Fresh Ideas for Increasing Your Daily Water Intake

Get Hydrated

Fresh ideas for increasing your daily water intake

If you could do one simple thing that would improve your health and appearance, you would, right? Drinking water is just that easy and essential. The benefits of staying hydrated are numerous—it can improve your mood, physical performance and weight loss efforts. Yet, getting in eight glasses (or more) a day can be daunting. We’ve broken it down into simple steps that can help you get hydrated and make it part of your healthy living journey.

Start small

If drinking water throughout the day isn’t part of your routine, try adding a glass before each meal. After this has become a daily habit, increase your intake gradually until you’re regularly reaching for water throughout the day. Not only is associating your new habit with mealtime an easy way to remember, water is also a natural appetite suppressant, so you may find yourself eating less at mealtimes.

Swap a soda

Is your go-to beverage a soft drink? Water makes an excellent replacement. Swapping out just one soda a day for water can deliver noticeable benefits.

Add some flavor

If taste is holding you back, try enhancing the flavor of your water. Fruit- and vegetable-infused water is a great alternative to soft drinks and adds some zing to the experience. Anytime you’re adding fruit to a salad or dish you’re preparing, put some aside and add it to your water bottle. Here are a few of our favorite combinations:

• Cucumber + raspberry
• Lemon + lime + grapefruit
• Apple + lemon
• Strawberry + blueberry
• Grape + cherry

Try some bubbles

For variety, try sparkling or carbonated water. The next time you’re dining out, order a club soda and add a fresh squeeze of lemon or lime.

Limit caffeine and alcohol

Alcohol and caffeine are diuretics and block the body from absorbing water. Not only do these drinks not count towards your daily water intake goals, they can work against you and lead to dehydration.

Eat water-rich foods

An easy way to up your water intake is to choose foods and meals that naturally have more water content. Consider broth-based soups and smoothies as hydrating meal options. Fruits and vegetables are naturally water-rich so opt for these top choices:

Water content
Cucumber: 96.7%
Iceberg lettuce: 95.6%
Celery: 95.4%
Radishes: 95.3%
Tomatoes: 94.5%
Green peppers: 93.9%
Cauliflower: 92.1%
Watermelon: 91.5%
Star fruit: 91.4%
Strawberries: 91.0%
Broccoli: 90.7%
Grapefruit: 90.5%

Know the facts

• Research shows that the feelings for hunger and thirst are remarkably similar.
• By the time your feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated.
• Staying hydrated can also improve asthma, allergies, high blood pressure, skin disorders, digestive disorders, high cholesterol, joint pain, and premature aging.