Adequate body hydration is important every day of the year. We need water to keep our body pliable and functioning. It also flushes out the toxic waste accumulated from food and our normal chemical reactions. Our body can recycle some water but a fresh supply keeps us from reabsorbing waste products that may accumulate within the body.

In the summer, it is easy to stay strapped to a water bottle; we easily sweat and can often feel parched. In winter however, we don’t have these obvious reminders to drink water throughout the day, even though it is just as necessary to stay hydrated. The indoors may be warm, but it is a dry environment, and the dry cold outdoor air can also suck the moisture from your skin. When you reach for the hand lotion, make sure to grab a glass of water as well

When a person is dehydrated by as little as 5% their cognitive ability drops at least 30%. Consider that often the first sign of dehydration is a feeling of fatigue, not a feeling of thirst. If you have a dry mouth, shriveled finger pads, headache, lightheadedness or dark colored urine, you are most likely already dehydrated. Generally, when people start seeing these signs in the winter, they don’t necessarily associate them with insufficient hydration. People will often go for some heavy food or coffee to try to stop the symptoms. These items are not as replenishing as we may think. Caffeine is a diuretic and therefore makes you lose even more water, and in the winter we consume less raw foods, which contain around 70% water, meaning we lose some of those natural sources of water we don’t generally even realize we are ingesting. If water tastes boring, try adding a slice of citrus or mint to liven up the taste. Sometimes it is also good to add back the electrolytes you’ve lost via sports drinks or coconut water.

It is recommended that a person consumes at least half of his or her body weight in ounces of water per day. Any sports or physical exertion requires extra dosing in order to keep you running at peak performance. Don’t let your energy or thinking flag and implement a few winter hydration systems for you and your family. Make sure to drink at regular times during the day, especially right after you wake up in the morning, and get your fill of fresh fruits and vegetables and soups. In no time you will have developed a routine that helps you feeling energized all day.

This post was written by Sarah Greenspan. She lives in the UK and is a happy SOURCE customer and supporter. She is a writer and health fanatic and enjoys writing the occasional post for our blog.