I don't know how many times I've stressed this, but water is probably the most important part of your daily routine. Your body is made up of 50-75% water, which means that making sure you replenish any lost water is extremely important. The average adult should drink up to eight, 8 oz. cups of water every day. If you feel thirsty, your body is probably telling you that you need hydration fast. The best way to avoid that feeling, is to remain on top of it.
When I'm on vacation, I find that I drink more water than I do at home. Why? Because I'm usually out in the heat for long periods of time, thus I'm sweating out a lot of water. I also don't want to get a headache or cramps from dehydration because I want to enjoy myself and have a good time.
If you are the opposite of me, however, it is important that you remember to bring a water bottle with you and remember to drink. Water bottles can be a little expensive, especially if you're going to a theme park, so I recommend looking into Berkey sports bottles. They filter the water as you drink so you can fill it up anywhere. It's a life saver on a hot day.
The most common thing I see people doing while on vacation is allowing themselves to splurge on sugary drinks like soda and sports drinks. I'm not against spoiling yourself every now and then (I think most of my food-related posts could tell you that), but sugar is a sure fire way to get yourself even more dehydrated. This is especially true if you're drinking it all day long.
When you're on vacation, you want to enjoy yourself. You want to take it all in and have fun, right? So, why would you risk that, especially in the heat of the summer, for a day of sugar-filled drinks? Here is where the famous rule comes in...splurge once a day and leave it at that.
Okay, so it's probably not a famous rule, but it should be!
Oh, and stay away from sugar-free drinks as well. They are filled with artificial sweeteners and colors that are basically chemicals that can cause immune, hormone, and other health issues if drunk regularly. If you would like more information about these drinks, you can check out my book or see any of my weight-loss snacks posts.
You get the idea why water is so important to a healthy lifestyle, I don't feel the need to spout off studies done or scientific evidence. I do, however, want to encourage you to remember to drink your water. Water is life. You literally couldn't live without it for more than 4 days (please don't try it).
Anyway, if you would like the scientific research on water and hydration, I recommend that you do some of your own. Or...you could check out my book, A Dancer's Diary, which has a whole section dedicated to water and drinks, both good and bad. Order it directly from me and receive $10 off the Amazon price, just click the order button at the top of the page.
Thanks for reading. I hope you continue to enjoy the content I write. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know.
Until next time,
Amanda
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