The Busy Mom's Guide to Hydration: How to keep you and your family hydrated as the weather begins to warm up
During the winter you may have fallen out of the habit of drinking water because we just don’t feel as thirsty when it’s cold out; however as the weather starts to warm up, it’s important to be mindful of how much water you and your kids are drinking.
If you’re on a health and weight loss journey, then increasing your water intake - to an appropriate amount - should be the first thing you do! Dehydration can make you feel hungry, which can easily lead to overeating. Instead of trying to find something to eat, you can drink a glass of water first! It’s an easy way to help get your health on the right path!
Drinking water aids in weight loss, but it also does so much more! Here are just a few ways that our body utilizes water.
Supplies cells with oxygen
Regulates body temp
Helps kidneys remove waste from your blood (preventing kidney stones and UTIs)
Lubricates joints
Cushions vital organs (such as the spinal cord)
Maximizes physical performance
Aids in digestion
Aids in cognitive function
aids In nutrient absorption
Helps fight off illness
Gives energy
Improves mood
Now that you understand how important it is, let move into how much water you should be drinking and how to make sure you drink up!
Know how much water you need to be drinking⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You were probably taught as a kid that you needed to drink 8 glasses of water a day, but is that still true as an adult?
In most cases, 8 glasses of water aren’t enough for adults! If you drink eight, 8 oz glasses of water, that’s only 64 oz! Which is more along the lines of what your kids should drink!
Adults should drink at least half of their body weight in ounces. So if you weigh 150 lbs, you should drink 75 oz of water, to begin with.
But, we can’t just stop there because we do and consume a lot of things that also impact our hydration!
On top of your base amount of water that you just calculated, you should add 8 oz of water for every cup of caffeine you drink. So if you have a cup of coffee in the morning and a diet coke in the afternoon, you should add 16 oz. to your base.
Finally, you’ll want to increase your water based on your activity level. For every 30 mins of activity, you need to add 12 oz. of water. This means time spent in the gym along with going for a walk or playing outside with your kids. Anytime you are active, add more water.
There isn’t a simple formula for this last one, but if you’re spending time outdoors on a really hot day, especially in direct sunlight, you’ll also want to increase your water. If you feel thirsty, drink!
How much water do my kids need?
As mamas, we aren’t just worried about our own nutrition! We’re constantly worried about our kids and making sure they’re getting what they need. It’s best to verify the amount of water your kids need with their doctor, but here are some basic guidelines.
Infants get the water and nutrients they need from milk, so you don’t need to be giving them any extra water.
Toddlers and pre-schoolers need around 16-40 oz of water a day, in addition to milk! You don’t necessarily need to be measuring their water, but make sure that you offer milk or water over juice and sodas.
School-aged kids need between 40-64 oz of water daily. Around age 13, kids can start drinking 64+ oz of water every day. This can also increase based on your kids’ activity levels and the weather. Make sure that your kids drink more water before physical activity and after!
Tips to make sure you drink water throughout the day
Now that you know how much water you need to be drinking each day, here are a few ways to help you drink more water throughout the day!
Start the day with water
When we sleep, our bodies are flushing out so many systems and toxins, which depletes our water. In fact, we’re most dehydrated when we wake up than at any other time of the day. The first thing we should do is rehydrate!
I like to keep a glass of water right next to my bed so that when I wake up, the first thing I do is drink water. Drinking room temperature water is a great way to start the day because you can drink it more quickly than a glass of ice-cold water.
If you can’t stand room temperature water, then it’s absolutely ok to drink cold water first thing in the morning too. Use an insulated water bottle to keep your water cold and start your day off with a cold cup of water! The main point is just to drink water, it doesn’t matter the temperature.
Set alarms to remind you to drink!
The good thing about drinking water first thing in the morning is it helps you drink more water throughout the day. However, if you are a crazy busy mom, and aren’t we all, then no matter how many times your body tells you to grab some water, you still might forget.
I love setting alarms to help remind me to drink throughout the day! This is also a great tool to use to keep track of how much water you’re drinking!
You can set up alarms that tell you how much water you should have drunk by the time it goes off or you can set alarms that tell you to drink now! It doesn’t matter which system you use, as long as it works for you!
I like the alarms to tell me to drink now because it’s easier for me to do the action when I hear the alarm.
8x3 Method for drinking water
My final method is called the 8x3 method. And it's super simple. You drink water before, during and after each meal, which helps you reach your water goal and keeps you from overeating.
Here’s how it works.
Drink 8 oz of water in the hour before a meal
Drink 8 oz of water during your meal
Drink 8 oz of water in the hour after your meal⠀
Doing this three times a day will get you closer to your water goal for the day! You can, and should, drink water outside of those times, but combining the habit of drinking water with the habit of eating makes it so much easier to do!
If you’re ready to commit to working on your health and are looking for a coach who can keep you accountable, then let’s talk! Schedule a free discovery call with me and we can start working on more nutrition goals together!
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