Is your body getting the hydration it needs to thrive? Do you struggle with drinking enough water throughout the day? Dr. Wendy Bazilian dives into why water is essential not only for quenching thirst but for supporting overall health, boosting energy, and enhancing mental clarity. You’ll hear science-backed insights into hydration’s role in heart health, cognitive function, metabolism, and immune function, along with practical tips to help you stay hydrated throughout the day. Plus, enjoy a mindful minute designed to help you connect with your body’s hydration needs. Small changes can make a big difference! Listen in to discover how staying hydrated can improve your waking minutes each day.

FROM THE EPISODE:

“Three quarters of our brain is water. We are one big sponge up there inside our skull. So, even the mildest dehydration can cause brain fog and make it harder to focus.”

WE DISCUSS:

Audio:

(0:55) The link between hydration and  health, energy, and focus

(4:59) A personal story about hydration challenges in communities with limited access to clean water

(9:05) How much water we really need each day and what beverages and foods count

(13:27) ROIs of hydration: How it benefits the heart, brain, mood, metabolism, and immune system

(28:17) A mindful minute focused on appreciating water’s role in our body and mind

(32:07) Practical tips to make hydration a daily habit 

(42:05) A question to ponder and reflect on 

(42:53) Closing remarks and gratitude to my team and you for joining me on this journey

7-DAY HYDRATION CHALLENGE 

If you’re up for a little adventure, try this 7-day challenge and discover what works best for you to stay hydrated. Enlist a friend to hold yourself accountable, and have more fun in the process! 

• Day 1: Calculate your daily water needs. Take your weight in pounds and divide it in half. That’s how many ounces a day you should aim for. For 150 pounds, it would be 75 ounces or about nine cups a day.
• Day 2: Add more hydrating foods to your meals. Listen at (35:31) for tips.
• Day 3: Try different types of hydrating beverages—sparkling water, infused water, herbal teas, etc. Listen at (10:39) to hear what counts.
• Day 4: Check the color of your urine to assess hydration. Listen at (11:53) for an explanation! 
• Day 5: Set up a tracking system that feels right—whether it’s digital or analog. Listen at (37:12) for tips.
• Day 6: Track your water intake plus any non-water beverages you drink, like coffee or juice.
• Day 7: Reflect on the experience, celebrate your progress, and keep going with the habits that felt best.

REFERENCES (see below)

CONNECT WITH WENDY

Follow me on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes  

Visit my website: wendybazilian.com

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• Comment & Join the conversation! Share your thoughts or questions by visiting my website wendybazilian.com, or connect with me on social media.

Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey–together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.

Health Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.

REFERENCES

An, R., & McCaffrey, J. (2016). Plain water consumption in relation to energy intake and diet quality among US adults, 2005-2012. Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association, 29 5, 624-32 .

Armstrong, L. E., Ganio, M. S., Casa, D. J., Lee, E. C., Mcdermott, B. P., Klau, J. F., … Lieberman, H. R. (2011). Mild Dehydration Affects Mood in Healthy Young Women. The Journal of Nutrition, 142(2), 382–388. doi: 10.3945/jn.111.142000

Benton, D. (2011). Dehydration Influences Mood and Cognition: A Plausible Hypothesis? Nutrients, 3(5), 555–573. doi: 10.3390/nu3050555

Boschmann, M., Steiniger, J., Hille, U., Tank, J., Adams, F., Sharma, A. M., … Jordan, J. (2003). Water-Induced Thermogenesis. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 88(12), 6015–6019. doi: 10.1210/jc.2003-030780

Chan, J., Knutsen, S. F., Blix, G. G., Lee, J. W., & Fraser, G. E. (2002). Water, Other Fluids, and Fatal Coronary Heart Disease: The Adventist Health Study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 155(9), 827–833. doi: 10.1093/aje/155.9.827

Institute of Medicine. 2005. Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/10925.

Laja García, A. I., Moráis-Moreno, C., Samaniego-Vaesken, M., Puga, A. M., Partearroyo, T., & Varela-Moreiras, G. (2019). Influence of Water Intake and Balance on Body Composition in Healthy Young Adults from Spain. Nutrients, 11(8), 1923.

Maughan, R. J., Watson, P., Cordery, P. A., Walsh, N. P., Oliver, S. J., Dolci, A., ... & Galloway, S. D. (2016). A randomized trial to assess the potential of different beverages to affect hydration status: development of a beverage hydration index. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 103(3), 717-723.

Popkin, B. M., D'Anci, K. E., & Rosenberg, I. H. (2010). Water, hydration, and health. Nutrition reviews, 68(8), 439-458.

Smyth, A., Hankey, G. J., Damasceno, A., Iversen, H. K., Oveisgharan, S., Alhussain, F., ... & O'Donnell, M. (2024). Carbonated beverage, fruit drink, and water consumption and risk of acute stroke: The INTERSTROKE case-control study. Journal of Stroke.

