Dehydration is not a phenomenon experienced exclusively in summer. According to medical experts, cooler temperature can reduce the body’s thirst response and wearing heavier clothing like jackets and jumpers can make the body sweat more. Sweat evaporates more quickly in the cool, dry air, which makes us think we’re not sweating as much and so don’t need to drink as much water.

Even mild dehydration can negatively impact mood, memory and the ability to focus, and a recent study from the University of California shows that staying adequately hydrated helps to boost immunity. This is particularly important as we enter flu season, and of course continue to battle COVID-19.

The recommended daily water intake for adults is 3 litres, or approximately 12 glasses. This is a goal to aspire to, that many of us wouldn’t come close to reaching – particularly in winter when our body isn’t giving us as many signals to remind us to drink water.  

The good news is we’ve got three tips to help you stay hydrated this winter:

1. Keep a jug of water at your desk

This tip applies whether you’re back working in the office, or if you’re working from home for the foreseeable future. Keeping a jug of water on your desk not only ensures that you have instant access to readily available drinking water, it also provides a visual cue as a reminder to drink water regularly.

2. Keep it interesting with the latest hot drink recipes

In winter we’re looking for delicious drinks that keep us warm. Herbal teas, raw vegan hot chocolates and caffeine free coffee alternatives are the latest health and wellness trends that are all the rage right now. Making sure you’re drinking enough water to stay hydrated doesn’t have to be a chore – try spicing things up with the latest recipes, like this hot water and lemon infusion:


Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• Juice of 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• Pinch of red chili powder or cayenne
• Pinch of coarse sea salt
• Pinch of raw cane sugar like sucanat

Then, just add all ingredients into a mug and stir well.

This particular recipe has some fantastic nutritional benefits – turmeric has known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, while the hot water and lemon combination is said to flush the liver and kidneys of toxins. Not to mention it tastes great.

For more recipe ideas to spice up your drinking water this winter, check out the Taste of Home’s website.

 

3. Invest in a thermos

Once you’ve developed a herbal tea addiction from all the fantastic recipes out there, get more bang for your portion size buck each time you make it by using a thermos instead of a mug. A thermos means you can also transport your hot beverage, for example to and from the office, without it getting cold.

In addition, thermos’ come in specific measurements, typically ranging from 500ml to 2L. Therefore, drinking regularly from a thermos makes it easier to set targets and track your water intake. For example, if you have a 1L thermos you should be aiming to drink three per day to get the recommended daily water intake.

So there you have it, our three easy-to-follow tips on how to stay hydrated this winter.