The elixir of life: are you missing out on water?
So, you’ve just had the Works – a great session at the gym followed by the smoothest shave ever and a haircut to give you the edge. But what else can you do to keep yourself in peak condition before your next barbershop visit?
Sure, you’re eating a whole-food diet and using the best organic hair and skincare products on the market. But there’s an extra ingredient to top off your health, fitness and personal grooming routine.
Water. It’s as simple as that.
Why is water vital to good health?
Up to 60 percent of an adult’s body weight is made up of water, making hydration vital to good health.
Water is used in metabolic processes and in the circulatory system to supply nutrients and energy for these metabolic processes. Water flushes your digestive system, helps prevent constipation and makes it easier for your liver to filter toxins. Research also shows water can help keep your weight in a healthy range. Those hunger pangs might not be hunger at all – you might just be thirsty.
Because water controls blood volume and viscosity, dehydration increases your risk of high blood pressure, deep-vein thrombosis, and headaches, and reduces your ability to carry out cognitive tasks.
A good guide for staying hydrated is to check the color of your pee. Seriously. Your urine should be in the yellow color spectrum so if it’s outside this range, see a doctor. Dark amber urine is a sure sign you’re dehydrated. If your urine is almost clear, then you’re in the clear for healthy hydration.
Keep in mind that medication, highly processed foods, vitamin supplements, and some fruit and vegetables, such as beetroot, can affect the color of your urine. Remember too that by the time you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.
How does hydration maximize the benefits of exercise?
Whether you’re an athlete with an intensive training schedule or you exercise for general fitness, good hydration before, during, and after exercise is important to your performance and recovery.
Your body uses water to carry nutrients to your cells and take waste to the liver and kidneys. Water is also used to supply energy for muscle contraction, to regulate your body temperature through sweating, and to nourish, lubricate, and cushion your joints with synovial fluid.
Without adequate hydration, you’ll feel fatigued and you may suffer muscle cramps or dizziness. This not only affects your exercise session but can be dangerous when cycling or using free weights. Seizures and even fatal heatstroke can occur with severe dehydration.
The amount of water you need depends on your metabolism, exercise intensity, and sweat rate, as well as temperature conditions. Unless you’re exercising for over an hour at high intensity or you lose a lot of sodium through sweat, water rather than sports drinks is all you need for good hydration.
What’s the best way to stay hydrated?
When thinking about hydration, fruits and vegetables have a high water content and count towards your water intake, with the bonus of giving you vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Enjoy pure water or add fresh lemon, or why not experience the benefits of our organic Coldlabel Tisane in your hydration routine?
By blending nature’s flowers, bark, roots, and shrubs we have created a unique tisane that includes burdock, ginger, marshmallow, hibiscus, calendula, and rooibos. Our fresh-tasting herbal tea is caffeine-free which means it isn’t a diuretic like black or green tea, coffee, caffeinated soft drinks, and alcohol.
Drinking caffeinated drinks triggers more trips to the bathroom so you lose valuable water from your body. Our tisane also helps cleanse the liver and contains natural vitamins and minerals that help keep your hair, skin, nails, and eyes at their healthy best.
Why are natural beauty products more effective with good hydration?
Skin is an organ comprising skin cells that are like other cells in their water content. Without proper hydration, skin becomes dry and flaky and is more prone to aging and wrinkles.
For external hydration, a topical moisturizer can help. Using time-honored formulas, Coldlabel balms, oils, serums, and shave butter have been handcrafted from raw organic plant ingredients and are free from artificial chemicals.
Dehydration can also affect your hair, causing dry, brittle hair, dry scalp, or poor hair growth. Our shampoo, scalp serum, hair oil, and pomades can help maintain nature’s balance.
To nourish your skin and hair from the inside, health experts recommend drinking between 2½ and 3 liters of fresh water through the day.
So when thinking about your daily health, fitness, and grooming regimen, be sure to include water – nature’s most basic, pure, and vital ingredient.
