Enrich's Guide to Hydration for the Body

As the days are getting brighter and the weather is getting warmer, we begin to bring an awareness to our hydration over the next number of weeks. It is important to be armed with good and useful information and is necessary to build up good habits with hydration before the summer months kick in. Come along with us as we share some top tips for keeping up hydration and how to sustain it long term!

How do I know if I am reaching my daily hydration goal?

You typically should be aiming to hit that 2.5 - 3.0L target and if you aren’t sure, it’s time for you to take control and get calculating! The amount of water you consume a day is dependent on factors such as age, size, climate, exercise level, pregnancy or breastfeeding and illness(particularly vomiting and diarrhoea). Follow the link to check if you are meeting your daily water targets using this hydration calculator. 

Another easy way to tell if you are hitting that goal is by checking the colour of your urine. The paler the colour the better, although clear can mean a sign of over hydration. Anything dark in colour usually means dehydration.

Dehydration can cause a variety of symptoms in the body such as:

• Dizziness 
• Tiredness 
• Poor Concentrations
• Digestive issues i.e. constipation.

Regular consumption of water throughout the day helps to:

• Regulate temperature – we lose water/sweat when hot which cools us down, so we need water to replace the lost fluids. 
• Lubricates joints & eyes
• Aids digestion
• Role in skin health

I struggle with trying to drink that amount of liquid in a day, is there any tips and tricks that will help increase my water consumption?

If you are someone who struggles to drink water, don’t worry, you are not alone. We lead very busy lifestyles, and it can be difficult to find the time or to remember to keep our hydration levels up. For some people also, they simply just don’t like the taste! Here are some hacks we suggest trying keep yourself hydrated throughout the day.

Hydration Reminders: 

Install a free app on your phone to remind you to hydrate your body. A great one is “water reminder”, alternatively set reminders on your phone to alert you to drink more water. Perhaps invest in a tech savvy smart water bottle to remind you or invest in a new water bottle with motivational markers on the side. 

Change the taste & flavour:

Add bubbles: Change to sparkling water or invest in a soda stream.

Add flavour: Make some delicious fruit infusions- flavours and fruits like watermelon, grapefruit, lemon, ginger, lime and cucumber work brilliantly. Try a herbal tea hot, or brew it allowing it to cooldown and serve it over ice with a slice of fruit. Some of my favourite flavour combinations are ginger, lemon and cucumber, or mint tea with sliced cucumber. Flavoured ice cubes, blitz up fresh fruit like melons and pour the puree into ice cube tray, freeze and use as flavour bomb ice cubes.

Hydrating Foods: Did you know about 20% of your hydration comes from food? And not only are we getting hydrated, but we are also getting nutrients and water-soluble vitamins from these delicious foods. So why not try and add these hydration boosting foods to your plate this sunny summer day.

These include:

• Snacks - Like watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe and free oranges and apples.
• Cucumber - Add some delicious cucumber to your breakfast or lunch plate. Cucumber contains 96.73% water are a source of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and some calcium.
• Iceberg Lettuce - Is 95.64% water, and it is also low in carbohydrates and sugar but is s source of fibre and water-soluble vitamins A & K.
• Ripe Tomatoes - During the summer are a delicious source of hydration and flavour. They are about 95% water and add such a burst of flavour to any dish. Also, another source of fibre, Vit C & K and folate.
• Courgettes - Are a favourite Enrich food and are on average about 92% water. They also contain antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which may help fight damage to the body’s DNA. Why not add a side of charred lemon courgettes to your main meal this week.
• Broccoli - Is a favourite vegetable at the Enrich counter, tender stem, Irish, florets, charred, roast or steamed - we love it and so should you. It has 89.3% water when eaten raw - which is delicious dipped in hummus.

Other than individual foods, smoothies and soups and broths made on stock are also a great way to boost hydration levels in the body.