By Coach Kelly:

Drinking water is essential to life! All of your bodily systems and organs need water to
function. Your blood pressure, kidney function, digestive system, and even your skin all depend on adequate water to function properly. When you don’t drink enough water you are risking dehydration. Dehydration can cause serious health problems like kidney stones, which can be extremely painful. Dehydration also causes dizziness, headaches, fatigue, dry skin, and more! If you find yourself getting thirsty, know that you have already started down the path of dehydration – so always try to drink before you find yourself overly thirsty.

Not only is water essential to life, it can also help you stick to your nutrition plan. Are you Hungry or thirsty? If
you are a meal planner and generally know what and when you will be eating throughout the day, water
can help you stay on track. If throughout the day you feel yourself getting hungry but it’s not snack time
yet, try to drink a glass of water instead of grabbing that snack. Water can also help when drinking a
glass right before you eat a meal. By drinking water you give your body the sensation of feeling full.

At times everyone can struggle to continue to hydrate. There are some simple methods to make drinking water a bit less painful. There are apps that remind you when to drink, for example. A simple way in my opinion is to buy a reusable bottle with times already printed on them or by writing them on your own.

So how much water should you drink in a day? Of course this depends on your size, weight and
activity level. On days that you have light to little activity you should try to consume half of your body
weight in ounces. For example, a 150 # person should take in approximately 75oz of water. This is an
example of a person that is having a lazy day with no chance of physical exertion. This same person of
150# should consume in-between 75 and 150oz of water on days that are hot or physical with the
potential of fluid loss through sweat.

With summer coming it is incredibly important to stay hydrated and drink that water! Caffeinated products and alcohol dehydrate you. To avoid all of the negative effects of dehydration, make sure you are drinking 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of ‘other’ beverages you consume. Be safe in the heat, drink lots of water, and have a GREAT summer!