Staying Hydrated for the Holidays

December 4th, 2024 | Holidays, Lifestyle

The Importance of Hydration

Staying hydrated is always important, but the holidays often raise havoc on our diets. During these times, remaining hydrated is especially important since hydration is the first step in maintaining weight, battling nausea, and keeping a sense of wellbeing. For this reason, we want to provide some tips to stay hydrated during the holiday season.

Tips to Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated during the holidays can be challenging with all the festive food and drink options. Here are some effective ways to ensure you maintain good hydration:

Drink Water Regularly

Drinking water is the best, safest, and most natural way to stay hydrated. The Mayo Clinic recommends drinking between three and four liters of water per day for an average person. We should also drink water throughout the day, so keep a water bottle on hand and sip regularly. Some people like to set reminders to drink water in regular intervals.

Infuse Your Water

If you are like many people whom are bored with regular water, you can consider infusing your water. This means adding fruits like lemon, berries, or cucumber to your water. Infusion can add extra flavor and nutrients, and makes water more exciting. Remember, however, that adding sugar to your water might reverse the effect of drinking water.

Limit Caffeinated Drinks

While coffee and tea can contribute to hydration, too much caffeine can have a diuretic effect. This means that you will excrete water in excess of what you would without drinking these beverages. While coffee and tea do have positive health benefits, those who do drink caffeinated beverages may need to supplement more water to replace the extra losses.

Choose Hydrating Foods

Not all the water we need to consume has to come from beverages. Many foods are rich in water and adding such foods to your diet can greatly supplement water intake, even leading to more hydration and more satisfying meals. Incorporate fruits and vegetables with high water content, such as watermelon, cucumbers, oranges, and celery into your diet to receive hydration from foods.

Monitor Alcohol Intake

As always, people should be cautious of drinking alcohol. If you choose to drink, remember that alcohol has dehydrating properties. Each time you drink alcohol, you should balance it with a glass of water. Also, it is well known that a hangover is generally caused by alcohol dehydration, so you should consider alternating drinks to maintain hydration and minimize nausea and headache the following day.

Herbal Teas

Herbal teas are more hydrating than green or black tea because they are not as diuretic as caffeine-containing drinks. Herbal teas also bring more flavor to your fluid consumption, so enjoy caffeine-free herbal teas, especially during cooler months.

Use Hydration Apps

Like any other health goal, setting a hydration goal is a good idea. If you are a checklist person, this will be easy, but if you are used to relying on more technology, consider downloading an app on your phone. These apps can track your fluid intake, issue you reminders to take a sip, and in some cases monitor your actual intake.

Drink Before Meals

Drinking water with meals can reduce your calorie consumption and make you feel more full. Having a glass of water before meals can help with hydration, but may also aid digestion. Developing a habit of drinking one glass of water with each meal will greatly reduce the amount of extra water you need to drink throughout the day.

Stay Active

Physical activity can remind you to drink more water, especially if you’re exercising. By being mindful of your hydration during the holiday season, you can enjoy the festivities while keeping your health in check!

Hydration Supplements

Another excellent way to remain hydrated is to use hydration supplements. These supplements will replenish nutrients that our diet may not cover and will keep our cells happy with electrolyte balance. You can check out our line of Queasy Hydration to try some out for yourself.