Smyth, A., Hankey, G. J., Langhorne, P., Reddin, C., Ryglewicz, D., Rosengren, A., ... & O'Donnell, M. (2024). Tea and coffee consumption and risk of acute stroke: The INTERSTROKE study. International Journal of Stroke, 19(9), 1053-1063. https://doi.org/10.1177/17474930241264685

Stookey, J. D., Constant, F., Popkin, B. M., & Gardner, C. D. (2008). Drinking Water Is Associated With Weight Loss in Overweight Dieting Women Independent of Diet and Activity. Obesity, 16(11), 2481–2488. doi: 10.1038/oby.2008.409

Vij, V. A. K., & Joshi, A. S. (2014). Effect of excessive water intake on body weight, body mass index, body fat, and appetite of overweight female participants. Journal of natural science, biology, and medicine, 5(2), 340.

So, as you can see,

hydration isn't just about quenching

our thirst, it's about optimizing

our performance head to toe.

We experience 1,000 waking

minutes on average every day.

How are you spending yours?

I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian, and

you're listening to 1,000

Waking Minutes.

I can't wait to connect

with you here with practical

ways to eat well, move

daily, and be healthy, to

optimize every waking minute you

live for a happier, healthier

life.

Thank you for sharing some

of your waking minutes with

me today.

Let's get started.

Welcome back to 1,000

Waking Minutes.

I'm your host, Dr. Wendy

Bazilian, and today we're diving

in to one of the

most essential and sometimes overlooked

ways to keep ourselves our

best, and that's hydration.

Now I know you've heard

it at least a bazilian

drink more water.

But please stay with me

because today we're going to

take a fresh look at

why it fits into our

every day, why it's truly

a game changer when it

comes to how we move

into this season, which some

don't expect to be talking

about hydration, ...as we move

into fall and winter and

beyond.

As we head into cooler

weather with our holiday gatherings,

maybe a bit more wine

or bubbly in our mix,

our hydration needs sneak up

on us.

But not only that, typically

around the United States anyway,

the temperatures get cooler, the

air tends to get drier,

and we don't feel as

thirsty.

We sweat less, though our

body is still respiring and

it's still passing off fluids

during the day.

And hydration, frankly, keeps us

sharp and energized and feeling

balanced.

By some estimates, 75%

of adults are under hydrated

or even dehydrated.

So just imagine if you

could feel a little bit

more together, a little more

energized, a little more focused

this season with just a

few small tweaks, such as

hydration and getting more fluid,

namely water, which we'll talk

about, into your life.

And also to make this

a little bit trendy in

with the season, I've noticed

a lot of us carrying

around, I'll show it on

the video version of this

podcast, one of these.

It's a Stanley tumbler or

some kind of water bottle.

But if you've gotten into

the Stanley craze, this one

is hot pink, almost magenta

pink that a friend of

mine gifted to me.

I've got one too.

They've become a go-to

accessory.

They come in with their

seasonal colors.

You can get the hottest

color.

People wait in line

or they pay high dollars.

People put them up on

eBay.

They/ve become a bit of

a craze.

I'm all for anything that

makes hydration more fun.

But as a colleague of

mine pointed out that while

we carry them around, some

of us actually forget to

drink the water in them

at times.

So today we're going to

be turning those tools into

the real habits.

And whether it's Stanley or

I've got my brand new

Yeti from my daughter's elementary

school, it's just important that

we hydrate more.

So here's a fun fact:

Did you know that our

brains are about 73%

water?

That's nearly three quarters of

the volume mass weight that

is taken up by water.

It's a virtual sponge.

In terms of real ounces,

or to put that into

perspective, the average brain weighs

about three pounds.

So we've got about four

cups of water in our

brain.

So imagine squeezing that sponge,

well, maybe you don't want

to imagine that(!), ...but squeezing

that sponge and out comes

four eight-ounce glasses of

water.

That means that water is

in there and it is

part of the fuel that

helps us focus, helps us

remember, helps us stay in

a positive mood or a

balanced mood that's appropriate for

whatever we're going through at

the moment.

It's important to keep this

in mind, not only from

our brain perspective, which we'll

talk about, but our whole

body perspective.

I want to share just

a little snippet from my

past on why I like

to remind us that we're

so lucky to have clean

access to water, no matter

what your perspective is on

buying bottled water or carrying

around your tumbler or drinking

out of the faucet or

tap, of filtering it, having

a full filtration system.

We could talk about all

of those in more detail.

But I just wanted to

share that in public health,

I've had the opportunity to

work in a number of

different environments and live in

a couple of different places

as well where potable water

wasn't always readily accessible.

My first real experience was

in Central America when I

was studying abroad for a

long semester.

I was there about eight

and a half months in

Costa Rica and I was

traveling over spring break with

a friend.

We went to a little

island that we got to

by boat in Panama and

the water hadn't arrived, the

potable water hadn't arrived, that

was brought in all by

bottles.

