“Sante,” “L’Chayim,” “Salud,” …no matter what language you speak, toasts are often blessings for good health. But when the beverage is the color blue and contains more sugar than a candy bar, that drink is nothing to cheer about. The fact is that most of us don’t realize how important it is to drink properly or how much of an impact poor hydration has on your state of health.
Just think about your last physical exam: if you were lucky, your doctor asked you about your diet and if you were tipping the scales, you may have been told to lose some weight. But when was the last time your healthcare provider asked you about the types of fluid you were drinking?
Since water is the largest constituent of the human body, comprising about 60% of your body weight, it’s time to raise your glass (or bottle) a little more often. Here are a few guidelines that are easy to swallow:
- Everything counts: water, sparkling water, tea, coffee, etc. Check your food labels – choose beverages that have no added sugar whenever possible.
- If you don’t like plain water, try adding a splash of your favorite juice to provide a little color and flavor. Use those that are marked 100 % fruit juice.
- Make a big, steamy mug of herbal tea and add a few slices of apple or pear. When you finish your beverage you’ll have a warm, delicious fruit treat waiting for you at the bottle of your cup.
- Eat more watery foods, like soups, fruits and vegetables. These foods will make you feel more satiated and may help promote weight loss as well as better hydration.
- Drink water at room temperature – this may help you to consume more than you would if it was too hot or too cold.
- Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink – thirst comes too late and gets satisfied too quickly. Thirst is not a good indicator of how much liquid your body needs.
- Drink extra fluids when you exercise and in warm climates to replace fluids losses from perspiration.
- Your need for fluids increase when you have diarrhea, constipation, or if you’re vomiting. Proper hydration is also essential in helping to fight upper respiratory infections and warm liquids can soothe the common cold and flu.
Just as important as drinking enough of the right beverage is making sure you’re not overdoing the wrong ones. Americans consume nearly 800 calories per day from sugared beverages, a major contributor to our obesity crisis. To educate consumers on the importance of hydration, Nestlé ® Pure Life ® has launched its Nestlé ® Pure Life ® Hydration Movement. I’m thrilled to be working with Nestlé Pure Life to get the word out and to help educate families make a smart switch to save billions of calories. Here’s the scoop: simply swap one sugared beverage a day for water for a year and eliminate up to 50,000 calories for your diet. That’s it.
Are you up for the challenge? To get more information on the importance of healthy hydration and to be a part of the Hydration Movement just log on to http://www.facebook.com/nestlepurelife. Participants will receive one $1-off coupon toward the purchase of Nestlé Pure Life Purified Water and also have the opportunity to enter a sweepstakes to win free Nestlé Pure Life bottled water for a year.
Make the swap today — it’s a small step that will bring big rewards.