‘You need to drink’ was the very first advice I heard after my husband died. And I am pretty sure you have heard this piece of advice often enough yourself.

However, even non-grievers tend to not know the first thing about a healthy fluid intake, for example that we shouldn’t drink anything cold, especially before, during and after a meal.

I can hear you ask: ‘Why is that?’

The reason is simple. Drinking anything cold constricts blood vessels and diverts blood away from your stomach. Just think of what it feels like to down a glass of iced tea or chilled beer!

Cold drinks douse your digestive fire, i.e. your stomach acid, and without adequate levels of stomach acid, the food you have just eaten simply sits in the stomach and starts to rot. Something we want to absolutely avoid!

Whereas sipping warm liquids such as herbal teas throughout the day ‘keeps the fire burning’ AND ensures that your body doesn’t get dehydrated.

 

And it is not just forgetting to drink that can make our body too dry. Crying, diarrhea, vomiting, dry(ing) food, caffeinated drinks, alcohol, or excessive sweating and peeing can also contribute to dehydration.

So, what can we do to keep drinking the right amount, i.e. around 2 litres, every day? Well, here are some tips on how you can keep your hydration levels in tip top shape:

• Have a tall coconut water – banana smoothie for breakfast. Try the recipe HERE. Both ingredients contain electrolytes which help maintain proper water balance in the body.
• Make preparing a 500ml flask of herbal tea part of your morning routine.
• Take this flask with you to work and sip from it whenever you don’t need to talk or move about.
• Take a flask with you when you are going places and there is little chance of you getting something warm to drink while you are out.
• Eat a good-sized bowl of soup once a day. It also counts as a liquid.
• Drink a tall glass of room temperature water with a wedge of lime and a pinch of rock salt 30 minutes before a meal. Salt helps to retain water while sour taste helps with the production of saliva and other digestive juices needed to break down food properly.
• Find a good alternative to coffee or black tea. Mine is fresh ginger tea with a bit of lemon juice.
• Always drink coffee with a glass of water at room temperature.
• Have a warm cocoa drink made with almond milk as a healthy pick-me-up in the afternoon.

And here is a link to a short YouTube video if you prefer a more visual way of learning more about proper hydration and why it is important, especially when we are grieving. CLICK HERE

Is drinking enough not your only problem and are you also struggling with eating and getting into a new daily meal routine? Have a look at other articles on this website that will help.

Author: Sabine Horner, Nutritionist and AtaLoss Ambassador

www.sabinehorner.com