Simple habits busy mamas can adopt to drink enough water every day
One of the habits that get easily pushes aside when you’re a busy mama is drinking water. Even though we know we need it - and we make sure our kids are getting enough water - moms still struggle to get their water in. Usually, as the school season picks up and we’re rushing to get our kids everywhere it’s even harder to make drinking water a priority, which is why I want to share three simple habits busy mamas, like you, can easily adopt to get enough water!
Before we dive into those habits, I want to teach you an easy way to know how much water you should be drinking.
The old formula was 8 glasses of water a day, and that’s a great place to start, but the truth is that hydration isn’t one-size-fits-all. Every person needs a different amount of water! Take your current weight and divide it by two to calculate how much water you need! It’s that simple!
That should be the baseline for your water consumption every day. However, you might need to add water for the following situations:
Add 12 oz of water for every 30 minutes of exercise
Add 8 oz of water for every cup of caffeine you drink
Add more water if you’re outside on a hot day
Now, that you understand how much water you should be aiming for, let’s set you up with a few tools to hit that goal!
Water first
Did you know that we are most dehydrated when we wake up in the morning? During sleep, our bodies flush out toxins and repair our bodies with requires a lot of water! You need to rehydrate your body and set it up for another day of success by drinking water first thing in the morning!I keep a glass of water right by my bed so that when I wake up I can drink it. I like my water to be room temperature because I feel like I can drink more of it, but it’s OK if you prefer it cold!
If you don’t want to drink water the second you wake up, that’s fine; however, make sure you drink water before you have your morning cup of coffee or any caffeinated beverage, like a pre-workout.
The acidity from coffee and caffeine can cause stomach issues if you drink it on an empty stomach! When you drink coffee, it sends a signal to your brain to start producing hydrochloric acid - aka stomach acid - but if there’s no food for that acid to break down it can damage your stomach lining, prevent acid production in the future, and even lead to ulcers, indigestion and heartburn.
I love, love, love my morning cup of coffee, but I always make sure it comes after water and preferable after a little bit of food so that there’s something for the stomach acid to break down!
I’ve also found that when I start my day with healthy habits like drinking water and having a protein-rich breakfast it’s much easier to stick to healthy choices throughout the day! Water first, is the first step towards hitting your water goals!
8x3 Rule
The 8x3 Rule is one of the easiest ways to remember to drink water, especially if you’re a busy mom who is always on the go, like me!
The 8x3 Rule is really simple. You just drink 8 ounces of water three times.
8 ounces before a meal
8 ounces with a meal
8 ounces after a meal
The reason this trick works is that it breaks your water intake down into manageable bits! If you were handed a 24-ounce water bottle and told to drink it all right now, could you do it? Nope? Me either - and I drink a lot of water! But there’s something about chugging a ton of water at once that’s just miserable!
By breaking it down into 8 ounces it’s so much easier to do! Plus if you use the 8x3 rule three times a day, you’ll easily drink 72 ounces in a day! A few more cups of water here and there and you’ll easily hit your goals!
Replace 1 non-water drink a day
I know water isn’t the sexiest drink in the world, but it is the most important drink we can have! I read an article where Angela Lemond, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics said water was "the gold standard fluid for the body,"
While we may love our coffee, sodas, energy drinks, crystal light, juice, milk, etc. There is nothing the body loves more than water!
This is why I’m going to suggest you substitute one of your non-water drinks each day with water. I know, it’s not fun or glamorous, but it will help you in the long run!
If substituting your favorite drink out for a glass of water sounds painful, it’s ok to spice it up and make it fun!
If you like having soda in the afternoon, try switching it out for carbonated water! You’ll still get the bubbles but it will hydrate you instead of dehydrating you!
If you’re looking for a caffeine boost, then water is still your best option! Water will give you an energy boost without the crash that coffee and energy drinks can give you. You can try flavored water to make it more exciting!
Water is an essential nutrient and without it, we can’t lead healthy lives. Creating a habit of drinking water will benefit you in so many ways - weight loss just being one of them! If you’re struggling to take big leaps in your health, then start with drinking enough water during the day and look at what a huge difference it makes!
Mama, just because you’re busy taking care of your family doesn’t mean you don’t deserve time to take care of yourself too! I can help you learn how to make your health a priority while still crushing it as a busy mom! Schedule a free discovery today to feel better in your skin!
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