Guest Post: 7 Easy Ways to Drink More Water
6:00:00 PM
What is one piece of advice you always get from your doctor?
Drink more water!
I hear it every. single. time.
I bet you’ve heard this many times as well.
It really is great advice and when I do it, I notice many things, such as: more energy, clearer skin, and fewer food cravings.
However, my problem is, I don’t like drinking water. It’s just not good to me. Plus, it’s hard finding time to do it.
I’ve decided it's time to make changes for my health and drinking more water is at the top of the list.
How much water we need is still a subject of debate. Many know the usual eight 8 oz glasses a day. According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s a good rule of thumb, though it may not be entirely accurate.
Some say you should drink half your body weight in ounces each day.
Whatever advice you decide to follow, starting small and working up is a great way to meet your goal.
Every time I try to start drinking a lot of water immediately, I fail and go back to a state of dehydration.
I’ve come up with a few tricks to reach my goal of drinking more water and want to share them with you.
Start Small
Full disclosure, some days I’m lucky if I drink one 8 oz glass of water. I’m that bad.
My first goal has been to drink three 8 oz glasses a day, one glass with each meal.
Once you hit that goal, add in another time, like mid-morning with a snack.
Drink First Thing in the Morning
Fill a bottle with ice and water at night and put it by your bed.
Take a few drinks in the morning upon waking.
The cold water gives you a rush of energy, and you’ve gotten some ounces in.
Eat Your Water
Another option to increase fluid intake is eating fruits and vegetables with high water content.
Cucumbers are a whopping 97% water, and watermelons come in at 92% (not to mention watermelon contains lycopene, a powerful cancer-fighting antioxidant).
Other fruits and veggies with high water content are iceberg lettuce, celery, tomatoes, berries and grapefruit.
Set Water Alarms
Set several water alarms throughout the day.
Program it in your phone (title the alarm so you remember why the phone is beeping at you) and use it.
If you are like me, I get so busy doing other things that water intake isn’t on my mind. I do pay attention to a beeping phone though!
Challenge Your Spouse, Kids, Coworkers
Ask others for help in the way of a challenge.
Most of us need to drink more water, so challenge your kids, spouse, co-workers (maybe all of them) to a contest of some kind.
Making it fun will increase the chances of doing it and you’ll all be better hydrated at the end of the competition.
Add a Glass of Water to Each Meal
I like my morning coffee.
I also like to drink a soda with lunch… and dinner.
However, I really should be drinking more water.
One way to do this is to add a glass of water to your meal. You don’t have to give up anything right away and you’ll end up drinking more water.
Also, drink the water before you eat, you won’t consume as much.
Gallon Jug Trick
If you are a visual person, the “gallon jug” trick may be what you need.
Get a clean gallon jug and mark times of the day you will drink. Pour the water out to the line on the jug, drink, and repeat. Here is a great tutorial on how to do it.
One thought about this; I’d start with a half gallon jug. The size is less intimidating, and as I mentioned earlier I want to obtain my goal so starting smaller would work best for me.
Drinking more water is a small thing we can do to improve our health. Hopefully, some of these ideas will help you increase your fluid intake and feel better!
Author Bio:
Vicky Warren is the mother of four boys. Between swimming lessons and fake light saber fights, she is a writer/blogger and Pinterest manager for hire, specializing in parenting, lifestyle and medical writing with a nursing background. She is also the author and curator of content at Living the Diagnosis.
Check out her blog and all her social media listed below.
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