Water The New Miracle Drink. Would you believe me if I said there is a no-cost, zero-calorie drink that will boost your mood,
provide energy, help you look younger and lose weight, and rid your body of toxins? If there were, would you start drinking it today?
While this drink is easily accessible, most of us don’t consume enough of it—including on-the-go meeting professionals. The drink I’m speaking of? Water. Yup, that’s right. Good old water. The benefits of drinking water extend far beyond just quenching your thirst—every process in our bodies depends on water. We need to consume enough water to help maintain balanced bodily fluids. These bodily fluids aid in digestion, circulation, transportation of nutrients, and the transportation of waste products in and out of cells.
The foundation of health begins with our cells; they need to be nourished and well hydrated to provide the body energy for optimal performance. When cells don’t receive adequate fluid, their performance goes down; muscles fatigue and the body will lack energy. This is a difficult way to function on site at a meeting, especially when the solution is an easy one. This is why it’s so important to proactively hydrate. And remind your attendees to do it, too.
But I’m Not Thirsty
Many people have shared with me that they drink water when they get thirsty. While this may be a good indication that you need fluids, there is a problem with this plan. Your thirst mechanism goes off when your bodily fluids are low. This means you’re already behind in fluid consumption and experiencing dehydration. The goal is to stay ahead of the game by hydrating consistently through the day so that you do not feel thirsty.
An easy way to remember to drink water is to drink one glass in the morning, one glass before each meal, one glass between meals and one small glass in the evening before bed. This will only get you to the eight suggested glasses a day, so increase the volume or drink water more often if you need to increase your overall fluid consumption.
But Water Is Boring
If plain old water isn’t exciting enough for you, try adding fruit and herbs to the water, or enjoy hot green or herbal tea as an afternoon treat. While most liquids hydrate your body, watch out for the amount of sugar you may be consuming. Soda, Gatorade, vitamin water, and bottled tea are all readily available options, but the sugar content tends to be very high. If you opt for the sugar-free versions that contain artificial sweeteners, you’re doing more harm than good to your system. Be creative with adding various fruits, herbs, and vegetables and enjoy a spa-like experience all day long with your flavored water creations!
Along with drinking water, you can count raw fruits and vegetables as a hydration source as well! All of these plants provide your body with structured water, which not only nourishes and hydrates the cells in the body, but also provide disease-fighting antioxidants and healthy fiber.
Critical Container Talk
Consider purchasing a stainless-steel or glass water bottle (or use a mason jar for drinking) rather than drinking bottled water in plastic containers. Water helps our cells remove toxins from the body; we certainly don’t want to be putting more toxins in from the plastic container we drink from.
Happy toxin-free hydrating!