For the duration of my

time there, I relied on

getting water sources from other

things like fruits and vegetables,

which is great, from juices,

and yes, from soda.

I had to because that

was the water source and

water is so critical.

In fact, right down to

brushing my teeth.

I brushed my teeth, get

this one, with soda.

I don't recommend it, but you

know, when you're brushing, we're

more about creating the scrubbing

effect and we needed a

little rinsing agent.

Quick tip there, you can't

keep your lips closed when

you've got soda and activated

with toothpaste in your mouth

because it becomes an explosion,

which I experienced the first

night right onto the bathroom

mirror.

But that's not the only

experience that I had.

Later, when I was doing

my Master's research, I received

a grant to study in

northeast Brazil and I worked

with a grassroots street theater

group in a very, very

poor area - a very passionate, loving

area, family centered area, but

a very, very poor area -

in northeast Brazil, very interior

in the state of Ceará.

And there, the community did

not have safe water all

the time.

And in fact, this grassroots

theater group, which were members

of the community, were working

to re-educate the community

about safe feeding of infants.

It was a place where

infant and maternal mortality was

very high.

And they were re-educating about

the value of breastfeeding and

how it can be not

only a wonderful, but safer

alternative because what was happening

is many times the non

-potable water was being used

to mix with formula or

the non-potable water was

being ingested in ways creating

diarrheal diseases and other serious

conditions.

So this topic, as you

can see, clearly hits home

for me, considering that we

can live for weeks without

food and food insecurity is

another big topic that I

care very, very much about.

You can only survive for

a few days without water.

It's that important.

It's scary to think about,

but there's great news.

We do have access and

there's so many reasons to

refocus your attention toward hydration.

So let's raise our glass

or a tumbler or even

your trusty coffee mug as

we dive into the surprising

benefits of hydration today.

We'll explore some tips.

We'll bust a few myths,

hopefully some positive ones here,

like the truth about coffee

and the role in hydration

and even tackle an age

old question about your glass

half empty and half full

that I'll come back to

later in the episode.

And maybe we'll just be

happy to have the glass.

So that's the spirit we're

bringing to today, appreciating the

simple things that can make

a big difference in our

1,000 waking minutes.

So before we dive into

the amazing benefits, the ROIs

on hydration, let's answer the

question:

So how much water do

we really need each day?

The old eight ounce cups

a day is definitely a

bit outdated.

I'm sure you've heard that.

It was a good rule

of thumb at one time,

but now we have even

more evidence and more research

to support not only the

roles of hydration, but how

much we really need.

The National Academies of Science,

much over a decade ago

now, have put out recommendations

suggesting that most women need

about 11 cups a day

on average, and men 13

cups a day on average.

This can be impacted, of

course, by climate and altitude

and other life stages and

other things as well.

But since we're all unique

individuals, and that's a little

bit still a generic suggestion

and may sound like a

lot to you, I do

have a good rule of

thumb.

If you take your weight

in pounds and you divide

it in half, that's about

how many ounces a day

you should aim for.

So at 150 pounds, that

would be about 75 ounces

or about nine cups a

day.

If your scale weight is

200 pounds, that would be

about 100 ounces a day

or around 12 cups of

water a day.

And yes, I know it

seems like a lot, but

given the role that water

plays in the body, maybe

I'll convince you to do

a little bit more than

you did yesterday.

And to put it into

perspective, there's a lot of

good news around this because

the way you can meet

your water needs is not

only through plain water.

So your water and the

water recommendations allows for other

things to fit.

So the next question is:

Does it count?

I'd like to tackle that.

The 'does it count' debate?

Yes.

Yes.

Your morning coffee, your tea,

even your greens drinks, your

smoothies, they all count toward

hydration.

Coffee, despite being a mild

diuretic, you would have to

drink very large volumes for

it to negatively impact.

I'm not talking about the

caffeine, but negatively impact your

hydration status with very few

exceptions.

After all, what are the

ingredients in coffee?

Coffee beans brewed in water,

of course.

Yes, yes, yes.

Herbal teas, green teas, Camellia

sinensis, traditional teas and black

teas all count.

Milk counts.

Milk is 90 percent water.

Even your foods rich in

water, your fruits and your

vegetable, every food in the

plant kingdom is a rich

water source, most of them

having well over 50 percent.

Even when we're talking about

things like grains that are

cooked in beans, but certainly

our fruits and vegetables, which

are replete with water.

And how do you know

if you're getting enough each

day?

We could dive into this

even further, but I'm going

to give you the real

simple tool.

This is not the sophisticated

scientific measure of, 'am I

getting enough?'

But I do like to

use the urine gauge because

after all, we all go

to the bathroom and we

all can take a quick

peek into the bathroom [toilet] to

see the color of our

urine.

