Stress tip #4 Hydration

Love your Brain, Love your Body, Love your Life

Drinking more water is one of the easiest changes you can make to help manage your stress. 

Water can offer your body many benefits, not the least of which is a stronger defense against stress. If you are dehydrated your body can't rally its energy in the cause of stress management. 

Sound too easy? The link between water and stress reduction is well documented. All of our organs, including our brains, need water to function properly. If you’re dehydrated, your body isn’t running well -- and that can lead to stress.
“Studies have shown that being just half a liter dehydrated can increase your cortisol (a stress hormone) levels. Staying in a good hydrated status can keep your stress levels down. When you don’t give your body the fluids it needs, you’re putting stress on it, and it’s going to respond to that.” Amanda Carlson, RD, director of performance nutrition at Athletes’ Performance.
That doesn’t mean that all your problems with money, kids and job will magically go away, however, you will be able to manage these issues a lot more efficiently with lower stress. “You’re actually likely to get more dehydrated when you’re under stress, because your heart rate is up and you’re breathing more heavily, so you’re losing fluid,” says Renee Melton, MS, RD, LD, director of nutrition for Sensei. 
A general rule is to drink half as much water in ounces as your body weight, with adjustments needed if you live in a warm climate or doing a workout etc., you will need more hydration. In addition to the amount of water intake, it is just as important to disperse it throughout the day.

You can get the correct water consumption throughout the day and remember to do it in these 3 easy steps!

1. Determine your recommended daily amount. Remember half your body weight in oz. per day. For example if you weigh 120lbs. you should be drinking a minimum of 60oz per day.

2. Disperse that amount equally throughout the day. Starting first thing in the morning before anything else, even coffee. Divide your daily intake by 12, for a 12 hour period during the day. (for example this would be 5 ounces per hour). This is the minimum ounce amount you should drink per hour. Recommended stopping 3-4 hours before bedtime.

3. Remember to drink by creating a plan. Get a water bottle and know the volume. Every hour on the hour drink your H2O hourly intake (for the example 5 ounces) repeating the process throughout the day. you can set alarms on your watch or computer etc. To help you remember to drink and refill.

- Keep a water bottle at your desk, in your car, by your bed, with you as much as possible.
- Keep caffeinated beverages to a minimum, they dehydrate you. Water is a great beverage with meals.
- Keeping hydrated will help lower your stress, improving both your physical and cognitive abilities, helping you have better performance all day long.
- If you get to the end of the day and you realize you didn’t meet your required amount, don’t try and make up for it and drink 4 glasses of water at once, it is not good for you. Just do better tomorrow.