7 Simple Ways to Help You Drink More Water
Let’s face it, most of us know we should drink more water. Chugging down energy drinks and coffee might make it easier to get through a rough day. But it doesn’t do much for your health. We all need a decent amount of water to keep us operating at our best.
Water is a necessity for life. It keeps us hydrated, alive, and functioning at our best! Unfortunately, many people don’t drink enough which leaves them feeling thirsty throughout the day. Or struggling with headaches from dehydration. So you know you need to drink more water. But how do you do it?
Here are 7 simple ways to help you drink more water:
1. Keep a Water Bottle Handy
Keeping a water bottle near your computer, on the nightstand, or when you’re out running errands is an excellent way to make sure you’re staying hydrated. You might also want to try keeping one in the fridge so it stays nice and cold.
Always have water handy. It’s tough to remember that you should be constantly drinking water if you don’t have any available. To improve your chances of meeting your daily intake, keep a refillable water bottle with you at all times.
It’s a good idea to get a large enough bottle. You can get full-gallon-sized refillable bottle. l recently got this one and I love it.
- Though it might sound simple, the reality is you’re a lot more likely to sip at the water from your jug if it’s convenient. So why not make life easier for yourself?
2. Add Some Flavor
If you consider water to be boring, you can always change things up a bit. Muddling fresh herbs like mint and basil into your water can give it a unique taste. So you’re more inclined to want to gulp your drink down.
Also try adding a few slices of lemon, lime, or cucumber. This can give your water a fresh new taste and entice you to drink more. A drop or two of juice from these fruits will also add some flavor without adding too many extra calories. But don’t use sugary fruit juices. You’ll add extra calories you don’t need.
- You can also use water infuser bottles so you can add fresh fruits to your drinks too.
- Not only do infuse drinks taste a little better, but they can also have a range of other benefits. Many people swear by using drinks infused with mint and lemon to improve the performance of the metabolism.
If plain water isn’t really your thing, try mixing it up with some flavored waters or sparkling water. You can also add some fresh fruit to make it even more refreshing. A few slices of cucumber or lemon is a good place to start. Check out this post for more ideas on infusing your water.
3. Opt for Loose Leaf Tea
Drinking a few cups of green, white or black tea every day is an excellent way to get your daily water intake. While also getting antioxidants and other health benefits. Just be sure not to add any milk or sugar which will add extra calories and undo all of the good you’ve done!
Here’s a post from Martha Stewart on the health benefits of drinking more tea.
4. Use a Timer to Drink More Water
Set alarms on your phone. Try setting a few alarms each day to remind you to drink a bit of water. Even if you ignore one of your alarms like when you hit the snooze button each morning, you should be able to get a decent amount of hydration this way.
This is a great way to enforce the habit of drinking water. By setting yourself up for success, you’re more likely to follow through with this task.
- If you have a smartwatch, I use this one, you can also set alarms on these that remind you to drink more water too.
- While you’re at it, consider using your when you drink water as a reminder to get up and move around too. You can kill two birds with one stone by stretching out your limbs and rehydrating.
If you don’t want to use your electronics you could use an old-fashioned kitchen timer and continue to reset it for an hour throughout the day.
5. Eat More Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Adding fruits and vegetables that contain a decent amount of water to your diet will help you get better hydration. Some of the best options for this are cucumbers, tomatoes and celery. Here’s a post from Eat this not That with more water-rich hydrating foods.
6. Use your water bottle like a clock.
This is such a popular tip these days that you can actually get water bottles with times stamped on them. Alternatively, just mark lines on your water bottle to correspond with certain times.
- The idea is to have a big enough bottle that you can chug down a decent amount of H20 throughout the day.
- If you need to fill your bottle once at work, the lines could count for 8, 10, 12, and 2 for the first half of the day, then 4, 6, 8, and 10 for the second half. It’s up to you to determine how quickly you drink your allocated amounts of water, but the more you chug – the better.
I started using this gallon sized water bottle that has times marked on it. This gives you an idea of how much water you should have drank by that time of day.
7. Drink More Water During Meals
Drink a glass of water every time you eat. One of the best ways to get into the habit of drinking water is to do it every time you do something else.
For instance, if you’re eating something whether it’s a meal or a snack, try drinking a full glass of water at the same time. This should ensure that you get at least a few full glasses into your routine – even if you forget to do it throughout the day.
Drinking water during meals can keep you from being so ravenous that you eat too much. A glass of water with your meal may reduce your appetite slightly, but it will also fill you up so you eat less.
Drinking water during a meal also has other benefits. Water can aid in digestion, so you’re less likely to get a stomach ache and it can make you feel fuller. So you don’t overeat or binge on unhealthy foods.
Common Questions/FAQ on How to Drink more water
Water helps flush toxins from the body and gives you more energy. But it also helps with weight management, heart function, blood pressure regulation, controlling diabetes symptoms, and even preventing kidney stones.
You should drink at least half your body weight in ounces. So if you weigh 200 pounds you should drink 100 ounces of water each day.
Drinking enough water each day reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Our blood is made up of 90% water. Which means it must be constantly replenished.
Water helps regulate a person’s blood pressure. If you don’t drink enough water your body will maintain a high blood pressure to make sure your organs receive enough.
Drinking enough water is important for healthy kidney function. When we don’t drink enough, the kidneys have to work harder and that puts stress on them.
Drinking enough water each day helps keep our energy levels up! When we’re dehydrated, we tend to feel tired, sluggish, and fatigued. Drinking enough water can help to boost our energy and keep us feeling alert and focused.
Water helps with weight management. Drinking water can help you feel full and reduce your appetite. Making it easier to stick with a healthy eating plan. When we’re dehydrated, our body craves salty foods because the kidneys try to retain sodium when there’s not enough fluid in the cells. This can cause you to overeat and put on weight.
The Last Thing You Need to Know about Drinking More Water Every Day
While drinking more water might not seem like the most important item on your to-do list, it can make a big difference to your health. Committing to just one of these strategies could help you significantly improve your hydration.
Why not chug some water? You’ll be surprised at how much better you feel after a few glasses!
Chronic dehydration can make your body feel awful and many people don’t even realize they’re doing it because the symptoms are often so minor. Drinking more water will help keep everything in your body running smoothly.
2 Comments