So if your urine is

running a straw-like color,

so it's lightly yellow, but

more like straw, it is

an indicator that you might

be well hydrated or pretty

well hydrated.

We could all stand to

have a little bit more.

The darker the yellow, the

more goldenrod that it becomes,

the more deep orangey yellow

it becomes.

It's more indicative that you

might be dehydrated.

And usually this shows up

after you've been a little

bit under hydrated for a

period of time.

So it's a good gauge.

First thing in the morning,

it's expected.

Usually your urine is going

to be a darker orange.

And the last thing on

that, if it's fluorescing, meaning

if it's a bright fluorescent

yellow, that's usually a sign

of B vitamins or that

you're taking some multivitamins that

they turn the urine that

color.

So it can confuse things,

but still look for a

little bit of a clearer,

lighter, paler color to be

general indicator of hydration.

So now we've covered how

much briefly, what counts and

how we can stay on

track.

Let's talk about why it

matters.

This is the key to

every episode is to give

you the evidence, dabble in

the science a little bit

and the returns.

Hydration provides so many, some

surprising benefits, and it's so

much more than quenching your

thirst.

It can elevate your health

in ways that you may

not expect.

So in our returns on

investment, our ROI or benefits

of hydration, there are big

ways that water can pay

off.

And let's start with our

heart.

This may surprise you, but

a study from Loma Linda

University found that staying adequately

hydrated may reduce the risk

of heart disease by up

to 50%.

That's a huge return on

investment for simply drinking more

water.

This recommendation is even more

important as we go into

colder months, as we go

into the holidays, when some

of the risk factors for

heart disease go up, when

our bodies are working harder

to keep warm and maintain

our circulation, we can become

at greater risk of dehydration

without even realizing it.

So we're protecting arguably our

most vital organ, the pumping

of our heart, this way,

and you can reduce your

risk by staying hydrated.

I'm not talking about overhydration;

I'm talking about getting hydrated

and staying there.

A second benefit is to

boost your metabolism and turning

up your internal engine or

thermostat.

So just like water can

help us with our circulation

and our heating of our

body, but specifically with the

viscosity of our blood, making

it a little bit less

viscous and better flow, it

can actually help turn up

our metabolism just by staying

hydrated.

So this is really cool:

Just drinking a boost of

17 ounces or just over

two cups of water in

one study was shown to

increase metabolism by 30%.

30% temporarily.

But staying hydrated keeps it

up that 30%.

It's the equivalent of burning

around 100 extra calories a

day just by staying hydrated.

This study was published in

the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology

and Metabolism, and it showed

that just getting hydrated again

can get your metabolism up.

So if you're feeling sluggish

or you're fighting some extra

weight and not seeing results

despite your efforts, hydration can

help kickstart it, and it's

a free and easy way

to start.

Third, we're going to talk

about mental performance, and there's

two angles on this one.

Even mild dehydration can impact

our cognitive function, our concentration,

and our mood.

So first, let's talk about

mental clarity and hydrating our

brain power.

As I mentioned earlier, and

I will probably mention again

because I find it so

stunning to think about and

hopefully very convincing, three quarters

of our brain is water.

We are one big sponge

up there inside our skull.

So even the mildest dehydration

can cause brain fog and

make it harder to focus.

One study published in Nutrients

found that hydration also can

help improve memory, alertness, and

overall brain function.

Now, I know a lot

of listeners have already written

in and said, talk to

me about the brain.

What are ways that I

can help preserve my brain

or slow the declines of

aging?

And hydration is one of

them.

It may not seem so

obvious.

It may not seem so

sexy.

But my goodness, if you

think of what the brain

consists of in terms of

its core volume, then you

can certainly understand.

The second brain-related benefit

is mood.

So I call it avoiding

'the grumpy zone.'

Even a 1% to

2% drop in hydration

can affect our mood.

We may not think of

it as our first go

-to either, which is the

thing that's incredible.

It's something that's the easiest

thing that you can pick

up and try, but you

may not think of it

as the first go-to

when you're in a grumpy

mood.

Research from the University of

Connecticut, where I hail from,

I didn't go to UConn,

but I grew up in

Connecticut, found that people with

mild dehydration were more likely

to feel irritable and tired.

So as the days get

darker and colder and the

holiday season ramps up, this

could be a secret weapon

to stay cheerful and calm.

Or at least help balance

our emotions and mood so

that they're more appropriate in

relationship to what's really going

on.

And given that this time

of year does require juggling

so many responsibilities and so

much going on, our holiday

shopping, our family gatherings, our

work, and our personal year

-end deadlines, hydration can play

a critical role in helping

you maintain that focus and

the energy.

So it can help you

keep your edge, your mental

edge, and your mood in

check.

And that's like a win

-win that I want to

be sure to emphasize and

hopefully be more happy and

content as you do it.

Next is another type of

performance.

We talked about the brain

performance.

Now it's physical performance.

And this may seem like

the most obvious go-to.

