POV: It’s in the depths of winter as you reach for yet another warm, cozy chai latte, sugar-free hot chocolate or your third cup of coffee for the day. Ahh, pure bliss. But then you wonder why your skin looks blah, you have a killer headache and carry a chapstick in every handbag because… your lips? Dryer than Saturday night’s martini. If you’ve ever thought, “but there’s water in my delicious hot beverage…right?” then keep reading, we’ve got a little bone to pick.
Yes, technically there is water in your caramel soy latte from Starbucks. Look, we get it. A good coffee run just hits differently, especially in the colder months. Truth bomb though? Nothing compares to the real deal, high-quality, thirst-quenching beverage that is H20, also known as water. You know how important (life-changing?) sipping your 8-10 glasses of water can be, right? We think it’s fair to say that the challenging part is actually sticking to a “hydration plan” and making sure you drink enough consistently.
With that said, go grab a nice big glass of water and settle in because we’re talking all things H20. The health benefits, the skin benefits and some cheeky tips on how to welcome water with loving arms. Keep reading.
Let’s do a quick test so that you can self-diagnose your hydration levels, or lack thereof. Some common signs that your body is thirsty (no not that kind) are as follows:
Love that for us, science, ugh. Although these symptoms can be attributed to other issues, if you find yourself experiencing one or more of the above consistently, then it may be time to review your water intake. Who knew that water could have this much effect on your body. Stick with us here because we’re going to share our number one tip on how you can increase your hydration levels without gulping down gallons of water.
As a total wellness warrior and fitness babe, you know that staying hydrated is a non-negotiable. Let’s dive deep into why that is. Here are our top five reasons why getting your daily dose of hydration is a no-brainer.
Increased Energy
According to Healthline.com, a fluid loss of 1-3% is classified as mild dehydration and can impair energy levels and mood and even lead to major reductions in memory and brain performance. Ouch. Without good hydration, you will most likely deal with annoying energy and mood dips throughout the day.
Before you lay down and “rest your eyes” for a power nap or open the pantry and grap a couple handfuls of Popchips or gluten-free crackers, first consider that your body may be craving water. So instead, you can reach for a tall glass of water. If that sounds hella boring, we’ve got you covered, girl.
Cira’s Glow-Getter Hydration Sticks are the perfect addition to your mundane glass of H20 at home or on-the-go. With two amazing flavors, Glow-Jito and Grapefruit Sunrise, you’ll be sipping pretty all day long. But we’re not stopping there, Cira’s Aminos supports lean muscle growth and promotes hydration so you can go harder in the gym. Check it out here.
Glowing Hair, Skin and Nails
Did you know that when your body doesn’t get the water it needs to function properly, it borrows it from places in your body that are less important to your survival? And unfortunately, hair and nail growth as well as skin appearance are a few places that suffer. Um, rude. Who says glowy skin complexion is not needed for survival?!
All jokes aside, when you’re dehydrated your skin can’t get rid of toxins as easily and leaves a clear path for eczema, psoriasis and other skin problems to exist. A visible litmus test to know if a person is well hydrated is healthy nails, strong hair and a glowing complexion.
Laser Focus
For better performance at work and play, it’s important to stay hydrated throughout the day. Pretty good motto, huh? Sounds like a trending TikTok audio to us so we’re here for it.
Mindy Millard-Stafford, director of the Exercise Physiology Laboratory at Georgia Institute of Technology, says that,”We find that when people are mildly dehydrated they really don’t do as well on tasks that require complex processing or on tasks that require a lot of their attention.” Brain fog equals another sure fire sign that you may be dehydrated, so if that’s the case, drink up ladies.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Apparently, this “8-10 glasses of water a day” advice is kind of a myth. It’s actually best practice to drink half of your body weight (yes, half!) in ounces to reap the benefits of optimized hydration. The thing is, your body’s demand for water can often be mistaken for hunger. Queue the several trips to the kitchen to snack when all your fine body wants is some quality hydration.
Hot Soleil Squad tip: drinking a glass of water before a meal can help you keep your portion control in check, aid in maintaining your weight and can promote fat loss.
Helps Prevent Hangovers
Did that get your attention? It’s true, alcohol is a diuretic, so it makes you lose more water than you take in, which inevitably leads to dehydration. Although dehydration is not the main cause of hangovers, it can cause annoying symptoms like fatigue, headaches and overall thirst.
Hot Soleil Squad tip: sip on a glass of h20 between drinks and then have at least one more heaping cup before you catch some z’s.
Before we get to our juiciest, most delicious tip, let’s talk about some honorable mentions first. We wanted to go past the traditional advice and make it a little more fun and do-able. Here’s what we suggest:
Make A Plan
Before you think this may be an unnecessary step, think about the tried and true quote; if you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail. It’s true for your workout routine, your career and overall goals in life so why should this be any different?
You can create your plan by tracking your water intake over a week or two, and then creating a schedule for water intake based on those numbers – with adjustments based on whether you’re currently consuming enough water. Progessive overload but make it hydration-focused.
Water, But Make it Cool
TikTok’s big sister, @ItsMeTinx is breaking the internet with her valuable dating advice, rich mom walks and revolutionizing how we drink water. Ok, maybe not a revolution per se, but she has brought cult-like status to this Amazon insulated cup as she swears it helps her drink more. And with glowing skin like that, we are on board.
Babes, we tested it and can attest to it. It’s a game changer. The benefit here is that it stays cold (like your ex’s heart) like, forever. So those half empty bottles you’ve left laying around and totally forgotten about? Say boy bye to lukewarm water. With this cup, it will stay fresh and cold for hours.
Our Top Tip To Stick To Your Hydration Goals… Literally
We’re sorry, not sorry for making you wait this long to find out our top tip. But we believe it deserves all the suspense and all of the hype. But in truth, we’ve already mentioned it! Hydration Sticks have entered the chat.
Our favorite way to keep hydrated and glowing is our Glow-Getter Hydration Sticks. We’re replacing our chapsticks for our hydration sticks as we glow from the inside out by adding one on-the-go stick to 16-20oz of water. They’re packed with potassium, sodium, magnesium, vitamin C, taurine and more glow-getting ingredients that will ensure you’re hydrated 24/7, through the hot summer days and cold winter nights. Afterall, we’re just looking at a boring glass of water, begging for it to be tasty and delicious.
