Simple and Healthy Ways To Drink More Water
It can be hard to remember to drink enough water every day—with so much else going on in our lives, it’s often one of the last things on our minds unless we feel noticeably thirsty. But frankly, drinking water is an important thing that everyone should prioritize. Are you having a hard time establishing the habit? Here are some simple and healthy ways to drink more water.
Why Drink Water?
If you put a human being out into the wilderness, they could survive for a surprisingly long time without food—usually anywhere from one to three weeks. But without water, a human being would not be able to last longer than about three days, perhaps a week at most. Water is necessary to just about every function of the human body in some way. It helps to regulate body temperature, cushion joints, carry nutrients throughout the body, and keep your eyes, mouth, and nose moist. Because we are constantly losing fluids, it’s necessary to replenish our supply continually by drinking enough water each day. In summary, we drink water because it helps us to stay healthy.
Ways To Drink More Water
It’s clear why drinking water is such an important part of everyday life. Even so, it can be hard for people to establish the habit of drinking water regularly. In general, women should drink about 11.5 cups of water per day, while men should drink about 15.5 cups per day. If you struggle to meet this standard, read on to learn some simple and healthy ways to drink more water.
Keep a Water Log
Before you start trying to increase your daily water intake, you should know how much you drink every day as it is. If you don’t, you may want to start a log to track how much water you already drink. That way, you’ll be able to identify your starting point and by how much you’ll need to improve. If you want, you can continue to log the amount you drink each day after this point, either using an app designed for that purpose or on your own.
Set Goals for Yourself
Setting daily goals can be a good way to inspire yourself to drink enough water every day. A good goal is to drink about half your body weight in ounces of water each day. For most people, this will be somewhere in the range of two to three liters of water.
Make It a Contest With Family and Friends
Do you have a competitive spirit, or do you want your loved ones to improve their habits as well? Then creating a water-drinking contest might be the solution for you. When you undertake the challenge with others, you can all motivate one another to accomplish your goals and do better, resulting in a healthier lifestyle for everyone. Plus, it’s more fun with family and friends!
Drink It With Each Meal
If you have a hard time remembering to drink water regularly, start getting into the habit of drinking at least one glass with every meal you eat. Are you thirsty as you’re eating your eggs in the morning? Drink water. Need a beverage to go with your sandwich at lunch? Drink water. The same goes for dinner. Water is a neutral-tasting drink that will go with any meal you’re eating at any time of day. And unless you’re the sort to skip a meal, you’ll already have at least three glasses of water taken care of—and that’s just with meals.
Drink It at Specific Times of Day
Similarly, if you struggle to drink water consistently throughout the day, you could try scheduling specific times of day to get a drink. Perhaps this means getting a glass of water every time you take a break during the day at work or every afternoon after putting your kids down for their naps. Pick a few times throughout the day, then set reminders on your phone to help you remember them.
Buy a Reusable Water Bottle
It can be hard to remember to fill up your glass often enough to drink enough water each day. Plus, a glass can only hold so much, so if you’re still thirsty after you finish it, you’ll need to keep filling it up until you’ve quenched your thirst. You can combat this forgetfulness and inconvenience with one simple change: a reusable water bottle. Choose one that you enjoy drinking from that can also hold more water than the average glass. Many water bottles even have measurements on them that will show you how much water you’ve consumed. In addition, water bottles are portable, so you’ll be able to take your water with you even on the go.
Replace Other Drinks With Water
Do you find yourself reaching for juice, milk, or a can of soda more often than your water bottle? If that’s the case, consciously decide to drink water in the place of these other drinks. While other drinks aren’t necessarily bad, you should always prioritize drinking enough water before adding these other drinks into your diet.
Improve the Taste
Some people just can’t stand the taste of plain water. And that’s okay—you just need to find a solution. To improve the taste of your water, try adding a little bit of flavor. This could be a bit of lemon juice, some mint, or a couple of slices of your favorite fruits. You can either add this straight into your water or freeze the flavor into ice cubes and add those. For a change of pace, you can also try carbonating your water.
Invest In a Water Filter
Another way to improve your water’s taste is to install a water filter in your home. Filtering your water makes it safer and healthier to drink by removing some chemicals and minerals. You can choose to install either a whole-house filter, which will filter all water as it enters your home, or a point-of-use filter, which will filter your water only at a specific point where you need it, like the kitchen. For those who want unlimited, easily accessible drinking water in their kitchens, a reverse osmosis water faucet is a solid choice.
Hopefully, one or more of these ideas has inspired you to start drinking more water each day! If you decide that installing a water filter is the way to go, consider choosing one of the many options that Premier H2O provides. We’d be happy to help you learn more about our water filters and decide which is the best for your home.