With all the talk of climate change, and after a last years Christmas midst pandemic, this year is most definitely a time for being thankful for what he have, appreciating family and friends, relaxing and enjoying good food and drink, and minimizing waste and over indulgence.

A great present idea that achieves all the above is the thermos direct drink flask!  I promise I’m not on commission here but I want everyone to know the importance of hydration particularly in these winter months whilst still being mindful of the environment.  How many times do we drink cold tea, reboil the kettle, or throw it away?  Not anymore with the thermos direct drink flask.  It’s good to use home and away!  No spillage, piping hot drink for 10 hours or chilled for 24 hours.  It’s a great price point at £20 for the Thermos direct drink flask 470ml size, or £26 for the super light version.  They come in 4 or 5 different colours too so easy to know whose it is or even what it is!  I like one colour for waters and one for soups.  

Did you know that water:

  • Makes up approximately 70% of our body
  • Reduces stress, headaches, and joint pain
  • Helps us to burn fat
  • Prevents and relieves constipation
  • Is needed for nerve conductivity
  • Aides us in losing weight
  • Carries nutrients to cells
  • Removes toxins and other waste
  • Regulates our body temperature
  • Cushions joints and organs from shock
  • Gives us energy by carrying oxygen to cells

Hot water infused with fruit works well too in these direct drink flasks, as do herbal  / fruit teas, or nice homemade smooth soups.  Steer clear of sugars, processed and caffeine rich drinks.  My favourite festive green tea has to be Twinnings Gingerbread Green tea – I would highly recommend – very yummy!

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During the winter months hydration for our skin and body efficiency is so important.  We should be looking at c3 litres a day, so keep refilling your flask and know where you are up to.  There’s a tendency to eat less salad, fruits and vegetables during these winter months which means less hydration so we need to make a deliberate effort to up our intake.  Another trick to get your fluid intake up is to drink a glass of water both before and after each meal, that then likely gets you a litre guaranteed.  Couple this with 3-4 Thermos flask drinks and that will likely be you at perfect hydration for the day.  

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The Thermos direct drink flask image colour is called Berry –very festive I thought! 

So, how do we know if we are getting enough water.  Common signs and symptoms of dehydration:

  • Fatigue
  • Constipation
  • Weight gain
  • Dry skin and / or loss of elasticity
  • Headaches
  • Dizziness or lightheaded
  • Nausea
  • General Feeling of Unwellness
  • Increased body aches or pains
  • Feeling faint when rising from lying down or siting to a standing position
  • Moodiness and / or irritability
  • Confusion or lack of focus / concentration
  • Blurry vision
  • Sunken eyes and / or under eye circles
  • Reduced urine output and / or darker

We mentioned vegetables being a source of hydration, and nothing is better than homegrown seasonal vegetables on our Christmas dinner table. Here’s a current pick your own board from a farm shop local to me, it shows you all the things that are certainly worthy of a place on your plate this Christmas.

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I would always recommend doing extra vegetables with your meal with the intent of converting the left overs into a delicious and nutritious soup.  Simply cover the vegetables with boiling water or stock, boil in the pan and simply blend it. You can then eat over the next couple of days or even freeze it and use later in the week.

My final piece of Xmas advise would be any processed treats or high sugar treats, please limit to one day – 25th December.  The trick is in the purchasing, don’t leave yourself in January with the dilemma of do you eat the “naughties” and then start the diet or just bin them – either option isn’t great, so try and avoid with calculated purchasing in the first place.  Don’t be weakened by the marketeers tempting multiple buy deals!

I wish everyone a happy and healthy Christmas and look forward to 2022 being a good year for us all.  Love and best wishes Dianne xx

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