Baby, it’s cold outside, but you still have to stay hydrated!
Importance of winter hydration
We touched on hydration in the November newsletter, but we wanted to dive a little bit deeper in today’s blog post. So many of us are not intentional about water consumption (especially during the colder winter months). But we cannot afford to be passive about hydration! The byproducts of dehydration are pretty serious, and you probably do not associate many of the side effects with dehydration.
So how can you tell if you’re dehydrated? Our bodies do a good job of warning us when something is not quite right. Signs of dehydration are vast and go beyond just physical thirst.
Do you ever get a foggy mind or feel a mid-afternoon slump? Did you know that hydration can play a major role in this? Does your skin look lackluster and feel dry and wrinkly? Again, hydration. Do you struggle with digestive issues, experience nausea and often feel bloated and irritable? Yep, hydration.
So, what’s the deal. Why does hydration play such a major role in so many aspects of our bodies, especially our skin?
Well, every part of our bodies, down to our cells, use water. Water regulates our temperature and acts as a lubricant for our joints. Water helps move nutrients throughout our bloodstream and even helps soften our stool for healthier, easier digestion. However, through these functions, our bodies lose water. When we do not replenish the supply, our bodies do not perform to the best of their ability, leaving us feeling the side effects.
Water (and lack of water!) also affects our largest organ—our skin. A lack of water leaves our skin cells depleted, which means dull, tight and dry skin which can contribute to the appearance of wrinkles. According to Dr. Justine Hextall, a dermatologist at the Harley Medical Group, “When skin is dehydrated it lacks elasticity, fine lines and under eye circles often appear more pronounced, and skin tends to look flat. Whereas hydrated skin just glows, looking plumper, calmer and reflects light better hence the term glowing skin.”
Everyone should drink 1/2 their body weight in fluid oz of water (not tea, not Gatorade, not soda…) per day, minimum. That means, an 120 lb female should drink at least 60 fluid oz of water each day. If you are feeling extra parched or suffering from continual dehydration, we can help!
In our November newsletter, we shared a few suggestions on how to stay hydrated—especially if you’re not into gulping water. In today’s post, we want to share a little bit more about a non-conventional way to stay hydrated- IV (intravenous) therapy.
Whether you are suffering from dehydration and fatigue or the common cold, IV treatments are great boosters to get your body back on track. IV’s deliver various vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, amino acids and water throughout your body, and fast! Your body absorbs more nutrients through IV therapy than consumption, because the vitamins and minerals are delivered straight into the bloodstream. They bypass digestion which can take hours and be harsh on your stomach (especially if you are already feeling the effects of dehydration), and can steal nutrients in the process. IV treatments last from 30-40 minutes, but you will feel refreshing results in minutes!
As the old adage goes, “Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” This holiday season, let’s live without neither!