Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Chic Habits: Water and Hydration



I know that when I drink plenty of water I feel really good, and if I don’t I usually end up with a headache.  Most days I drink lots of glasses of water, away from mealtimes.  Drinking water too close to eating food hinders digestion, as the liquid dilutes your digestive juices.  I read ages ago that you are best to avoid drinking a lot of fluid within half an hour of a meal, and at least one hour after.

So once breakfast is over I have quite a few glasses in the morning, and the same again in the afternoon.  I don’t tend to drink a lot of anything after dinner as I want to have a good night’s rest without getting up for the loo!

A chic habit I have been implementing lately is to have a ‘dedicated water day’.  I will either have a one-litre jug on the kitchen bench, filled with water and maybe a few slices of lemon, or I will treat myself to a large bottle or a couple of smaller bottles of still mineral water.

My goal is to drink two litres of water by dinner time.  Just think of the toxins being flushed out of your body, your skin being plumped up and rehydrated, and all your hard-working internal organs having plenty of clean, fresh water to let them do their job well.

I always feel so refreshed when I have a day where I focus on two litres of water, and an added bonus is that when I’ve just had a glass of water, I don’t look around for something to nibble on.  Win/win.

American measurements – two litres of water equals roughly half a gallon, just over two quarts or 68 ounces.

14 comments:

  1. There is no scientific proof to support the claim that you need two litres of water a day. I just wanted to share that.

    That sounds very negative, but I do love your blog;)

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  2. This is one chic habit I need to incorporate into my life. Thanks for sharing, Fiona!

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  3. I really dislike drinking water!, but, like you, feel so much better when I do. I can pour a glass, with good intentions, and I can "work" on it all day! Thanks for the good reminder -- definitely a chic habit.

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  4. I love sparkling water and buy Perrier by the case. Weight Watchers helped me develop the habit and my eyes look clear and bright and I think my skin is better. You are wise to keep the jug on your counter as it will remind you to sip more throughout the day.
    Take care Fiona!

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  5. Hi there Fiona, I too try to drink a lot of water every day but I drink about 6 cups instead of the 8. I just feel "over-watered!" My doctor advised me to try NOT to drink too much water because I tend to retain it. It disturbs my balance (I have an inner ear problem). Go figure. It drives me crazy all the conflicting information on health and nutrition.

    I do drink about 4 cups of green tea daily. I buy the roasted green tea since it has the same health benefits with less caffeine. I feel this is "boosted" water, if you will.

    You are right, one does feel so much better when well hydrated. Something so simple can make such a difference.

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  6. Eizhowa, as with any claims or myths, take them as you wish and if they work for you. Drinking water works for me, and I know I feel rotten if I've hardly had any water all day. I also know of people who never drink water, just the odd tea or coffee here and there, and it works for them! Thank you for your kind words.

    Another thing I forgot to mention about keeping hydrated with water is that it is FREE (not taking into account water rates in which case a glass would probably cost less than 1 cent), and in most countries safe to drink. I can't even imagine living somewhere where you cannot rely on that :(

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  7. Fiona, my doctor told me that when I am tired it could be slight dehydration. You know...the slumps about 2:00 in the afternoon. A glass of water usually does the trick. Dehydration is the cause of many health issues and can be serious. Better to be hydrated. Thank you for your terrific blog which I love and visit often. I missed you when you were away. Merci!

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  8. Drinking water is indeed a chic habit. Appetite suppressant, skin booster, toxin flusher, cell hydrator, and zero calories, what could be better. I know, water with a couple of strawberries sliced into it, and maybe a sprig of mint. Now that is pretty hard to beat. And it is best thirst quencher available. I am off to have a glass right now ;)

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  9. I agree with Melissa. I love infusing my water with fruit, either a simple lemon slice like you mentioned or something like cucumber, strawberries or mint. It's so refreshing.

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  10. I think some of the confusion about water requirements comes from humidity in the air, exercise, weight and diet. For example, a person eating lots of fruits and vegetables and soups obviously is going to need to drink less water. A person in a hot dry climate is going to need much more. My husband is going to need more because he weighs about seventy pounds more than me. A runner is going to need more because she is, shall we say, "glowing." :)

    Bottled water is wonderful and so much more healthy than pop. But a person with good tap water is so lucky. Some hard water even contains calcium. Tap water is very inexpensive and very easy on the planet. Good water is truly a gift.

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  11. When I was young, I hated to drink water, but multiple bouts of painful bladder infections taught me to like water and I made it a habit. Now I can't stand to not drink a lot of water. It is my beverage of choice along with an occasional cup of herbal tea. I take a water bottle (my own) with me wherever I go.

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  12. Bonjour! I loathe drinking water as its so tedious all those litres! I can only drink water if its flavoured with something like lemon or lime or something like that. But even trying to drink more than one litre is hard. i really dont have an excuse as i work from home and have access to my kitchen all the time! Herbal tea is key though and does count I think! Have a lovely day, Catherinex

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  13. Thank you for an interesting post. You have wonderfully optimistic and great blog.

    I thought you may use this good tip from a book I read. The author had a dad who was a very good doctor focusing on kidneys and his trick to keep your kidneys happy was a glass of water right after getting up and before eating anything.

    Since I´ve read it I keep to this habit, it is simple to remember for me as I take my pills in the morning and therefore the water is already in my hand I drink the whole thing instead of just a sip.

    I am sure you are right about the no drinking when eating. Chinese medicine says it is wrong for digesting to drink cold drinks after or during meal. The energy instead of being used for body goes straight into fat. So maybe drinking is fine, but warm tea is a must then.

    Great drink during summer is cold green tea. I put the bag with tea into cold water and after 15mins it is done. You can do the same with fruit tea.

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  14. Barbora, thank you for a great comment. I like the idea of drinking chilled herbal teas as a cold drink. Green tea has loads of caffeine but if it was weak enough it would be fine (I find the flavour very strong often) and fruit teas would be fabulous!

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Merci for your comment. Wishing you a chic day!

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