss me with that. Water from a municipal source that isn’t where I live? ABSOLUTELY NOT, it tastes WRONG. But I LOVE fruit and veg. Guess what? On average, those are 80-90% water. WATERmelon: 90% water. So if you’re eating fruit or veg, you’re not just getting carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, you’re also getting water. Boo-ya!

My fav fruits: watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, mango, kiwi, citrus (pomelo, oranges, etc.), and pears.

My fav for veg: cucumber, celery, carrots, and tomatoes.

Here’s the other thing…our body’s thirst cue mechanism isn’t great at being in sync with what’s happening in real-time in our bodies. You’ve probably heard the saying, “if you’re feeling thirsty, your body needed water an hour ago”, and it’s not exactly wrong. It’s also true that sometimes when you’re feeling hungry, what your body is actually craving is water, but hunger is a faster cue to give you than thirst. There’s more science behind this than that GROSS OVERSIMPLIFICATION but that’s the gist. So munching on some fruit or veg can be a two-birds-one-stone situation. Satisfy that hunger cue AND get hydration in. Win-win!

Bonus: freeze your fruit and munch on it OR make a smoothie! If, like me, it’s easy to forget about the fruit you bought with the best of intentions, most of them freeze just fine and will work perfectly great either as a chilly treat (hello, frozen grapes!) or to throw in a smoothie if you’re not feeling the texture of frozen fruit as-is. Tasty, cooling (great in the summer time) AND hydrating! Triple win!

2) FLAVOUR YOUR WATER

Anyone who says “but the sugar…” SHHHHHHHHHHHHH. We know, baby. The point is, if you’re not getting enough water in the first place, I’d rather you get something you will actually consume than continue to avoid because it tastes like shit or it’s boring. Consistency is key with hydration. So if you wanna make your water taste good by adding some flavour boosters, or a homemade simple syrup, I say, GO FOR IT, SIB! Muddle some fruit in it, or steep some herbs in your water (refreshing mint or lemon mint? Yum!) Or maybe you just want something that LOOKS fun: get some pretty shaped ice-cube trays (heck, maybe even put some fruit or edible flowers in the ice cubes!) and some edible glitter and make your water look like a gods-damned potion – because it IS. It’s a LIFE potion! Water is LIFE ~insert Dani Rojas meme here~

Dani Rojas! Rojas! [yes, very niche Ted Lasso meme time].

3) SIP IT! SIP IT GOOD! [OR: WHY STRAWS ARE SUPERIOR]

In addition to being FUN AS HELL to drink out of (hello? silly straws? colour-changing straws?) straws actually can improve your hydration by removing a barrier to constantly sipping on your water. It can be safer and more accessible, especially during activities like driving, cycling, etc. as you don’t have to tilt your head back and can keep your eye on the road. It’s also faster to access your water when compared to water bottles where you have to unscrew a lid to sip from it – believe it or not, even tiny inconveniences are still inconveniences enough for you to subconsciously make the choice NOT to drink water if it will slow down or even slightly inhibit what you’re actively doing. But, if it’s not going to prevent you from carrying on, you’re more likely to reach for it and keep hydrated. Bonus: it’s actually good for your dental hygiene (especially if you add anything sugary or acidic to your water) because it mostly bypasses your teeth when you use a straw, which is great news for your tooth enamel in the long-run. It also encourages saliva production which helps clear your mouth of bad bacteria. Fresh breath bonus!

Now, to those of you in the back clutching your pearls and saying “BUT THE TURTLES”. Firstly, if you use disposable plastic straws (and remember, some people need them for accessibility reasons, let’s not jump to judgement) make sure you dispose of them properly in the garbage and that the garbage bag is tied up tight when you go to take it out. Secondly, let’s keep our eyes on the bigger picture here: your straw usage is not remotely a major contributor to pollution on our beautiful planet – I’m not saying not to make the best choices you can for the earth – absolutely do! Reduce, reuse, repair, recycle. But don’t beat yourself up over using a straw when major corporations are dumping their literal toxic waste in the oceans… Ok, I’m saving that rant for another time, moving on… THIRDLY, if you don’t need disposable straws for accessibility reasons, then you have an absolute PLETHORA of options to choose from: paper, various compostable materials, glass, metal, hard plastic, silicone, hell, there are even roll-up and telescoping straws you can buy that will fit in your pocket and can go with you anywhere! I like to have several reusable straws on hand so that I only have to spend 5 minutes once a week to clean them all and then I’m good to go again for another week.

