Today’s big idea is that hydration is a major component of health. Yet we’ve all heard the advice to drink 8 glasses of water a day. And most of us are still drinking the same amount of water that we ever were. Which is, let’s face it, probably not enough.
So my tip today is the easiest way I know to make sure that you’re taking better care of your hydration needs. And that is to drink more water starting with a glass of room temperature water as soon as you wake up.
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Let’s talk about hydration in general before we talk about why hydrating for this is helpful.
We need to drink more water because we are primarily composed of water. Our brains are 76% water. Imagine what happens when you are only 1% dehydrated? It makes your blood thicker, which makes your heart’s job harder. It also makes your kidneys’ job harder. Because they have to filter 200 liters of blood a day removing waste, toxins from your blood so it can be excreted in your urine. And pretty much everyone’s kidneys need a little extra support right now as they are the energy factories of the body according to TCM. And don’t you feel like you’ve been running on fumes lately? For many reasons, being even a little dehydrated contributes to fatigue.
Also, first thing in the morning, your body has been busy repairing and detoxing all night. When you drink a glass of water right after you wake up, you help flush all the waste products and impaired cells and toxins away.
Hydrating For Your Health
Getting that plain ole water in to your belly when it’s fully empty also encourages peristalsis. Peristalsis is the contractions of the smooth muscles of your digestive tract, so it helps keep you regular when you drink more water.
Also, you know you’re going to go get a cup of coffee or tea which are fine to drink but the caffeine in them is a diuretic so they don’t hydrate you. They dehydrate you. And if you’re already got a glass of water in your system those parching effects will be minimized.
Basically, it helps you get a great start to the day. More alert, more energized, digestion is already humming, detoxification going strong. And that sets the tone for your morning and the rest of the day. Also likely to help you avoid an afternoon slump, which is often linked to dehydration.
And it takes less than a minute to drink more water.
Drink More Water
Really the only hard part is remembering to do it. To remedy that, I suggest keeping an empty glass in your bathroom and fill it up as soon as you’ve brushed your teeth. It’s a lot easier to start a new habit when you link it to something that you’re already doing without even thinking about it. Like brushing your teeth.
Daily Tiny Assignment
So that’s your tiny assignment then: to bring a glass to the bathroom you use first thing in the morning so that it will be there waiting for you in the morning. Extra points for putting a sticky note on it that says drink me, or some other kind of reminder.
Snap a pic of your glass by your bathroom sink or on your bedroom table and tag me in your IG story so I can send you a virtual high five. I really believe this one little thing will give you a little boost all day long. And if something that takes less than a minute helps you feel 10% better, wouldn’t you appreciate that?
Calm The Eff Down
This is an intense time on multiple levels. If you’d like a little handholding and direction on doing the things that help you stay grounded (and not freaking out), I’ve got a gift for you — I compiled all the tips I covered in my 21 Day Calm the Eff Down challenge that I ran here on the podcast starting in late April into a mini ebook that you can download FOR FREE.
