Here’s a question everyone should be asking themselves each day: “Are you drinking enough water?”
You probably already know that it’s important to drink lots water and to stay hydrated. A minimum of eight glasses of water a day is recommended. You should aim for more if it is actually hot, or you are working out and sweating a lot. Getting enough water in your body will prevent you from getting dehydrated.
According to most doctors the early signs of dehydration are improved thirst, dry mouth, sticky saliva and reduced urine output with dark yellow urine. You may also experience a lack of energy and a headache.
None of these sound very fun. I know it is hard sometimes to drink that much water; particularly when sodas and coffee tempt us. However, to stay healthy and feel great, we ought to strive to drink those eight glasses of water a day.
Here are some ideas to help you remember to drink the water, and to make it a little more pleasant or interesting.
1 . Keep a water intake journal
OK, we know this isn’t going to be the most exciting or titillating piece of writing, but this is often as simple as a little piece of paper on the fridge, or a page in your day planner. Just make a little check mark, or dash on the piece of paper every time you drink a glass of water. The log will help you keep track of how much water you have had in any given day time. You will also be surprised how inspiring it is to try to get those eight little check-marks on there every day. One more idea would be to use little stickers instead.
2 . Add some lemon juice
I tend to get bored with drinking just water after a few days. Change items up and add a little flavor by adding a teaspoon or less of lemon to your water. You may also try some other fruit juices. Just be sure you remain drinking mainly water. Just a splash of juice should be enough to make things interesting and give the water some flavor without adding a lot of sugar and calories.
3. Try some club soda
If you are wanting the fizz of a soda, try some Club Soda. Most brands have a little too much fizz for me. I end up watering them down with – guess what – water. If you want to get really elegant, check your local grocery store for flavored club sodas. On the other hand, you may also add a splash of fruit juice to your watered down club soda.
4. Drink some water when you feel hungry
Unfortunately many of us have gotten so out of tune with our bodies that we feel hungry when we are actually thirsty. If you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water first. You may just be thirsty. And water will help keep down those snack cravings in the afternoon.
5. Carry a water bottle
It’s quite a bit easier to drink water when you have it readily available. Carry a bottle of water around with you in the car, at work, while operating errands, in the backyard, and even while you are working around the house. You are going to become sipping aside the water without actually noticing it.
6. Drink more in case you are working out
We already touched on this, but it is worth saying again. Make sure you drink a few extra glasses of water if you work out, or if you spend some time outside while it’s hot. Your body uses and needs more water when it sweats a lot. So don’t neglect to fill back up on water during and after your exercise.
Just pay attention to how much you drink and implement some of these ideas if you don’t get the recommended 8 glasses of water every day. Your body will thank you for it in the end.
