If you read up on ways to enhance your health, drinking water is always top of the list. Consuming enough water on a daily basis is super important as it benefits everything from digestion to brain function to weight loss and so much more. If you don’t like drinking water, you may find yourself not getting enough water on a daily basis. But we’re here to help! Here are 10 ways to drink more water everyday.
12 Benefits of Drinking Water
- Supports energy levels and brain function
- Aids with digestion
- Flushes bacteria from your bladder
- Carries nutrients and oxygen to your cells
- Prevents constipation
- Helps maximize physical performance
- Normalizes blood pressure
- Protects organs and tissues
- Aids in weight loss
- Regulates body temperature
- Maintains electrolyte (sodium) balance
- Helps prevent and treat headaches
How Much Water Should You Drink In a Day?
Generally speaking, you should be drinking about six cups of water a day. However, some people may need less and some people may need more. Six cups of water may be too much for people with certain health conditions like thyroid disease, or kidney, liver or heart problems. If you’re taking medications that cause water retention, such as opiate pain medications and certain antidepressants, it may be too much as well. Talk to your doctor if you’re not sure that the right amount is for you.
On the flip side, you may need to be drinking more water if you’re losing water through sweat because you’re exercising or because you’re outside on a hot day. Not drinking enough water can cause mild dehydration, resulting in symptoms like fatigue, headache and moodiness. Overall, the amount of water you need varies by individual. In order to stay properly hydrated and avoid mild dehydration, let your thirst guide you and drink water when you’re thirsty.
10 Ways to Drink More Water When You Don’t Like It
1. Infuse Your Water
If you feel like the taste of water is too plain, infuse it with fruits and herbs of your choice to add some flavour. From berries to cucumbers, mint, lemon, oranges and watermelon, add your ingredient(s) of choice to a jug full of water and allow it to infuse in the refrigerator. This will result in delicious water you’ll love to drink. Consider placing your infusions in a decadent glass dispenser to showcase them.
2. Drink Sparkling Water
If you’re not a fan of plain water, give sparkling water a try. Sparkling water feels like a little something special, and is great to drink alongside your lunch or dinner. You can opt for plain sparkling water or try flavours like grapefruit, cherry or strawberry if you prefer. Consider investing in a water carbonating machine so you can add bubbles yourself!
3. Add Lemon and Ginger
While water with lemon and ginger is a go-to sickness cure, it supports the immune system and promotes digestive health, so is ideal to drink when you’re healthy too. Ginger and lemon are both bold flavours that will add a little boost to your water. You can drink this concoction hot or cold, depending on your preference.
4. Get a Fun Water Bottle
Drinking more water can sometimes be as easy as having a fun water bottle to drink it out of. A marked water bottle allows you to see your progress throughout the day, which can be super helpful and motivating. It’s a fun, visual way to track how much water you’re drinking and helps you reach your water goals each day.
5. Eat Water-Rich Foods
You can consume more water without actually drinking water by buying fruits and vegetables with a high water content. Think: cucumber, zucchini, watermelon and grapefruit. Broths and soups are another way to up your water intake and stay hydrated without drinking water. Plus, all of these foods boast vitamins and nutrients that benefit your health.
6. Keep Track with a Hydration App
Hydration apps like WaterMinder and Aqualert help you keep track of your water intake throughout the day. They give you reminders to drink water and allow you to set hydration goals. If you’re finding it hard to drink enough water and feel like you need an extra push, a hydration app could be just the thing for you.
7. Herbal Tea Habit
From floral, to citrus, mint, chamomile and rooibos, herbal teas are essentially flavoured water. You can drink them hot or cold, and they’re a smart way to boost your water intake. Drinking chamomile tea in the evening can relax you before bed and fruity iced teas are perfect for hot summer days.
8. Get Fun Drinking Accessories
Having pretty water drinking accessories may help you reach your goal of drinking more water. These cute ripple shaped glasses are all the rage right now and ribbed glassware is also nice to display on your desk. Don’t forget to buy some nice reusable glass straws that are fun to drink out of too!
9. Drink a Glass of Water as Soon as You Wake Up
Make it a habit to start your day with a glass of water as soon as you wake up. This releases your body of toxins and helps hydrate you after a waterless night. A glass of water first thing in the morning ensures your tissues and organs get the fluid they need and also boosts your mental performance. It kick starts your metabolism for the day ahead and is more beneficial than starting your day with caffeine.
10. Flavoured Ice Cubes
If you want to make your glass of ice water more exciting, use flavoured ice cubes. This will make your water look fancy plus you’ll get the benefit of extra flavour. You can freeze pure fruit juice or get creative by freezing berries, lemons or mint inside your ice cubes.
Drinking water has never been so easy with these tips and hacks!
This post contains affiliate links.
Did you enjoy these tips on ways to drink more water? We’d love it if you shared this post on Pinterest!
Looking for more healthy lifestyle tips? Make sure to follow our Health Board on Pinterest!
