Nutrition, including liquids, have a large impact on health. We share three guidelines for healthy drinking. It does matter when, how much, and what you drink.
III. Drink water
Sufficient water intake throughout the day is also important. In addition to the fluid you get from food, you should drink about one and a half liters of water a day, and more in hot weather, when sweating a lot and when breastfeeding. Proper hydration helps us perform better in almost every way:
- COGNITIVE SHARPNESS: Improves memory, focus, and alertness. Reduces the chance of headache and brain fog.
- DIGESTION IMPROVEMENTS: Improves digestion and nutrient absorption while preventing constipation.
- PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE: Improves strength, endurance, and power while reducing fatigue. Also reduces injury risk.
- SKIN: Improves skin health while reducing the risk of acne.
- HEART HEALTH: Reduces the risk of excess strain on the cardiovascular system.
TIP: Energize a glass of water with lemon & salt
Squeeze half a lemon or lime into a glass of water (3 dls or more) and add a pinch of salt. Drink fresh.
Water with alternated pH and salt clears up the mind and makes the body move more effortlessly. The impact of electrolyte water can be experienced in a few minutes after drinking it.
II. Caffeine enjoyed in the first half of the day
Caffeine is another factor in your well-being. The earlier you get your caffeine throughout the day, the better. Caffeine has a half-life of 4 to 6 hours so that late afternoon cup of coffee is still in your system by the time your head hits the pillow.
- RECOVERY: For most people, consuming caffeine later in the day won’t keep you from falling asleep, but it will negatively impact your sleep quality.
- VICIOUS CYCLE: Poor sleep is often treated with more caffeine, which leads to more nights of poor sleep.
- APPETITE SUPPRESSION: Caffeine increases our energy levels while reducing hunger, which can easily lead to eating too little during the day and overeating in the evening.
III. Limit alcohol
Alcohol is one of the largest factors in your well-being. An occasional drink is probably fine, but regular consumption might impact you more than you realize.
- RECOVERY: Alcohol negatively impacts our recovery both directly and indirectly. Your REM sleep is disrupted and your body prioritizes dealing with the alcohol, disrupting other useful processes.
- ENERGY CONTENT: Alcohol contains energy without any nutritional value.
- MENTAL HEALTH: Even a few drinks can increase feelings of anxiety and depression. The effects increase exponentially with larger consumption.
- HORMONAL BALANCE: Reduces the natural production of growth hormone and raises cortisol, which is the body’s stress hormone.
Better drinking habits
We can figure out the cause-and-effect relationships of clients’ bottlenecks for well-being and find solutions. For example, we come up with practical solutions to reduce caffeine consumption during the working day or to reduce alcohol consumption in a job filled with representation responsibilities. Find out more about our services here >>