How to Drink More Water

Drinking water helps your body maintain proper blood pressure, cellular health, lubricated joints, and many other things essential to good health. Everyone needs to drink enough water each day to replenish what you naturally lose through everyday activities. The general guideline is to drink between a half and one ounce of water for every pound you weigh – so if you weigh 200 lbs, you should drink at between 100-200 ounces a day. Drinking this amount will help you avoid dehydration.

There are several signs of dehydration to watch out for — someone could have one or many of these dehydration symptoms, depending on the severity of their condition: 

  • Thirst
  • Dry or sticky mouth
  • Dry skin
  • Dizziness or fainting 
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Urinating less frequently
  • Dark urine
  • Fatigue
  • Cramps
  • Headache

To avoid these, it’s best to stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day. If you aren’t currently in the habit of drinking the daily recommended amount of water for your body weight, here are some tips to help:

  • Have a dedicated, reusable water bottle with you at all times. The advantage of reusable water bottles is you know how much liquid they can hold, so it will be easy to keep track of how much you drink all day. For instance, if you have a 24 oz water bottle and you fill it 8 times in a day, that’s 192 oz. Plus, you can easily fill your water bottle from drinking fountains or taps while running errands or at work.
  • Set reminders. Set an alarm every 15 minutes to remind you to take a few drinks from your bottle, or set a reminder every hour or so to finish and refill your current glass. Find a pace that works for you while you develop this healthy habit. 
  • Drink one glass of water when you wake up, and another before bed. Sip throughout the day. 

For many people, drinking more water can be a bit of a challenge. This is especially true if you are trying to replace other types of drinks with water — for example, if you are trying to replace the soda you love with water, water is going to feel disappointing in comparison at first. While drinking more water will become easier as it becomes a habit, there are some ways to make it feel more enticing until then.

Here are some ideas for adding flavor to your water:

  • Electrolyte and vitamin packs – most grocery stores sell electrolytes and vitamins tablets that you can add to your water, available in a variety of flavors.. 
  • Sugar-free flavoring – these also come in many different flavors and can be a helpful way to ease you into drinking more water.
  • Sliced fruit – adding a lemon or lime wedge to a glass of water is a very easy way to add a little flavor. Take it a step further by slicing fruit like strawberries, cucumber, watermelon, or kiwi and add them to a pitcher. Fill the pitcher with water and let the fruit infuse the water with their tasty flavors!
  • Fresh herbs and spices – mint leaves, basil, cinnamon sticks, and ginger all make good additions to water, and may offer helpful digestive properties as well.
  • Drink tea – tea comes in a variety of flavors from savory to refreshing, and often has positive medicinal benefits. 
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Healthy Lifestyles
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