If you have spent more than a day with me, you would notice my rather OCD obsession with staying hydrated. I am truly, and utterly fixated on getting enough fluids into my body, especially first thing in the morning. I can’t tell you when this possession first began, but I can tell you that I truly believe it to be the golden chalice to a healthy, happy and vibrant life.
According to various articles that I have read, in order to give you some real life facts: after a long night’s rest, it is common to wake up dehydrated (even if you don’t notice it). Hydration first thing in the morning is important, because it increases the rate at which new muscle and blood cells are produced. A hydrated body allows for a healthy flow of oxygen, allowing you to stay alert and energised. Hydrating also flushes the toxin build up in your organs from the healing that your bodies does while you are asleep.
So here goes: my 5 favourite drinks for rehydration in the morning.
1. Filtered water.
I drink almost a litre of filtered water upon waking, often while I’m still in bed, or when I’m pottering around and waking up for the day. I love feeling hydrated and after not drinking anything for 8 hours when I’m asleep, as soon as I feel the water rush into me, I open up like a flower and feel so replenished. Because I travel so much, I used to always buy 2 litre bottles of water and fill them up whenever I could at filtered water stations. But my sweet nature-loving boyfriend felt very sad about the implications my plastic bottles were having on the environment, and brought me a refillable bottle with its own filter inside it. It’s my very best friend now. After drinking a full bottle of water in the morning, I usually have at least one of the following.
2. Fresh ginger tea.
It makes you warm on cold mornings; it speeds up your metabolism and helps you stay slim and trim; and is amazing for digestion and nausea. Fresh ginger tea is an incredible, all-round miracle tonic, and so easy to make. Get some fresh ginger from the markets or supermarket. Peel the skin, grate a 1cm knob into a large cup, and fill with boiling water. The ginger particles usually settle at the bottom of the cup, and while you wait for the it to cool enough to drink, the fresh ginger infuses into the water, making a delicious, refreshing and warming concoction for your body and soul.
3. Peppermint tea.
I have fond memories of waking up in hotel rooms, ordering peppermint tea from room service and reading the paper while still in bed. Peppermint tea is my travel go-to. I carry little ziplock bags filled with peppermint tea bags to have on planes, trains, hotel rooms and anywhere else that I want a warm, refreshing drink. But my favourite? To make an enormous mug of it at home, and the settling down with it, in front of my laptop, to write. There’s something about peppermint tea that inspires my creativity and makes me feel sentimental and full of stories to tell.
4. Sacred Spice Latte.
I have my very first cup of Sacred Spice in Ubud, Bali last year. From that moment on I was obsessed. It is the most delicious, soothing, nurturing warm drink on the planet, filled with spices that do wonderful things. I don’t use exact measurements, I just add how I feel: turmeric powder, black pepper, cinnamon powder, ginger powder and sometimes some nutmeg powder; blended with a cup of coconut milk (I use a bit of coconut cream from a can and add water) plus as much honey as you like. I bring it to boil in a pot and then pour it into my mug. Turmeric is anti-inflammatory and has a crazy-huge list of benefits that you can discover when you Google it. Omg, so good!
5. Superfood smoothie.
This is my favourite I-don’t-have-time-to-eat-so-I’m-having-a-liquid-meal-before-a-busy-day go to. One / one and half frozen bananas, a generous handful of frozen blueberries, cinnamon powder, Nature’s Own 6 Supergreen blend — it’s a green powder — and use about a tablespoon per serve, water, and sometimes if I’m feeling decadent, a tablespoon of peanut butter. Blend with water until smooth and creamy. It’s the most delicious meal in a cup ever, and some easy to make.
Dehydration is the leading cause for ageing, so if that’s not enough motive to stay hydrated all day long, I don’t know what is! I’m always looking for new ideas to clomidrxshop.com maintain my health and give myself optimal nutrition, so I can show up and do life with all of me happy and engaged.
