Staying hydrated is one of the most essential parts of staying healthy. It helps the body function better, and it’s the safest beverage to drink to keep yourself hydrated.
The minimum amount of water you should drink is about 15.5 cups a day for men and 11.5 cups of water a day for women.
Drinking more water every day can feel boring and repetitive, so I’m sharing practical tips to help you increase your water intake daily, so you can stay hydrated every day.
15 Ways To Drink More Water Daily
Get a big bottle
Having a big bottle of water next to you all day will help you drink more. When you drink out of a glass, you’ll drink the whole glass fairly quickly, and you might forget to go and fill it up. But when you have a big bottle of water always next to you, and you have water in it, you’ll remember to drink it simply because it’s there.
Plus, we’ve all had times when we’re too lazy to go and get more water, so this solves that issue as well, as it will take more time to drink the whole bottle.
Set reminders
An easy thing you can do to remind yourself to drink more water is to simply set reminders on your phone, or alarms.
That way, you don’t have to try to remember on your own – your alarm will remind you.
Eventually, you’ll probably make a habit out of it, and you’ll start remembering even without the alarms.
Use apps to remind you
Another great thing you could do, besides setting alarms, is downloading an app that’s meant to remind you to drink water.
Those apps are great because you can track exactly how much you drink throughout the day, it reminds you to drink more water, and you can later look and see how good you’re doing.
Another benefit of those apps is that you can set a daily goal of how many glasses or cups of water you want to drink, and whenever you open the app, you see how much is left.
The apps can also help you determine how much water you should be drinking every day, based on your body weight, height, age, etc.
Make it a morning habit
Have a bottle of water next to your bed, and drink water immediately after you wake up. First of all, it’s good for you to start your day with water.
Secondly, eventually, it will become a habit, and you’ll do it without even thinking about it.
Set a daily goal
Setting clear goals will help you achieve them. So, don’t just strive to drink more water – set a clear goal of the amount you want to drink. That will help you track it, and it will keep you more motivated, as you’ll have a clear goal to work towards.
Take your water bottle with you wherever you go
A great tip for drinking more water is to bring your water bottle with you. Oftentimes even if we notice we’re a bit thirsty, but we’re not home, we’re not going to do anything about it. Either we don’t have a store near, we don’t have a glass and tap water near, or we just don’t have time to go and grab water, especially at work.
So, to solve that, take your water bottle with you wherever you go. That way, it will not only remind you to drink more water as you’ll constantly see it, but you’ll also be able to drink it whenever you need to.
Replace other drinks with water
An easy way to drink more water is to replace other drinks with water. Now, you don’t have to completely stop drinking other drinks. But perhaps, when you think to yourself, you could go for a soda, get water instead. It’s not only healthier for you, but it will help you drink more water.
This especially works if you drink juices and sodas often.
Flavor your water
If you don’t drink water because you don’t like the fact that water has no taste, try adding some flavor to it. You can cut up your favorite fruit, and infuse your water with it. That way, you’re not adding artificial sweeteners, but you’re still adding some flavor.
Make mini routines
A good way to start drinking more water would be to start making mini routines that involve water. The more routines you have, the more water you’ll be drinking.
For example, as mentioned, drink water as soon as you wake up. Another routine you can develop is drinking water before bed.
Whenever you get up to go to the bathroom, drink water.
Whenever you go to the kitchen to get a snack, drink water.
Forming mini routines around water that work for you will help you so much, because it will really become a habit, and you’ll start doing it more often.
Eat more foods high in water
So, this technically isn’t a tip to drink more water, but it’s a tip to stay hydrated. And that’s eating more foods that have a high water content.
We’ll cover which those foods are later in the post.
Drink water before every meal
Another one of those routines I mentioned, is drinking water before every meal. It’s also a good idea to drink water before you eat if you struggle with binge eating, or eating more than you think you need.
Sometimes when we think we’re hungry, we’re actually thirsty – our brain just can’t figure it out. So, drink a glass of water before a meal, so you can see how hungry you really are.
Use the 1-to-1 rule when drinking alcohol
If you like to drink alcohol every now and then, using the 1-to-1 rule can help you drink enough water that day. If you’re not familiar with the 1-to-1 rule, it basically means you drink one glass of water for every glass of alcohol.
Fill up your glass or bottle every time you empty it out
As soon as you empty out the water bottle or a glass of water, fill it up again. Having water next to you will really help you drink more.
Drink more tea
Tea is obviously just infused water, so that can help you if you don’t like water by itself. Herbal tea is also very healthy for you.
Give yourself mini rewards
When you accomplish your daily goal of how much water you want to drink, give yourself a mini reward. It will help you stay motivated.
Benefits Of Drinking Enough Water Daily
Prevents kidney damage
Not drinking enough water can lead to kidney stones, so one of the main benefits of drinking water is that it protects you from that.
Maintains blood pressure
Drinking enough water every day also helps maintain healthy blood pressure.
Crucial for your digestive system
Your bowels need water, and drinking enough water regulates your bowel movements.
Helps with weight management
Drinking enough water can also help you with your body weight – it can help you maintain it, and even lose weight.
Good for skin health
Not drinking enough water can be really bad for your skin, and drinking enough water can help you have clear skin.
Important for brain health
Not drinking enough water can impact your thinking.
Flushes body waste
Drinking more water helps you sweat, which is important.
List Of Foods With High Water Content
Cucumbers – water content: 95%
Lettuce – water content: 96%
Celery – water content: 95%
Bell peppers – water content: 92%
Tomatoes – water content: 94%
Watermelon – water content: 92%
Cauliflower – water content: 92%
Peaches – water content: 89%
Strawberries – water content: 91%
Oranges – water content: 88%
Zucchini – water content: 94%
Cabbage – water content: 92%
Cantaloupe – water content: 90%
Soups & broths – water content: 92%
Plain yogurt – water content: 88%
