Do you ever wonder why you can’t hit those targets at work, or why you feel sluggish through the morning?  You think you are sleeping well and you are definitely eating ok? Have you considered that you might not be hitting the targets when it comes to health and this is why you are struggling so much?

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Hydration plays a really important part when it comes to our minds.  We simply cannot function at our best if we are dehydrated.  Advice from the internet about how much water we need to drink can be misleading.  You have heard the average right? Drink around 8 glasses of water a day and you are going to be in tip top hydration.  Well, actually, that is wrong.  

A more accurate measurement of how much water we need as an individual, is to work out half our body weight and drink that in fluid ounces.  Sounds like a lot? It is.  However, you also need to consider how much you move around, how much you sweat and what your environment is like during the day.  So, if you are sipping 8 glasses a day and feeling a little bit snail like, this could be the best place to start.

So, how can we ensure we are hydrated enough?  Some doctors will say your pee is a good indicator.  It isn’t bad.  If you have clear pee and there is a decent amount of it, then you are probably drinking a good amount of fluid.  If you notice your wee is dark or champagne colored and you take a few seconds to have pee, then the chances are your body is desperate for more fluids.  A great solution to this is by grabbing one of the new smart water devices, don’t know what that is? Check out the link here https://trago.co/pages/smart-water-bottle. A smart water bottle uses modern tech to ensure you are taking on board the right amount of fluid, throughout the day.  It is tailor made to you and will let you know if you need to drink more than your average day.  

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Another common mistake we make is thinking that just because we are asleep, that we are sleeping properly.  There are various states of sleep, from a light snooze to a heavy deep sleep.  Throughout the night we will hit various states between both of these, however we need to be slipping into a deep and restful sleep every night.  You can download a free app from itunes.  https://www.sleepcycle.com tracks your sleep via your mobile device and can highlight any areas of concern.  It is really interesting to look at the graphs and make notes as to what you did in the evening.  You may find that the extra 30 mins you stayed up, impacts your sleep quality meaning you are more tired in the morning.

Taking advantage of technology like this can help ensure you are maintaining your body the way it needs.  We are all very different so following the general rule may not be helping us fine tune our bodies.