A Fun, Flavorful Way to Stay Hydrated In Colder Weather

As soon as the weather turns colder, many of us forget to hydrate. Really though, our hydration needs don’t change much from summer to winter. We need water to help regulate our body temperature, to aid in digestion and nutrient absorption, to keep our skin supple, cushion our joints, and more.

A good, easy rule of thumb for healthy adults is to calculate your weight in pounds, divide it in half, and aim to drink that many ounces of water per day. So, for example, if you weigh 100 pounds, you would aim for 50 ounces of water daily.

When the weather begins to get colder, my favorite way to drink water is to keep it warm and flavored. Generally, I bring the water to boiling (or just below), pour it into the biggest insulated bottle I have (such as a Hydro flask), toss in my flavor add-ins, and sip on it all day.

(If you prefer it cold, you can add the suggested fruit/spices to a pitcher of cold water and let it sit in the fridge overnight to blend the flavors before drinking). But I find that drinking it warm is comforting and cozy this time of year!

Here are my three favorite flavor combinations:

FRESH LEMON AND A CINNAMON STICK

--> Health Bonus: cinnamon has been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels...may play an important role in brain health…and is rich in antioxidants.

FRESH GINGER (a small piece, peeled) AND APPLE SLICES

--> Health Bonus: research shows that ginger can aid in digestion…help treat nausea…and may have anti-inflammatory effects in the body.

ROSEMARY SPRIG AND FRESH ORANGE SLICES

-->Health Bonus: rosemary has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties…and early research in animals shows that it may play a role in maintaining brain health (but stay tuned because more in-depth studies are needed for firm conclusions and recommendations on this one).

Happy hydrating!