Reset and Rethink Your Drink!

Posted on June 5, 2019 in Healthy Living

We’ve all been there – your commitment to 60 to 70 ounces of water each day (the suggested amount for an average adult) is sliding right down on the priority list. All of a sudden, it’s 2 p.m., you’ve got a slight headache and are DYING of thirst!  The beginning of summer can serve as a good kick start to incorporating more water into your daily routines, especially considering the season is full of pool days, picnics, and sunny weekend fun. The rising summer temperatures and outdoor activities means an increase in water loss as our bodies sweat to keep us cool. As a result, our bodies need even more hydration in the summer months, so now is the perfect time to set those hydration goals.

Water truly is purely magic from a health perspective. From jumpstarting your metabolism in the morning, helping to keep your skin moisturized, to supporting healthy digestion, circulation and kidney function, , there’s a long list of benefits from drinking water. Not to mention, replacing pop or sugary drinks with water promotes healthy gums and teeth, especially if your community has optimally fluoridated water!

We know that hydration is important all times throughout the year, but with summer comes with an increased risk of dehydration which can actually affect how well our brain functions. If we are not hydrated, especially in the hot summers, “our thinking and cognition can suffer.” Even the slightest amounts of dehydration can cause problems for our noggins. A body water weight reduction of just 2% (about 3 pounds on a 150-pound person) can cause problems with attention, short-term memory, and visual-motor tracking.

Below are four tips to help you reset and recommit to drinking more water.

1. Set Your Water Goal – use a reusable bottle with the oz. printed along the side, track it in your favorite fitness app, or break it down by the hours of the day. Drink 20 oz. by 10 a.m. or 40 oz by 1 p.m.
2. Water Sprints – find times during your daily routine to drink a glass of water. Leave a tumbler of H2O on your bedside table to drink when your alarm goes off. Top off your refillable bottle before leaving for work and finish during your morning commute. That hour-long staff meeting in the afternoon? Drink another 8 oz. because proper hydration will stave off sleepiness.
3. Get Up. Fill It Up! – Once that water bottle is empty, take a walk and fill it back up. Double bonus – you’ll get some extra steps in while you refill!
4. Fruit Infusion – Use frozen fruit in place of ice cubes, or add berries to your ice cube trays. A slice of lemon, lime, orange or cucumber can also help you meet your goals if you’re getting bored drinking plain water.

At Delta Dental of Iowa, we believe healthy habits start at an early age, including drinking more water! Our Foundation’s Rethink Your Drink program has awarded nearly $300,000 to Iowa schools to install 115 Elkay water bottle filling stations, plus each student in those schools received a reusable water bottle, a toothbrush and a bookmark. The goal is to double that number to 230 schools in 2019. Find out more about the program and Rethink Your Drink!