You think about athletes who

are hydrating or rehydrating after

an event, or if you

exercise, to drink your water.

But the reason that water

is so important is to

hydrate, to rehydrate, and to

help fuel our muscles and

be the vehicle of the

nutrients and fuels to pass

in and the byproducts to

pass out.

And hydrating can also help

with muscle cramps or maybe

avoiding them, in other words.

So if you've ever experienced

muscle cramps or fatigue during

a workout, dehydration could be

one, if not the culprit.

Proper hydration ensures that your

body maintains electrolyte balance.

It can help shift and

transfer in the important electrolytes

that help with the passage

and the pressure inside and

outside the cells.

It's also essential for the

preventing of cramps, especially when

we move to the colder

months.

Again, where muscles can feel

tighter.

So hopefully one take-home

is like, I always think

about hydrating in the spring

and summer or when I'm

sweating, but really we're bringing

it into these months on

purpose.

So we know from watching

athletes that hydration is important.

You see that.

Also, if you've ever served

in one of our branches

of the military, and thank

you if you have, or

if you know someone who

has, there is something in

the army and in the

military branches called water discipline.

It's a real priority.

It's a priority because we

need to keep everyone alert,

focused, and performing both physically

and mentally on the job.

And it's an important job.

Now I'm going to shift

to a serious health concern.

Hydration can significantly impact stroke

risk.

I mentioned heart disease risk

reduction before, but in order

to impact stroke risk, and

there's been a number of

studies, but two just came

out this last September about

watching what you drink with

some pretty stunning numbers and

results that came out of

it.

In two studies that were

just published this September in

the Journal of Stroke and

the International Journal of Stroke

by the same team, it

looked at a study called

InterStroke of over 27,000

individuals.

It was a case control

study, and it's a global

or many regions study, which

makes it interesting.

And what this study, what

InterStroke overall looks at is

the healthy lifestyle choices, diet

and physical activity, other things

that can impact stroke risk,

because we know that hypertension

is the most important risk

factor for stroke.

This really looks at the

lifestyle factors that can impact

stroke.

And InterStroke is one of

the largest international studies on

this topic.

So the researchers first found

good news, protective role for

water, tea and for coffee

when drinking in moderation for

coffee in particular.

However, the less good news

is they found increased stroke

risk with fizzy drinks, including

sodas, but not just sodas,

and also with fruit juice.

And I'm going to talk

about fruit juice in just

a moment because not all

fruit juice is the same.

So first, water.

There's a protective role that

the researchers have seen in

other studies as well.

A higher water intake of

at least seven cups per

day showed a protective effect,

reducing the risk of ischemic

stroke.

That's the kind that causes

tissue death from lack of

oxygen getting to the area.

And it underscored the importance

of consistent hydration throughout the

day.

And then they looked at,

that's seven cups a day,

by the way.

Seven cups or more.

So toward your 11 or

13 cups, or if you

use that rule of thumb

I mentioned before.

When they looked at tea,

tea reduced stroke 18 to

29 percent.

So that's really good news.

And black tea had the

highest percentage risk reduction, interestingly,

like English or Earl Grey

tea.

But green tea as well,

drinking three to four cups

of green tea a day

was linked with a 27

percent lower chance of stroke.

So really between effectively 18

and 29 percent risk reduction

from drinking tea, which is

very good news.

They did comment and see

that when people added milk,

however, to their tea, that

it actually took away the

risk reduction when it comes

to stroke.

So I'm not saying that

adding milk inherently to tea

is all bad, but it

has been shown that adding

milk to tea will sort

of decrease or block some

of the antioxidants.

And when it comes to

stroke risk, risk reduction was

not seen for that from

adding the milk.

And they did look at

that.

Now with coffee, it was

good news with a little

bit of caution.

The research found that drinking

more than four cups of

coffee a day increased risk

of stroke by upwards of

37 percent.

That's a lot.

However, less than four cups

a day, there was no

impact on stroke.

So other studies, as you've

probably heard, have looked at

coffee and health benefits, and

there's usually sort of an

incremental climb.

It's not just caffeine related.

There are phytochemicals and other

great attributes of coffee.

This one sort of put

a cautionary note on the

dose, on not more than

four cups if you're looking

at stroke risk.

And now the not so

good news.

Regular consumption of carbonated beverages

like fizzy drinks, whether they

had sugar or were artificially

sweetened with non-caloric sweeteners

and fruit juices were associated

with higher risk of stroke.

Fizzy drinks in particular, both

again the sugar sweetened and

the artificially sweetened, such as

a diet or zero sugar

versions, were linked with a

22 percent increased chance of

stroke.

And the risk sharply increased

with two or more of

these fizzy drinks today.

It showed an increased risk

of intracranial hemorrhaging.

That's the type of stroke

that causes bleeding.

And the risk was higher

in women, especially who consume

fruit drinks, which I'm going

to get to next.

