Water: the Base to a Healthy Diet
A key ingredient to a healthy diet is water. Consumers are moving more and more towards plant based, Vegan, Vegetarian or Mediterranean eating styles. Given the research to support these healthy diets, it makes sense. Along with these high fiber approaches however is the digestive system's need for water to carry all that added fiber through the digestive tract easily.
Another reason to consider water along with a healthy diet is that staying hydrated is key to brain function. Consider the mental effort in starting a new eating style: there is planning, reading, sharing with your support group, purchasing and then sticking to it. All of this requires energy and focus, which is hard to come by in a dehydrated body. Fatigue is one of the big reasons we fail to stick with our goals. And often fatigue comes from dehydration, so addressing this every single day that we are approaching dietary changes can be one of the big reasons we succeed or fail.
So, what can we do to create a solid habit of water intake? Consider these four suggestion.
Know how much. Here is a simple calculation to determine your fluid needs. Take your weight in pounds and divide by 2.2, this will give you your weight in kilograms. Next multiply by 30. This will give you your fluid needs in milliliters. You can divide this number by 1,000 to give you liters. Most of us need somewhere between 2 and 3 liters of water each day.
Simplify. Determine when it is easiest to drink this water at a regular time during the day. Is that first thing in the morning? Is it sipping it throughout the day? Is it while driving? Consider when you are most likely to drink water and simply set that up as the time periods that you will get the job done. You might also consider the kind of water bottle you need, a large one that you fill up once. Maybe its right next to the area you spend most of your time during the day. Figure out the details that will make this the easiest for you to do every day. And as with all new habits, avoid complicating it. The simpler, the better.
Consistency. This isn't a one time thing. You need to be filling up your water bottle, and drinking it, every single day. So, determine when you will create the habit of filling up your water bottle and where this water bottle will be placed so it is easy to get to. I find that filling up water bottles as part of my bedtime routine every day is the best way for me to set myself up for daily success. Whatever it is, select a time that you will fill up your water bottles so they are ready to go. And then be consistent with this habit.
Track. We often get distracted with so many things, goals and needs that we are prone to forget that earlier in the week we had set our minds on creating a water drinking habit. So my best advice is to get a large piece of paper, draw a calendar on it and set it somewhere that is frequently visible. Then leave a pen or pencil nearby to write down your progress. At the end of each day, write down how much you have had for that day. Your tracker can be electronic as long as it doesn't get lost in the other apps you have waiting for your time and attention. Whatever form you use to track, make sure it's one that you see daily. Track your progress until your new goal becomes a habit and requires little mental effort, it just happens every day without thinking about it.
Just think about how much healthier and happier you will be in a hydrated body. No other food is needed in as much daily quantity as water is. Seriously, it is the base of a healthy diet.
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