Your body is made up of mostly water, so it's important to drink enough of it to stay healthy.
Water is necessary for your body to function properly. It helps to maintain electrolyte balance blood pressure, lubricates joints, regulates body temperature, and promotes cell health.
It's important to stay hydrated, but it can be difficult at times.
Here are 12 simple ways to drink more water.
1. Understand your fluid needs
Before you decide to drink more water, you should understand your body's fluid needs.
A common claim is that people should drink 64 ounces, or 8 cups, of water a day. However, this is not based on scientific evidence.
According to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), men should drink 125 ounces of fluid per day, while women should drink 90 ounces. This fluid can come from water, other drinks, and food.
Although NAM agrees that it is not ideal to make general statements about how much fluid someone needs which can depend on factors such as how active they are, where they live, and their health, they continue to do so.
Most people's fluid needs can be met by simply drinking to quench their thirst, but people who exercise regularly, work outside, or live in a hot climate may need more fluid.
2. Set a daily goal
If you're trying to drink more water, setting a daily goal can help.
Setting goals can help motivate you and make it more likely that you'll stick with positive changes.
To be effective, goals should be SMART, which is an acronym for the following criteria:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Time-bound
You could set a goal to drink 32 ounces of water each day.
You may find it helpful to keep track of your progress, which can help keep you motivated to reach your goal and turn it into a habit.
See Trusted Source for more information on SMART
3. Keep a reusable water bottle with you
Carrying a water bottle with you during the day can help increase your water intake.
A reusable water bottle allows you to drink water conveniently no matter where you are. Whether you're out running errands, traveling, at home, work, or school, you'll always have access to water.
If you keep a water bottle within easy sight, it can serve as a reminder to drink more water. Seeing the bottle on your desk or table will remind you to stay hydrated.
In addition, it is more environmentally friendly to use a water filter instead of single-use plastic water bottles.
4. Set reminders
You can be reminded to drink more water by using an app on your smartphone or smartwatch.
One way to help ensure you're drinking enough water throughout the day is to set reminders for yourself. For instance, you could set a reminder to take a few sips of water every 30 minutes, or to finish drinking your current glass of water and refill it every hour.
If you want to drink more water throughout the day, here are some tips to help you remember: -Set a water goal for the day and track your progress. -Keep a water bottle with you at all times. -Set reminders on your phone or computer to drink water at regular intervals. -Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and before each meal. -Flavor your water with fruit, herbs, or even a splash of juice to make it more exciting to drink.
5. Replace other drinks with water
One way you can consume more water, as well as improve your health and lower your calorie consumption, is to drink water instead of other beverages, like soda and sports drinks.
These drinks contain high levels of sugar, which can be harmful to your health.
To maintain optimal health, it is recommended that you consume no more than 5% of your daily caloric intake from sugar. Just one 8-ounce (240 ml) serving of soda can exceed this limit.
Studies show that diets high in added sugars can lead to obesity and other conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Additionally, replacing sugary drinks with water is a simple and affordable way to reduce calories, which could help you lose weight.
6. Drink one glass of water before each meal
Try drinking a glass of water before each meal to help increase your water intake.
If you eat 3 meals per day, you should drink an extra 3 cups (720 ml) of water.
Furthermore, your body might mistake thirst for hunger. To help you determine if you're feeling genuine hunger, drink a glass of water before eating.
Not only could drinking a glass of water help you lose weight, but it may also help you eat fewer calories at your next meal.
7. Get a water filter
Most of the tap water in America is safe to drink, but you might want to buy a water filter if you're worried about the quality or safety.
There are many water filters available at different price points, from whole-home water filtration systems to less expensive water-filtering pitchers.
In addition, filtering your water could improve the taste.
Point-of-use water filters, such as water-filtering pitchers or filters that attach directly to a faucet, can reduce levels of waterborne bacteria, lead, and arsenic in contaminated tap water to safe levels. These filters can be an effective way to improve the safety of your drinking water, especially if your tap water is contaminated.
It is less expensive to use a water filter than it is to purchase bottled water. This is because bottled water is often no different than tap water.
8. Flavor your water
If you're not a fan of the taste of water, or just need a bit of flavor to help you drink more of it, you have many options.
An fruit-infuser water bottle is a cheap and healthy option.
Some popular fruit combinations to use in an infuser bottle are cucumber-lime, lemon, and strawberry-kiwi. You can also use any combination of fruits that suits your taste.
You can buy water enhancers that come as a powder or liquid. Be aware that many of these enhancers have sugar, artificial sweeteners, or other additives that may not be good for your health.
9. Drink one glass of water per hour at work
You can increase your daily water intake by 1,920 ml simply by drinking one glass of water per hour while you're at work.
