So Simple, Yet Magical!

I believe that water is the only drink for a wise man. — Henry David Thoreau

Action: Start each day with a giant glass of water and drink a LOT of water throughout the day as well as before, during and after exercising. Make sure to drink at least the daily recommended 64 oz.

by Sha Klatt

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! How many times have we all heard this? We all know we should drink 6-8, 8 oz. glasses of water each day, and it’s actually more important than you may think. Recently, I have heard several scary stories related to dehydration. Five people in our community, ranging in ages from 16-60 lost consciousness and some were seriously injured when they fell, leaving them hospitalized and placed on IV’s for several days, ALL because of dehydration.

I have had three less-serious dehydration scares of my own. In the past several years, I have had more and more headaches. Last year I had three unbelievable migraines that sent me to the emergency room for very expensive headache relief. I tried to figure out what was triggering the migraines, a glass of wine? A margarita? The high altitude of an airplane flight?

Finally, I realized the common thread… all of these activities were dehydrating. After an 8-week experiment, I have become a HYDRATION ADVOCATE! I started paying attention to my water intake, making sure I was actually getting the recommended daily dose, and lo and behold, I haven’t had one headache since! I can have a glass of wine or a margarita and not get a headache, as long as it’s accompanied by a large glass of water. Now, when I feel a headache coming on I start drinking water and POOF, the headache is gone. It’s so simple, yet magical! Plus, I really do feel so much better when I’m properly hydrated.

Staying hydrated is such a tremendously important topic that I am challenging you to pay extra attention to your water (not tea, soda or coffee) consumption, especially in this scorching summer heat. I promise you will be doing your body a huge favor! You’ll perform better both physically and mentally, feel awesome and have tremendous energy.

Let’s start each day with a giant glass of water and don’t forget to drink a LOT of water before, during and after you iGnite (or exercise elsewhere). Make sure you get the daily recommended 64 oz. and avoid using the grocery store purchased water bottles, as our landfills are filled with plastic, (which takes 450 to 1000 years to decompose!) and is actually very difficult and costly to recycle. Use and refill a reusable water bottle instead!

Finally, try not to buy into the “celebrity hype” as they promote their favorite water. As clever and funny as some of the advertisements are, such as this weeks video, keep your money in your pocket (think of the money you will save!!) and enjoy the good ‘ole water from your faucet or filter. AND now is the perfect time to replace lost potassium and electrolytes with watermelon. Deeelish!!

In the spirit of properly hydrating, we also encourage you to join in on the iGnite water fun such as the Lake Escape, Swimming, and Yoga on the dock (overlooking the water).