Easy Ways to Drink More Water Everyday
I mentioned in my newsletter and blog post last week that the healthy habit that I'm focusing on in January is: Drink more water. I will admit, I absolutely love drinking water, and most times I prefer to drink it over anything else. In the cold winters of New England however, I notice that I have to remind myself more than any other time of the year to drink up. Drinking enough helps me to battle the miserably dry winter skin, flush out germs when I start to feel a cold coming on, and keep my energy up during the day.
Our bodies are made up of over 60% water, so its no wonder that keeping the water coming in has SO many wonderful health benefits. I could list them for days, but since I think most people know drinking water is good for them, they just still struggle with HOW to make sure they're getting enough, I'm going to focus on that instead.
First, I want to give you a quick and easy guideline for knowing approximately how much water you should be drinking each day. Although there isn't one number that is for everyone, and there are many different factors that you should adjust your intake for (i.e. activity level, age, whether you're pregnant/breastfeeding, if caffeine or alcohol is also being consumed, etc.), an in-exact formula is to take your weight in pounds, divide it in half, and that is the number of fluid ounces of water that you should aim to try to drink each day. So if you weigh 200 lbs, then you should try and consume approximately 100 fluid ounces a day. And in case there are any over-achievers reading this: there is such a thing as TOO much water, which can cause mineral and electrolyte imbalances in your body, so if you are unsure about whether you're drinking too much or not enough, then as always check with your doctor! That being said, I think the majority of us can benefit by sticking to this general formula for how much water to drink, and will see many different health benefits as a result.
Here are my tips and tricks to sneaking more water into your everyday routine:
Always have it around/with you. I make sure to have a cup or bottle on my nightstand, with me in the car, on my desk, with me when I exercise, on the coffee table when I watch TV, etc. It's very rare that I don't have a bottle of water within reach, and since its always there, I drink it!
Have a cute/functional cup or bottle to drink from. It's easier to take water with you everywhere if you have a light and reusable travel bottle to fill up and bring along. And when that water bottle is pretty and a conversation starter with your co-workers or gym-mates? Even better! Think of it as your new accessory ;). I have so many different types of water bottles and love them all for different occasions/reasons. You don't need a lot though- just one or two that work for you and your lifestyle!
Try having some bubbly water! Since I drink it so much, sometimes I just want to change things up a little and feel like I'm having a drink that's a little more special or fancy. That's when I'll have some naturally flavored selzer water. BE CAREFUL though! People often get tricked by this and think they are drinking healthy stuff, but are actually drinking water with fake-sugars, sodium, and other sweeteners that add the flavor. Make sure that you check the label before you drink and see that there are zero calories, zero sodium, and that the ingredients include only carbonated water and natural flavors.
Add some of your own flavor. If you think that water tastes too plain and that's why you don't drink a lot of it- try spicing up your regular water with some fresh or frozen fruit slices (anything works - lemon, lime, strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, cucumber...anything!), or some fresh herbs (mint, rosemary, etc.).
Track it! Use an app on your phone, a notepad on your desk, or rubber bands around your water bottle to track how much you drink as you go throughout your day. This can create a little competition for yourself and also helps remind you if you are slacking off!
Set a reminder or trigger. You could put an electronic reminder in your calendar, or use something in your environment as a trigger to take a sip (i.e. when you receive an e-mail or phonecall, when you get up from your desk, etc.)
Drink a glass before each meal/snack. Since thirst is actually mistaken as hunger a lot, this is one of my favorite tricks. Whenever you're about to eat something, drink a glass of water first. Sometimes you might find that you aren't as hungry as you thought!
Try some caffeine-free, herbal tea. This is one of my favorites for this time of year. Your water intake doesn't all have to be in the form of just water. Many foods have a lot of water in them, and caffeine-free, herbal tea is great as well. Just be careful not to add milk, honey or sweetener to your tea if you want to benefit from it as a calorie-free water alternative.
Do you have any other tips that have worked for you? Are any of these tips something that you'd like to try out? I'd love to hear about your tips and experiences! Let me know in the comments below!
