The Importance of Hydration & Self Care When Losing Weight

When it comes to weight loss, it’s easy to focus solely on calories in and calories out. But, when you do that, it’s too easy to lose sight of the whole person. When you’re trying to lose weight, you don’t just need calories, you need care and support to accomplish your goals.

And, in case you haven’t heard it in a while: you deserve self-care. You deserve to take time to care for yourself and to do things that make you happy. Life is often overwhelming and taking a few minutes for yourself can make dealing with that “overwhelm” just a little bit easier.

With a more holistic view of weight loss, we put together some suggestions for pairing your self-care with hydration to get the most out of your downtime.

Benefits of Self Care & Hydration For Weight Loss

Why we gain weight is complicated and so is how to lose weight. While a calorie deficit sounds easy, anyone who has been on a diet knows it’s not actually that simple. 

Losing weight encompasses so many factors: your emotional health, your relationship with food, your stress level, and your social support and coping skills. 

This is where self-care and hydration come in.

What Is Self-Care?

In short, by taking care of yourself and your emotional health, it makes it easier to take care of your physical self and to lose weight.

And, believe it or not, drinking more water can also help you lose weight. Drinking water can help you to feel fuller and suppress appetite, increase calorie burning, and can encourage a reduction in your intake of liquid calories.

As we all know, drinking tons of water in a day is boring. And, not necessarily what your body needs. Electrolytes, such as sodium, chloride, potassium, and magnesium, are critical compounds that help your body to function. Even if you drink tons of water, you can feel dehydrated, because you’ve depleted your electrolytes.

Overall, pairing increased water intake, electrolytes, and self-care can take you a long way down the path towards a healthier relationship with food and stress, which can, in turn, help you to lose weight.

In addition, certain antioxidant-packed superfoods and extra boosts of protein contribute to your overall well-being when it comes to recovery, self-healing, and fueling your mind and body daily. Read on for our recommendations for how to reenergize while you take care of yourself!

Make a Bevvy and Settle in for Self-Care

As a little inspiration, we paired self-care activities with our favorite 310 Hydrate drink recipes so you have a delicious, healthy alternative to water to drink while you take care of yourself. 

No matter which one of these pairings you choose, we want to instill a sense of slowness. Making the drink and sitting down to drink it slowly while you do your self-care. While your time for self-care may be short, that’s no reason to rush through it!

1) Wildberry Greens Hydrator and a Nap

Sleep is incredibly important for health, productivity, and weight loss. Research has shown that lack of sleep can contribute to poor blood sugar and hormone regulation and increase food cravings, hunger, and irritability. When we’re sleep-deprived, we’re more likely to reach for foods that give us quick energy, which are full of sugar and carbs. 

That’s why the first self-care tip on our list is to take a nap. And, really, who doesn’t love a good power nap?! Before you settle in for a nap, mix up a Wildberry Greens Hydrator.

Pair it with a Wildberry Greens Hydrator:

Whether you drink it before or after your nap, the Wildberry Greens Hydrator is an awesome afternoon pick-me-up. This drink is packed with antioxidants from fruits and veggies, probiotics, and electrolytes. While caffeine is the usual afternoon go-to, this hydrator paired with a power nap can help you to feel refreshed without reaching for a cup of joe. 

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of 310 Wildberry Hydrate
• 1 scoop 310 Greens Blend
• 12 oz cold water
• 8 oz sparkling water
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1 cup ice
• *Optional: garnish with mint leaves or lemon slices

Directions:

1. Combine 310 Wildberry Hydrate, 310 Greens Blend, and cold water into a shaker cup. Shake until well combined
2. Add frozen mixed berries to two glasses and muddle. Add ice.
3. Pour the 310 Hydrate and 310 Greens Blend mixture over ice and muddle berries. Top off with sparkling water.
4. Add any desired garnishes. 
5. Serve and enjoy!

2) Black Cherry Hibiscus Smoothie after a Sweat Session

While exercise is often a normal part of a diet, there’s also a body-neutral reason to sweat it out. Getting your heart rate up by doing some cardio is a great way to reduce stress and anxiety. When you elevate your heart rate, you complete the stress cycle and allow those emotions to leave your body. 

The best part is, it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you get your heart rate elevated. And, it doesn’t have to be for long. Even just a few minutes of cardio can do the trick. 

These quick-hitting exercises can be the perfect stress relievers:

• A fast-paced walk for 15 minutes
• Quickly going up and down your stairs 3 to 4 times
• 60 seconds of jumping jacks, rest, and repeat 2 or 3 times. 
• 40 squats

And remember: these exercises aren’t about burning calories or losing weight. Focus this movement on burning off stress and feeling better emotionally. Tune in to how you feel before and after this burst of cardio. 

Once you’re done getting your heart rate up, it’s time for something delicious and rejuvenating: a Black Cherry Hibiscus Smoothie.

Pair it with a Black Cherry Hibiscus Smoothie:

This Black Cherry Hibiscus Smoothie is the perfect after-workout drink, with ingredients that help you instantly refuel and reenergize your body back into action. With invaluable collagen protein for joint health and lean muscle building, and 310 Reds for a plethora of immune-boosting “red” superfoods, this recipe is equally delicious and health-supporting.

