Water for Health

As I was browsing my favourite websites this morning, I found out that today is World Health Day. To be honest, I don't keep up with many of these commemorative days, and rarely give them much thought, so I had no idea this day existed. That being said, a day that brings awareness to one of the most important parts of our lives - and one of my favourite topics - is worth joining in my book.

After doing a little more reading, I found that this year in particular, World Health Day is putting the spotlight on the alarming rise in diabetes, by highlighting the need for increased prevention and treatment efforts. While I can't speak much of the treatment aspect, prevention of this, and any other, disease is something I'm very passionate about, and the concept that I have built my entire health coaching practice around.

I wholeheartedly believe in prevention and in making small adjustments to our diets and lifestyles that, in the short run, have big positive impacts and that, in the long run, help us avoid negative health outcomes, as is the case of chronic diseases like diabetes.

There are plenty of little changes that each of us can make to maintain our health and prevent future illnesses, suited to our unique lifestyles, but one of the simplest and most effective ones, that I work on with each of my clients, is drinking more water. Giving more attention to how much water we're drinking every day and making it a point to drink enough of it can have the most wonderful outcomes. Over the past year or so, I've witnessed, in both myself and others that I've talked to, everything from relieving headaches, having more energy, a smoother voice (particularly important if your voice plays a big role in the way you make a living), and reducing cravings for not-so-good foods. In fewer words, I've learned not to underestimate the power of a glass of water!

Of course, drinking more water is a piece of advice we hear about everywhere and from everyone, but we all know it's not always easy to follow through with it. Actually, one of the reasons I wanted to write about it today is because I noticed that I haven't been drinking enough water over the last couple of weeks. So this is my way of reflecting back on some of the tips I've used in the past to get back on track.

What helps me the most is simply having water with me at all times, which means that, if I'm going out for more than a couple of hours, I bring a bottle with me, and when I'm at work, I have one or two of them out on my desk, where I can always see and easily reach for them. If I'm at home, I'll fill a glass and leave it out on the kitchen table so that every time I pass by it, which happens quite often, I see it and I'm reminded that I should take at least a few sips.

This is what I'll be focusing on over the next few days to make sure I stay healthy and well-hydrated, and I hope that, if you're struggling with it yourself, you'll give these tips a try and let me know how they work for you.  (...and if they don't work, I'd be happy to chat more about that too.)

Are there any other tricks you use to make sure you're staying hydrated every day? Please share them in the comments below.