Stay Hydrated: 5 Tips To Getting More Water

Did you know that most common ailments can be helped with just a little more water? Most of us aren’t getting enough water on a daily basis. In fact, a lot of times when many of us reach for a pain reliever for a headache or a tight muscle, simply drinking a few glasses of water can solve our problems naturally. Headaches, stress, body tension, even sugar cravings all can be helped, if not solved by increasing the amount of water you drink in a day. Our bodies are made up of 75% water and our brains are made up of 85% water. That means that getting enough is vital to our health. But before I go on about how you can get more in, first – let’s talk about the benefits of getting enough water. Drinking water helps: - detox and flush the kidneys and bladder naturally, allowing toxins to keep moving through and out of the bodyrn- promote weight loss by keeping things moving along in your digestionrn- give you healthy skin by hydrating you from the inside-outrn- increases your overall energyrn- maintain your body’s fluid balance (to ward off those pesky headaches and tight muscles) - fight dehydration which can lead to fatigue, hunger, and sugar cravings Okay, we all know we probably need even just a little bit more. So how do we make sure we’re getting more water each day? Check out these five tips to stay hydrated and get more water: 1. Drink flavored water. No, I’m not talking about those sugar-waters or the “non-calorie” flavored waters. (Psst – all water has no calories). I’m talking about adding some fruit and/or herbs to your water to make it more enjoyable and flavorful. The subtle flavor really goes a long way and can make drinking water a lot more interesting. 2. Place markers on a water bottle and take it with you through the day. I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought it was genius! Basically, you carry around one or two water bottles each day, and have tick marks as to where you should have finished drinking to by a certain time. I love this idea, because it can keep you accountable with your time, so if you miss a tick mark – bottoms up until you catch up! 3. Eat foods high in water content. Finding high water content foods is simple, particularly in the spring and summer months. These can be found in watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, avocados, cantaloupe, strawberries, celery, and broccoli. Even if you aren’t guzzling down a ton of water, you can be eating your way to getting enough. Deciding to eat at least one serving of fresh, raw food at each meal is a great way to integrate this tip into your daily life. 4. Refill your glass every time you use the restroom. This is one of the tricks I have learned over the last few months. It’s as simple as it sounds. Whenever you finish using the restroom, refill your glass and take it with you. You’ll be much more likely to drink water when you have it nearby and don’t have to make your way back to the kitchen for more. 5. Drink a glass of water before meals – always. Many of us unintentionally overeat, because we are dehydrated when we sit down to consume a meal. Just by remembering to drink a glass before each meal, we can help ourselves out twofold: 1) we can satiate our hunger levels and eat less at meal times and 2) we can be sure we are getting at least three more glasses of water than we previously have. Incorporating even one of these very simple changes into your day to day activities can keep you hydrated, helping you to avoid dehydration, headaches, and major cravings. Stay Hydrated!