Pro Tip: Add a scoop of 310 Shake in your flavor of choice for even more muscle-building and slimming protein and superfoods!

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop 310 Berry Hibiscus Collagen
• 1 scoop 310 Reds - Black Cherry
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 cup frozen cherries
• 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower rice
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 1/2 cup ice

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth.
2. Serve and enjoy!

3) Hot Lemon Ginger Immunity Booster & Some Quiet “Me Time”

The daily grind is filled with work and then straight home to do things such as cook, clean up, do the laundry, and take care of the kids. We all deserve a little me time to decompress from work and make the transition to home.

Whether you’re commuting to work or working from home, it’s important to give your mind a few minutes to transition from work world to home world. While it’s easy to think there’s no time in the day for “me time,” there is, even if it’s just 5 minutes. 

Stir up this easy-to-make, hydrating drink and sit down for a moment to think and be with your thoughts. Make your to-do list for the next day, close out work, and then think about your intentions for being at home. This little bit of me-time can make it easier for you to be present, no matter if that’s at work or at home.

Before you sit down for your short stint of me time, stir up this hot lemon ginger immunity booster as a body-healing treat.

Pair it with a Hot Lemon Ginger Immunity Booster: 

While you’re being intentional about self-care, give your body a little help to stay well with this invigorating beverage. It contains energizing and powerful antioxidant-packed ingredients to support digestion, immunity, and restoring a sense of balance as you do your me-time.

It also features 310 Ginger Cayenne Lemonade for the perfect burst of spicy, sweet and citrusy flavor in every mouthwatering sip.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick 310 Ginger Cayenne Lemonade
• 15oz hot water
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tbsp 310 MCT Oil
• Optional: add honey or cayenne powder for extra spice

Directions:

1) Heat up 15oz of water on the stove top or microwave and stir in 1 stick of 310 Cayenne Ginger Lemonade.

2) Add minced ginger, lemon juice, MCT oil, and honey (optional.)

3) Stir well, serve, and enjoy!

4) Medicine Ball Tea & Gratitude Journaling

Some days, life seems to be beating you down with one negative thing after another. It gets to a point where you just can’t see the silver lining. That’s where gratitude journaling comes in.

You can do this with a simple piece of paper, a lined journal, or a specific gratitude journal. All you need to do for this short and sweet self-care tactic is to write down 3 (or more!) things you’re grateful for.

Research has shown that gratitude can shift and reframe our perception of our day and can influence our overall mindset.

Before you sit down to write about the things you’re grateful for, take a moment to stir up this Watermelon Basil Hydrator to ensure you’re taking care of your mind and body. 

Pair it with a 310 Medicine Ball Tea:

While you’re expressing your gratitude, be grateful for continued wellness. Whenever you’re feeling a bit under the weather, or anytime you want to fortify your defenses, this warming drink can greatly help boost immunity.

Featuring 310 Lemonade, Jasmine Mint Tea, and Peach Tea, along with lemon, honey and mint leaves, it’s the perfect citrusy-sweet, refreshing drink to keep you feeling your best.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick 310 Original Lemonade
• 1 sachet 310 Jasmine Mint Tea
• 1 sachet 310 Peach Tea
• 16 oz hot water
• 2 lemon slices
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 mint leaves

Directions:

1. Take 8oz of hot water and steep 1 sachet of 310 Jasmine Mint Tea for 3-5 minutes.
2. Stir 310 Original Lemonade with the remaining 8oz of hot water and stir well until completely combined.
3. Add 310 Original Lemonade to the brewed tea. Add lemon slices, honey, and mint leaves.
4. Mix well and enjoy!

5) Tropical Berry Hibiscus Smoothie & An Afternoon Movement Break

Finally, after a long day which likely included lots of sitting, one of the best things you can do for self-care is to hop up for a movement break. 

A movement break can be anything that gets you up from your desk and moving around. The best part about movement breaks is that you can do them anytime. Try a movement break after a meeting, right before lunch, or late afternoon to rebuild your energy and do a little self-care.

Check out these movement break ideas:

• Walking up and down the stairs
• Walking around the block to get a coffee or a meal
• Taking a walk around your neighborhood
• Spending 10 minutes stretching
• Doing a 7-minute HIIT workout
• Walking to your kitchen to blend up a Tropical Hydrate Slushee

Pair it with a Tropical Berry Hibiscus Smoothie:

This Tropical Berry Hibiscus Smoothie is the perfect excuse to get up from where you’re sitting and wander into the kitchen for a movement break and to satisfy your hunger. 

This smoothie is incredibly satisfying, with a rich balance of ingredients and double dose of protein from 310 Toasted Coconut Shake and Berry Hibiscus Collagen.

You’ll get a healthy and delicious energy boost to go with your movement break so you can get back to being productive.

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop 310 Organic Toasted Coconut
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 scoop 310 Berry Hibiscus Collagen
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 cup ice

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients into a blender and blend until icy and delicious.
2. Pour into a glass and enjoy with a straw!

If you’re putting together some goals to increase your self-care, pairing it with hydration, and additional ingredients to nourish and rejuvenate your body is KEY. 

Craving the recipes mentioned in this article?

You can make them ALL… Get everything you need right here! Just be sure to pair your hydrating drink with a self-care activity. A little self-care goes a long way, and you deserve to feel your BEST!