When it comes to hydration, you've probably heard time and time again that you should be drinking water throughout the day. Staying hydrated is important, but why? And how much should you be drinking every day? What if you don't like plain water? We're often told to drink more water, but sometimes it can be difficult to follow through on something without a “why” and a “how.” This article will arm you with both these things so you can stay hydrated in a way that works for you. Read on for more!
Why Water is Important
First things first, why should we drink lots of water? Well, water is important for:
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Regulating body temperature
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Breaking down and digesting food
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Flushing toxins and removing waste
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Helping you feel more full (especially helpful while you are eating less to lose weight!)
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Protecting your tissues and joints
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Healthy skin, hair, and eyes
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Mental health (dehydration can lead to irritability, poor cognition, and inability to concentrate)
Overall, water is important to keeping vital processes in the body flowing, all the way down to a cellular level.
How Much Water Should You Drink Daily?
Now that you have a better understanding of why drinking enough water is important, how much should you be drinking? Your daily water intake depends on a variety of factors, including your weight and activity levels. To make things simple, however, a good rule of thumb is to consume half your bodyweight in ounces of water each day. For example, I weigh approximately 136 pounds, and half of this number is 68, so I would want to drink 68 ounces of water a day.
Now, if you just did that calculation for yourself and said “Holy SH*T there's no way…!”
It's okay. You're not alone. I struggled and couldn't do it initially either, so I have some tips for you!
5 Tips to Boost Your Hydration
Now that you know the importance of staying hydrated, you can take steps to make sure you’re drinking enough each day. Here are some helpful tips:
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Start drinking water as soon as you get up in the morning
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Keep a water bottle handy throughout the day
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Drink water your preferred way
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If you don't like plain water, try flavored or seltzer waters
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Eat more fruits and vegetables with a high water content
Starting water consumption early in the day is key to making it to your goal consumption. By waiting until your first meal of the day, oftentimes you will lose hours, which means you have more water to drink with less time in the rest of the day. This in turn leads to, you guessed it: more peeing. Yes, by drinking more water you're going to pee more, but you can manage this by drinking throughout the day (rather than trying to squeeze it into 6 hours) and drinking with meals. Your body will utilize more water at mealtimes because it needs it to break down and digest the food you consume.
Keeping a water bottle handy helps you remember to drink. Do you prefer your water cold? Hot? Room temperature? If you have a preference, drink your water that way! For example, I hate cold water and struggle to drink it unless I'm exercising, overheated in the summer, or at a restaurant. I LOVE hot water, so I drink my water hot or warm all day long. Similarly, plain water is not everyone's cup of tea, so if it's not yours, look for alternatives, like flavored water and seltzers. Aim to keep the sugar content low when picking an alternative.
Lastly, our bodies also absorb water from the foods we eat. You can give your hydration a boost by adding more fruits and vegetables with a high water content to your diet. In regards to fruit, grapes, cherries, apples, plums, blueberries, apricots, raspberries, oranges, cranberries, pineapple, peaches, cantaloupe, grapefruit, strawberries, and watermelon are all high in water. For veggies, white potatoes, peas, carrots, broccoli, spinach, peppers, cabbage, tomatoes, celery, radish, zucchini, lettuce, and cucumbers are high in water.
Putting it All Together
Drinking plenty of water each day helps your mind and body stay healthy. You should aim for half your body weight in ounces each day, but start where you are and work your way up incrementally as you're able to drink more. Make drinking an adequate amount of water an easier part of your daily routine by using the tips from this guide!
If you found this article helpful, share it with a friend who you know doesn't drink enough water!