So fruit juice was the

other one that showed increased

risk of stroke.

Not all studies on fruit

juice have shown the same,

and the researchers did mention

two other quality studies, big

studies.

In this case, drinking fruit

juice increased the risk of

this bleeding stroke by 37

percent.

That's a high number.

The researchers noted that, you

know, there was a lot

of products marketed as fruit

juice also, and they all

sort of fall into the

same camp in regard to

this, the way that they

measured the diet and asked

the participants in food recall

about fruit juice.

Some fruit juices are made

from concentrate.

Many contain added sugars and

preservatives, some of which they

said may offset some of

the benefits that have been

seen in other studies.

So they indicated it was

probably best to stick with

the 100 percent fruit juice

to do fresh fruit made

into juice.

Of course, the fiber is

lost in the majority of

fruit juices.

But sticking with 100 percent

fruit juice, and we know

that there's other studies and

research that have looked at

the benefits of 100 percent

fruit juice.

This particular one, though, showed

increased risk of stroke from

high consumptions, regular consumption of

fruit juice.

And the final benefit, and

this one's highly relevant to

right now, this time of

year, is hydration can help

support our immune system, especially

during cold and flu season.

If you've already been hit

a little bit, hopefully not,

or you're trying to keep

it at bay.

Hydration impacts our immunity and

helps keep it strong.

And it does that in

at least two ways.

First, staying hydrated supports our

immune function by keeping our

mucous membranes moist and helps

the body fend off infections.

So think of water as

being like a vehicle to

help move things through, to

help process them, to bring

them back to the organs

that can excrete them, to

help be the vehicle where

our fighter cells can come

in and get rid of

all of this.

Dehydration weakens our defenses and

actually makes us more susceptible

to illness.

And the other is, once

you get it, can we

decrease its severity, how hard

it hits you, or its

duration?

And hydration can help there

as well.

So sometimes you might want

to add an electrolyte support

to that.

So there's fizzy, there's powders

that either fizz or they

can just dissolve in water.

They can help you replenish

some of the minerals and

electrolytes lost and help be

a little tastier if you've

sort of lost your sense

of thirst when you're dehydrated

and not feeling so well.

So that can be one

to help you recover faster

and replenish the fluids and

some of the lost minerals.

And we all know when

we're hit by a cold

or flu, sometimes we lose

a lot of moisture and

water through a lot of

ways, through our body channels.

And also when you cough,

you may not think about

it, but you're losing a

lot of moisture every time

you cough.

If you have a cold,

cough or through blowing your

nose a lot, you're losing

a lot of that hydration.

You really got to focus

there.

So as you can see,

hydration isn't just about quenching

our thirst.

It is about optimizing our

performance head to toe.

It's keeping our immune system

robust.

And the best part is

it's something that we have

access to.

We have simple choices every

day in our 1,000 waking

minutes for good water and

hydration in our life.

So now it's time for

our Mindful Minute together.

Every episode, this is our

moment to pause, reflect, and

reset.

Today's mindful minute will focus

on hydration naturally and how

it nourishes us both physically

and mentally.

If you can, grab your

glass of water to sip

during this time.

Maybe hit pause even and

then run on back to

join.

I've got mine in hand.

I just took a little

sip to get started.

So first, check in with

your posture.

Let's get us set up

for our Mindful Minute.

And then I will let

you know when we officially

begin.

Sit comfortably, your shoulders relaxed.

Take a deep breath in,

slowly out.

If it feels right to

close your eyes, please do

so.

If you're driving or multitasking

as you listen, no worries.

Just follow along mentally if

you can.

Or maybe just take that

minute off if you're multitasking.

Maybe you can't join, but

if you can't close your

eyes, that's not a problem.

This is really a minute

about us slowing down together

for a moment and sharing

a mindful, getting our mind

involved, minute.

Okay, now let's begin.

As you take a sip

of water and you take

in the water, think about

it like breath, bringing your

attention to how it feels.

Cool, smooth, refreshing.

Imagine how water travels down

your throat and spreads throughout

your body, nourishing every cell.

And with every breath, picture

the hydration reaching your skin,

your brain, your muscles.

Notice how your body is

responding to this moment.

Are your shoulders softening?

Is your breath slowing down?

Picture that brain filled with

73% water.

It's that sponge that's soaking

in everything you need to

stay sharp and clear.

Take one final breath in.

There we go.

We've shifted our attention now

to thinking like sipping water,

sort of like breathing is

a necessity.

As we inhale through our

day, think about the flow

of air, sort of like

the flow of water through

your body and all the

things it does for immune

system, for easing tensions, helping

your mood stay balanced.

And this brief pause even

to take a sip of

water throughout your day, and

like we did together, it

helps us remember that small

intentional actions can restore us.

So with each sip today,

I hope you think back

to imagining that energy flowing

through you and that you're

investing in yourself, not just

quenching your thirst.

