tricks for drinking more water
Tricks for Drinking More Water
Staying hydrated is the key to a healthy life. This Buzzle article gives you some tricks that help you boost your daily intake of water.
Research says that about one-quarter of the children in the US do not drink enough water on a daily basis. Kids are particularly prone to having sweet drinks like soda and fruit juice instead of plain water, and many teens prefer sports and energy drinks over water.
There are several little things you can do when trying to live a healthier life. Exercising regularly, following a healthy diet, and limiting your calorie intake are some of them. But one of the most important things we often ignore, is drinking enough water. Staying well-hydrated helps maintain good health. But daily water intake is something we pay very less attention to.
Many of us are so busy throughout the day that we hardly realize that we are not drinking enough water daily. Caught up in our hectic schedule, we don't make a deliberate effort to drink more water. And some of us are just too lazy to get ourselves a glass of water at regular intervals or refill our water bottles. We ignore drinking water till we feel really thirsty. Well, this happens with most of us. At times, we are too tired to get water, at other times we are too busy to remember having it. Whatever be your reason for drinking less water, this article brings you some tricks to drink it more and stay hydrated and healthy, always.
Tricks for Getting Yourself to Drink More Water
Carry a Water Bottle with You
It is unlikely that you will drink water if you don't have it near you, so it's a good idea to buy a water bottle that you can carry wherever you go. Choose a BPA-free bottle that's large enough to hold a good amount of water, but small enough so that you can comfortably bring it along to work, school, gym, or while running errands. Depending on how often you're on the go, you may want an insulated bottle so that the water stays cold throughout the day. Remember to refill your bottle as soon as it's empty.
Tag Your Water Bottle
Put an inspirational sticker or image on your water bottle, or create a DIY remind-bottle by writing down the timings at which you should drink water or how much should be finished by what time. Put up encouraging lines about drinking more water. This will let you bond more with the water bottle and keep your goal literally in sight throughout the day.
Spice It Up!
Though it is refreshing and perfect for quenching your thirst, one of the biggest challenges to drinking enough water is that eventually you get bored because it is tasteless and bland. To solve this issue, try a detox recipe or add fresh fruit to your water. Lemons and oranges can be cut and added to a pitcher and kept in the refrigerator to create a zesty and tasty drink. Additionally, you may try cucumber, watermelon, kiwi, berries, or other fruits that you love or think would be tasty. Adding herbs, such as mint or basil, can add an extra kick of flavor to your water.
Track the Amount of Water You Drink
The best way to keep up with your hydration is to track how much water you're drinking. Some bottles have built-in counters that allow you to easily move the pointer up with each refill. If your water bottle isn't this high-tech, try using something like My Fitness Pal, make a tally for each refill using a notes app, or use an alarm to remind you to drink a glass of water every hour during the day. By doing this, you may be surprised to find how much water you are drinking.
Set Small Goals
To make drinking enough water a bit more manageable, you may want to break your goal into smaller milestones. For instance, you may want to drink four glasses before breakfast, an additional four before lunch and another four glasses before dinner. By focusing on smaller goals, it'll be easier for you to drink enough water and ensure that you're hydrated all day long.
Drink in Sips
If gulping down water is daunting for you, get a straw or a water bottle with a built-in straw. Sipping water, you will drink a lot of it without realizing. This trick works for kids too, as they like to sip through a straw and it's also much easier for them.
Eat Water-Rich Foods
It is a good idea to have foods that contain water. Many fruits and veggies such as cucumber, watermelon, broccoli, tomatoes, strawberries, among others, have a high water content. Including more of these in your daily diet, will automatically increase your water intake.
Exercise
Workout is another good way to trick yourself into drinking more water. As the body gets exhausted after exercising, you have the tendency to gulp down more water after a workout.
Challenge Yourself
You, along with your friends or colleagues, can take a challenge to increase your daily water intake. You all can set a goal to drink a certain amount of water daily and then see who can attain it. Decide something like finishing one bottle of water before lunch or a certain number of bottles till evening, and keep a penalty for those who don't follow it, or a prize for those who complete the challenge successfully. A competitive spirit will surely help everyone in the group, to drink more water.
Have Foods that Make You Thirsty
Snacks like salted nuts and chips, and other high-sodium foods make you feel thirsty. Sugar-rich foods have the same effect. Though having these foods is a trick to make yourself drink more water, it is not advisable to have them in excess. They are unhealthy. Natural diuretics like celery and eggplant increase urine production, thus increasing your need for water. But any such drastic changes in your diet, should not be made without expert advice. As such, having foods that make you feel thirsty will leave you wanting more water. You'll find yourself drinking more water without even realizing it.
Ensure the Purity of Water
Impurities in water spoil its taste and no one likes to drink bad-tasting or bad-smelling water. So, to make yourself drink more water, ensure that it is pure. In case the taste of your tap water is not very appealing, use a filter or other ways of cleaning and purifying it before consumption. Also, impure or unclean water will harm your health.
Make it a Habit
A great way to drink more water is to make it your habit. Have a glass of water after waking up. Make a habit to sip some water every half an hour, or have a glass of it every hour, and so on. Make it a point to have a certain amount of water daily. Have a glass of it before going to bed. Make a habit to drink some water each time you wake up during the night. Try this for a few days in a row, and it will soon become a well-formed habit. After that, you won't have to try very hard or trick yourself into drinking water. It will happen quite easily.
Drinking enough water daily is really very important, though you may find it a bit difficult initially. Staying hydrated benefits the skin and overall health, and drinking enough water daily is a habit that pays off in the long run as well. Though water intake should be taken seriously, don't overdo it. Drinking more water doesn't mean having too much of it, or having a bottle-full in one go and then staying without it for hours. It is important to drink it in the right amounts and at regular intervals.