Irish Daily Mirror ‘Get Ireland Fit’ Campaign – Hydration

One of the most important things when starting a new training programme is to make sure you’re sufficiently hydrated, especially as the weather gets warmer. Water is involved in almost every chemical reaction in the body, it helps us digest and absorb food, protects our organs and tissues, cushions our joints and regulates our body temperature.

We should all be drinking 2 litres of fluids per day. It’s best to start hydrating first thing in the morning and drink at regular intervals throughout the day rather than just while training or once you get thirsty. If you’re thirsty you’re already dehydrated! Adding different flavours to water or having herbal teas, green juices or coconut water can keep hydration interesting and encourage us to get our 2 litres per day without getting bored! One of my favourite flavoured waters is this ‘Cucumber Nojito’.

Fresh green vegetable juices are another way to keep hydration interesting with the added benefits of readily absorbable nutrients from the vegetables. See my ‘Go-To Green Juice’ for a recipe. Natural coconut water is a great way to replenish electrolytes after training as it has a naturally perfect electrolyte balance that matches that of the human body. It is available in most shops and supermarkets and comes in a range of flavours.

Read the full article here.