Make sure to drink water as soon as you get to work, and drink the rest of the water at the top of every hour. Fill up your cup again after you drink the water.
This method will help ensure you drink the same amount of water throughout your workday.
10. Sip throughout the day
Another way to help you meet your daily fluid goals is to drink water regularly throughout the day.
Drinking water regularly throughout the day will keep your mouth from getting dry and may even help freshen your breath.
Having water within your line of sight will serve as a reminder to drink it throughout the day.
11. Eat more foods high in water
One way to consume more water is to eat foods that have a high water content.
Fruits and vegetables that are particularly high in water include
- Lettuce: 96% water
- Celery: 95% water
- Zucchini: 95% water
- Cabbage: 92% water
- Watermelon: 91% water
- Cantaloupe: 90% water
- Honeydew melon: 90% water
These fruits and vegetables are not only high in fluid content, but they are also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that promote your overall health.
12. Drink one glass of water when you wake up and before bed
A way to easily increase your water consumption is to drink a glass when you wake up and another right before you go to sleep.
Drinking a glass of water in the morning may help increase your alertness.
Plus, drinking water before bed can
10 HACKS TO DRINK MORE WATER
1. Set a daily goal
The saying goes that “if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”. This is especially true when it comes to setting goals. If you want to achieve something, you need to have a plan and put yourself in the right frame of mind. Just setting a goal to drink more water each day will help to remind and motivate you to actually do it.
An app is a great way to keep track of how much water you should drink and how much you have drunk. There are many apps available that can help you see how much water you need to drink, how much you have drunk, and how many days you have reached your goal. Some apps even make it into a game to motivate you further!
2. Drink a glass of water while waiting
We all have to deal with small moments of waiting in our lives, like when we're in line at a coffee shop or waiting for the pasta to boil. These moments can be a great opportunity to drink a glass of water!
If you want to improve your focus and stay hydrated, drink a glass of water instead of daydreaming the next time you're waiting for coffee to brew. Not only will this help you consume more water, but it will also make you more aware of your surroundings and prevent you from getting lost in thoughts.
3. Drink water from a marked tumbler
If you find it difficult to drink eight glasses of water a day, you could try buying a marked tumbler and setting yourself the goal of finishing a certain amount of water by the end of the day.
Think about how much water you need to drink in a day, and then fill a bottle that size. Try to finish the whole bottle by the end of the day. If a large bottle is too much, use a smaller one and break down your water intake into manageable amounts.
If your goal is to drink 2 litres of water a day, you could buy a 1 litre bottle and make sure to drink it twice. You can make it even more efficient by setting a time limit! For example, “I have to finish 1 litre before noon, and another 1 litre before going to bed.”
IIf you use a marked water bottle, you will always know how much water you have drunk and how much more you need to drink to reach your daily goal. To make sure you are always prepared, fill up your bottle every night before you go to bed.
4. Eat water-rich foods
Eating fruits and vegetables that contain a lot of water is a good way to stay hydrated. For example, lettuce is 96% water. Other fruits and vegetables that are more than 90% water include celery, zucchini, cabbage, watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon. These foods not only help you stay hydrated, but also have many other health benefits.
Eating water-rich fruits and vegetables is a great way to stay fuller for longer, preventing you from snacking mindlessly throughout the day.
Make sure to drink a full tumbler of water before leaving the house or office.
This is one of the best things you can do to make sure you drink more water: carry a reusable water bottle with you everywhere you go. A lot of the time, people don’t drink water because it’s not immediately available to them. If you have a water bottle with you all the time, you’ll always have water, no matter what you’re doing – whether you’re running errands, working in an office, or exploring a new country.
Reminding yourself to drink water throughout the day by keeping a water bottle with you will help you stay hydrated.
It's not just about eliminating your need for single-use plastic bottles, it's great for the environment too!
Stay Hydrated, Stay Happy
It's important to stay hydrated, especially since water is crucial for our overall health and well-being. It can be difficult to drink enough water, especially if we're busy, but it's worth it to make the effort.
You don't have to make radical changes to your lifestyle to drink more water. With the strategies mentioned above, it will be much easier to stay hydrated and live a healthier life.
Drinking water before bed can help to prevent you from waking up with a dry mouth and bad breath.
The bottom line
Adequate water intake is essential to good health.
The National Academy of Medicine estimates that most people need between 90 and 125 ounces of fluid per day from sources like water, other beverages, and food.
If you find it difficult to drink water on a regular basis, there are a few things you can do to change that. First, try to be more aware of how much water you should be drinking each day and make a conscious effort to drink that amount. If you forget to drink, set reminders for yourself or keep a water bottle with you at all times. Finally, if you don't like the taste of water, try adding fruit or herbs to give it some flavor.
If you're looking for ways to drink more water, consider these 12 tips.