4) OTHER UNCONVENTIONAL WAYS TO GET WATER [JUICE, MILK, AND OTHER LIQUIDS]

Again, I’m coming at this from a harm-reduction stand-point. If your (likely) scenarios are: drink no water because it tastes bad, you don’t like it, etc. then OBVIOUSLY the other option of drinking something (almost anything) with some sugar, flavour, etc. is better than nothing. Your options are not water or nothing. Is it liquid? Do you like drinking it? Go for it (barring alcohol, that is not a way to hydrate). Electrolyte drinks? Go for it. Flavour enhancers? Sure! Kool-Aid? Oh YEAH. Fruit juice? Why not! Kombucha? Okay! Milk? +10 strength to your bones. Chocolate milk? Calcium AND a flavour bonus! Nut/soy/rice milks? Go forth and enjoy what makes you feel good!

Now, I’m not here to preach and say all of these options are necessarily optimal or equal in what they offer your body for both hydration and nutrients. They’re not. But again, harm-reduction: if any of these are stepping stones for you to try something else and keep yourself hydrated, then you’ve accomplished your most important job: keep yourself alive. GO YOU! You’ve managed to survive 100% of your days on this earth until now and, personally, I believe in your ability to keep going and doing what you can for your body. Remember: everything is about progress, not perfection. And you don’t owe ANYONE an explanation for the choices you make. Do the best you can. Some days, your best will look different than it did yesterday. That’s ok. Keep going!

5) NO, COFFEE DOESN’T COUNT, BUT YOU CAN STILL MAKE MORE HYDRATING CHOICES

Now, I hear you. You’ve been told forever that tea and coffee don’t count. That’s because they generally contain caffeine, which is a diuretic. A diuretic is a substance that, long story short, makes you pee. Kinda negates the purpose of drinking, right? If it’s just going to make you pee it out shortly after? So, when people say that tea and coffee “don’t count” they’re not wrong, but…it ALSO depends on the content of caffeine in what you’re drinking (thus why, generally, green tea is better than black tea, because it has less caffeine). Again here, I’m thinking in terms of harm-reduction strategies: so, while it’s not an effective way to hydrate, depending on what you choose, it can dehydrate you LESS, depending on its caffeine content. And that’s a good thing when compared to an alternative of consuming nothing or something with more caffeine. So if you’re looking to make progressively more hydrating choices, consider choosing drinks with lower caffeine to get more hydration. Depending on the composition of the overall blend, Rooibos and fruit teas are generally caffeine free. While white or green teas are lower in caffeine than, say, black tea or coffee. If you hate tea and love your coffee, do some reading up on the various types. Some beans are naturally lower in caffeine than others. You can try having your caffeine fix in the morning and then switching to decaf if it’s the taste you enjoy but you want a less dehydrating option. Or maybe you want a little caffeine boost but you choose it in a fancier mixed iced coffee that ends up being mostly milk (or a milk-alternative). That’s a less caffeine choice too. Again, am I saying “drink tea or coffee for hydration”? No. I’m saying you can make more hydrating choices (and/or less dehydrating ones) based on what types of tea or coffee you choose to consume, and of course, how much. Everything is not black and white, there are shades of grey.

CONCLUSION

Well, that’s it folks. Those are my (current) top 5 tips when it comes to hydration. As we move into warmer, sunnier months and the temperature starts trending up remember to be consistent with hydrating yourself. As it gets warmer you’ll need more water to stay hydrated (especially if you’re doing anything physically active or demanding)! Go forth and HYDRATE THYSELVES!