Whether you are trying to lose weight, or switch over to a healthy lifestyle, drinking more water has more health benefits than you might think. Sixty percent of your body is composed of water. Drinking water has been shown to help reduce joint pain, flush out waste and bacteria, help you lose weight, and make your skin glow. For many people, remembering to drink enough water can be difficult. Below are 5 genius ways to trick yourself into drinking more water.
How much water should you be drinking a day?
You lose water daily through your perspiration, urination, breath and bowel movements. For your body to remain healthy and functioning properly, you must rehydrate it. A study published by The National Academics of Science, Engineering and Medicine found that about 80 percent of men and women adequately meet their daily hydration needs by using thirst as their guide. While that study did not specify the exact requirements for daily water consumption, it did recommend the following amounts of water should be consumed to stay properly hydrated.
- Women: 2.7 liters a day
- Men: 3.7 liters a day
1. Infuse your water
Drinking several ounces of flavorless water a day can get boring. Invigorate that plain water with some fresh seasonal fruit and veggie infusions. Lemon, orange, grapefruit, and strawberries are some of the most popular flavor infusion choices, but you can also include veggies like cucumbers and celery. For a cooling, more refreshing option, consider adding fresh mint leaves to your glass of water.
2. Drink sparkling water
If you are a fan of soda and have a hard time giving it up for a glass of water, try sparkling flavored water or mineral water. Many of these flavored waters are zero calories and are a great way to increase your water intake. Read: Can’t Kick Your Soda Habit? Try 5 Delicious Sparkling Water Alternatives
3. Mark your water bottle with goals
Keeping track of the amount of water you drink is key to successfully meeting your hydration goals. Consider purchasing a marked water bottle with the ounces indicated along the side. You can even go a step further, and set time-related water goals by marking how many ounces of water you should have consumed by specific times during the day.
4. Invest in a portable water filter
Filtered water tastes much better than water coming from the tap, but taking your home water filtration system with you isn’t a viable option. Consider investing in a portable filtering water bottle like these Camelbak Groove filtered hard bottles.
5. Download an app
For a fun, more high-tech way to keep track of your water consumption, consider downloading a water-tracking app on your smartphone. Apps like Waterlogged and Daily Water help you set goals and then create reminders throughout the day for you to drink your water.
For more information on how you can lead a healthy lifestyle, or set goals to lose weight, contact our Covington weight loss clinic. At Soza Weight Loss our goal is to provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to meet your goals!