Thank you for sharing that

mindful minute with me.

Let your drinks of water

and your awareness around it

today serve as a little

reminder to pause, reset, and

nourish yourself.

Let it flow just like

your breath.

We're associating it with our

water intake.

These tiny moments add up

in our 1,000 waking minutes

and they can make a

real difference to your health.

All right, now we're going

to focus on practical tips,

some simple doable strategies to

help you stay hydrated.

Whether you're starting fresh on

this as a goal or

you're already underway with your

current habits and you just

want to bump it up

a notch, take one or

two of these, try them

on, let them snowball even

and see how this can

be even fun and certainly

personal.

start your day

with a hydration ritual.

I can't underscore this one

enough.

Start your day, place a

glass or carafe by your

bedside or wherever you go

first and take a drink.

Think of it as your

body's wake-up call, giving

yourself a splash of attention.

It helps you immediately replenish

some of the fluids lost

for the night and it

gets your metabolism started.

Another is jazzing up your

water and make it more

enjoyable.

Now, hopefully I'm doing this

all throughout these tips, but

with this one I mean

sort of making infusions or

making it more interesting, sort

of DIY spa-oriented.

If you've ever been to

a spa and had sort

of the cucumber slices or

the strawberry and mint infusions,

you know what I mean.

So try slicing lemon -

you can even find seedless

lemons today which are great -

or some fresh mint in

your water.

Try a splash of 100%

juice so it both

colors it and adds a

little bit of flavor if

you wish.

Lots of different, I have

lots of different concoctions because

I love doing this myself,

of ways that you can

make it water.

It's almost 100% water,

but you might infuse it

with something to make it

a little bit more special,

little twists and flavors.

Third, use electrolytes when you

need them.

If you've just had a

big workout or a travel

day or maybe a big

festive night out where you've

had a little bit more

to drink or a little

bit more dancing than usual,

sometimes an electrolyte drink can

be your sort of 'secret

weapon.'

Not only you could do

it before and certainly after,

but look for options when

it comes to that.

Some of these sort of

electrolyte options have some artificial

ingredients or they have zero

sugar, and that's fine if

you are looking simply to

add some flavor.

But if you're looking for

real rehydration, believe it or

not, a little bit of

sugar, a little bit, I

call it the Goldilocks amount

of sugar, can really benefit.

In fact, the World Health

Organization, the oral rehydration formula,

this is the thing that

around the world is used

in populations for rehydration when

people are in the hospital,

when people are dehydrated in

regions where dehydration is rampant.

A little bit of sugar

actually helps the electrolytes and

helps the water retain better

in the body.

So the small amount of

sugar, yes, I just said

it, not only might make

it taste nice, but it

actually can help rehydrate and

retain water better.

There's a number of options

out there on the market

that have sort of this

formula in them, but not

all.

So it is important to

sort of recognize that a

little bit of sugar can

go a long way.

The fourth tip is: eat

your water.

So if we're trying to

aim for 11 to 13

cups or whatever you determined

your daily need is, you

have to know and recognize

that hydration isn't just about

drinking, and that's good news.

We can add water-rich

foods through our meals.

So think of soups and

salads as another way to

get water.

Our berries, our cucumbers, our

oranges, our watermelon, of course,

these foods give you hydration

and lots of nutrition, antioxidants

and those phytochemicals, the vitamins

and minerals, but they're a

really double effect by giving

you hydration.

A simple bowl of berries,

some vegetable soup added to

your meal, or as a

snack, these can be delicious

and hydrating.

Fruits and vegetables are 70%

to 97% water on

average.

Even cooked beans has more

than 65% water.

Pretty remarkable.

So it's like sneaking in

extra water without even trying.

Make your water bottle a

constant companion.

So you've probably seen, you

know, our latest hydration obsession,

everyone carrying their favorite tumbler.

I just got my new

one from my, I mentioned

before, from my daughter's elementary

school with the logo on

it.

There were like four or

five different options in different

ways you could carry your

beverages with the logo on

it, which is kind of

cool.

But everywhere you look, someone

has one of these giant

colorful cups with the perfect

handle that gets us thinking

about water and I'm all

for it, but you've got

to drink it once you

have it.

So don't let them just

sit around, use them and

find a tracking system.

So this might be a

part two or maybe a

separate tip altogether:

Find a tracking system that

works for you.

There are hydration apps where

you can track your water.

There are bottles that sort

of have timestamps on them.

So it says what time

to drink each amount of

water so that you get

your water over the course

of a day.

You can set alarms, you

can do post-it notes,

anything that you can do

to remind you to drink

it.

If you're at home or

you work from home, you

can set up

a water station maybe where

it's bringing you into it.

Maybe it's pretty.

Or you pour all the

water for a day in

a special pitcher and you

work to empty the pitcher

over the course of a

day, but some way that

you can track yourself to

give you a nudge to

keep sipping throughout the day

because it is important to

sip and drink throughout the

day, not just chug at

one time.

