We’ve all heard it already: the key to good health lies in drinking enough water. Chances are, at some point in the last year you might have made a goal to do just that. But no matter how enthusiastically you started, you soon lost interest or found yourself falling back into your old habits.
The problem is, we need water. Dehydration leads to a whole plethora of health concerns that goes far beyond a dry mouth. When you’re not drinking enough water, you can experience a racing heart, headaches, low blood pressure, and fatigue.
How much water should you drink? The simplest equation is to take your weight (in pounds) and divide that number by 2. The resulting number is how many ounces of water you should be drinking every day. If that seems like a lot, then chances are you aren’t drinking enough. Thankfully it’s pretty easy to trick yourself into drinking enough throughout the day.
1. Add water into your routine. When you wake up, drink water. When you get a snack, drink water first. When you go to bed, drink water first. Look for stop points in your day to add water in.
2. Have a water bottle you love. Sometimes drinking more requires nothing more than a pretty water bottle, that’s easy to carry with you. Want to up the ante? If your water bottle is clear enough to see your water level through the plastic, then mark the outside with time goals. So maybe your halfway point (depending on the size of the water bottle) is noon. That helps you to see easily if you’re on track.
3. Make it fun. There are apps out there to help remind you to drink water. Plant Nanny allows you to grow a virtual plant with every glass of water you drink.
4. Set your timer. Use your smartphone to set alarms to remind you that it’s time to stop and drink.
5. Make it something more. Adding in a spritz of fruit juice, or a slice of lemon goes a long way toward making water less boring and more interesting. Consider freezing bits of fruit in ice cubes to use in your water to make it more special.
6. Try eating it instead. There’s a lot of fruits and vegetables that are rich in water. Grabbing a healthy snack like some watermelon or slices of cucumber can be used to replace some of that water intake, and also solve that midday munchie craving at the same time.
Drinking more water doesn’t have to be complicated. Think outside of the box a little, and make drinking water not just fun, but something you look forward to having. When you’re well hydrated, you’ll find that you have more energy, can think better, and are better able to manage your day. So, drink up to your good health!
