Throw a Party in Your Water Glass: How to Stay Hydrated this Winter

Q: I heard you can get dehydrated even if it’s cold outside but my problem is I never feel thirsty. How can I learn to drink more water?

Hey pal,

The winter season causes most of us to go to great lengths to protect our bodies from the frigid temperatures.  For a lot of people, this typically means an increase in layers and a higher intake of warm caffeinated beverages.  While these things are helpful in keeping us warm, we tend to forget to give our bodies the one thing that they still need most: water.  Our bodies are made of 70% water, and they need this valuable liquid in order to maintain all of the physiological processes that take place inside them.  While it’s easy to remember to drink water in the hot summer months, water intake usually decreases when the temperature does.  However, whether you’re in blistering heat or the frigid cold,  maintaining adequate water intake is vital in preventing dehydration and keeping your body functioning properly.

When the weather is warm, it’s not long before you feel like you need a sip of water.  Increased sweat rate creates a fluid imbalance inside your body which then signals a thirst response that causes you to take a drink.  Cold weather suppresses this thirst response even though water is still needed to counterbalance fluid loss.

It’s freezing outside, how does the body still lose water?

While you may not think you’re losing fluid when it’s cold, there are a number of things that can cause a fluid imbalance and lead to dehydration.  For example, the white stuff you see coming out of your mouth when you exhale is water vapor leaving your body.  Water is also lost through sweating.  Contrary to what you might think, sweating still occurs when it’s cold, especially given the increase in layers and weight of the clothing our bodies carry throughout the day.  Sweat evaporates quickly in cold dry air which can be why it goes unnoticed.  Water is also excreted through urine with the intake of caffeine which is a natural diuretic.  So although you may want to get your daily fix of a seasonal pumpkin latte, make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day to counter it.

So how do we increase water intake?

Drink it even if you don’t feel thirsty.  By the time you actually feel thirsty, your body is already on its way to becoming dehydrated.  Given the fact that the thirst response is not as prevalent in cold weather, don’t wait for your body to tell you to drink, just do it anyway.

Indulge in fruits & veggies.  Fresh produce is very high in water content.  Increasing fruit and vegetable intake will provide your body with much needed H2O in addition to other nutrients.  Plus they’re low in calories so you can eat a lot of them without feeling bad about it 🙂

Bring the party to your drinking glass.  The main reason why a lot of folks don’t drink enough water is because they don’t like the taste (which is really funny to me since it doesn’t taste like anything).  Adding fruit to your water provides natural flavor that completely transforms how it reacts on your tastebuds.  Try adding orange slices or fresh strawberries to your glass.  If mojitos are your thing, go for my favorite combo of lime and mint. This complementary duo makes water taste so good that I’ll gulf down three full glasses before I even remember that I’m drinking it.  Get creative with your flavor combos and taste the magic.

Drinking water is necessary, whether it’s January or June.  Drink up friends!

Shakeelah

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