That will send you running

to the bathroom and not

be the best for your

hydration.

And the next tip is

to become a bloodhound of

sorts and sniff out where

you can get water on

the go.

Now that water is top

of mind and hydration, keep

your eyes peeled in airports

for those filling stations, places

where there are carafes that

you can refill from.

Find the places when you're

traveling where it's easy to

become and to stay hydrated.

You know, have your tumbler,

keep it cool and refreshing,

make it part of your

accessories.

Next, in line with being

aware of hydration this week,

maybe set yourself to a

seven-day challenge.

If you're up for a

little adventure, try one week.

And another tip: maybe enlist

a friend at the same

time so you can keep

yourselves on track and honest

and have fun with this.

And I'll post in the

show notes what that might

look like, but maybe day

one is calculating your daily

water needs.

And day two is adding

more hydrating foods and making

a list of the hydrating

foods that you already enjoy

and how to build more

in.

Day three could be trying

some different types of waters

and day four could be

making sure you're finding a

tracking system.

So you don't have to

take this all on the

very first day.

You could do one thing

a day to increase water.

So it's not just like,

"oh, I have to drink

more.

Now let's go chug a

lug."

But you can take this

systematically and find your flow.

So again, I'll post a

simple seven-day challenge, the

thematics of that up in

the show notes so that

you can see what that

might look like for you.

And finally, here's a very

practical tip:

When you're next in your

kitchen where you can measure

a cup, and I mean

an eight-ounce cup in

a liquid measuring cup, measure

it out and I want

you to do two things.

pour the eight-ounce

cup into your familiar and

favorite mugs, glasses, tumblers, wherever

you drink from, your common

vessels in your house and

see what a cup looks

like in those glasses.

You might be surprised to

see that the cup that

you call a cup holds

one cup or 1.5

cups or more.

You might see that it

seems easier than you thought,

that maybe you're consuming more

than you thought, or "oops,

I really got to bump

things up a notch."

But you can never achieve

the goal if you don't

know what you're already pouring

and doing.

So that's first.

And second, I think this

is super helpful.

Personally, I just did it

again before the episode, so

I know my numbers, and

my clients have told me

also that this is helpful

for them as well.

Pour eight ounces measured into

a cup and then count

how many gulps or sort

of regular sips that it

takes to take down the

whole cup.

Not fast, not big gulps.

You're not trying to win

any races here, but this

can be a very helpful

way in counting how many

it takes to help you

keep track on the go

when you're monitoring your intake.

I'm around seven to nine

drinks when I'm really drinking

down a full cup, and

everyone is different.

If you use a straw

in your tumbler, then measure

a whole cup using the

straw.

This doesn't mean that every

time you drink, you're supposed

to, or that you need

to accomplish a cup, but

it does let you have

a gauge on when you're

drinking, how much of a

cup you're consuming.

And if you're trying to

get to your goal, it

can be very helpful.

All right, so we've covered

some simple practical ways.

I hope that you can

take one or two of

them to keep hydration at

the forefront of your day,

whether you're jazzing up your

water using the trendy tumblers,

you're eating water-rich foods,

which I hope that you're

doing both, but there are

plenty of ways that can

help you stay hydrated and

keep your body working at

its very best.

So here's a moment for

us to pause and connect

it to our 1,000 waking

minutes a day.

And I want you to

ask yourself a question:

What's one small change I

could make today to feel

more hydrated and energized?

what's one small change

I could make today to

feel more hydrated and energized?

It's these small everyday choices

where we create the habits

that truly serve us.

And think about one moment

in your routine where you

could add in a hydration

boost, whether it's at the

start of your day, or

maybe while you're cooking, or

during that afternoon slump that

many of us face.

And what are the techniques

that you'll do?

Squeezing in some lemon or

making some spa water?

How are you going to

track it?

It's not about perfection, but

about being intentional with even

a few of those minutes

to give your body what

it needs most when it

comes to hydration.

Well, we've sipped our way

through another episode in covering

the power of hydration in

ways that go far beyond

just quenching thirst.

Today we explored how something

as simple as water can

fit into our days and

lift our energy, boost our

moods, and even support our

immune function.

This is perfect timing as

we enter the colder months.

With the drier air, our

immune systems are working a

bit harder and we're all

upcoming on the holiday festivities

around the corner.

Hydration can be an easy

and powerful way to stay

balanced and healthy.

It's amazing to realize that

by adding just a few

extra sips in your day,

you can feel better, think

more clearly, even reduce the

risk of things like stroke.

And back to that glass,

half full or half empty

that we've all heard about

before and I mentioned at

the beginning of today's episode.

Well, this whole talk about

hydration reminded me of a

beautiful exchange from a favorite

book in our household called,

The Boy, The Mole, The

Fox, and The Horse by

Charlie Mackesy.

At one point, the mole

asked the boy, "Is your