1) Have a glass of water as soon as you get up in the morning
It’ll help wake you up, get rid of that dry mouth and replace the fluid lost in your body after that other morning essential – the first pee.
2) Fill a bottle with water and carry it with you
Get in to the habit of filling a bottle with water every time you leave your house and workplace. Topping yourself up with water will stop you feeling thirsty when you’re on the go, and remember – when you feel thirsty it means that you’re already mildly dehydrated. Here’s the scary truth about dehydration.
3) Lazy day? Sink a few jugfuls
Even if you don’t exercise you still lose fluid whenever you go to toilet, and water simply evaporates from your skin and lungs when your breathe (which pretty much should be all the time) and sweat (even if you don’t feel it). Here’s some advice on how much water we should drink a day, it varies – but try to drink around a couple of litres .
4) Exercising? Drink at regular intervals
Drink a bit of water as soon as you start exercising and then keep slowly sipping water at 10 to 15 minute intervals. You’ll be sweating more so you’ll be losing more fluid, hence you need to replace that fluid to stay fresh and be able to carry on. Here’s a bit more about drinking while exercising.
5) Change your habit one drink at a time
If you’re stuck in the habit of always just drinking drinking tea, coffee, fizzy drinks or juices – start by simply swapping one of your daily drinks with a nice glass of pure, fresh water. Then another, then another as time goes on. Decent, pure water will always taste good so it’s worth making sure you’re getting the best. Here are the health benefits of drinking purified water.
6) Add a little tasty something
We all like a hot cuppa every now and then, especially in the winter. So a way to spice up your water if you want it hot is to add a little something good – like fresh mint, a slice of lemon, a squirt of honey, some ginger. Just try a few different things out to see what tickles your taste buds. Try adding nice stuff like mint, lemon and lime to chilled water during the hot weather as well. Who said water was boring!?
7) Always ask for water in cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants
Having a tea or coffee in a cafe? Ask for a glass of water with that. Having a nice meal and a bottle of wine in a restaurant? Ask for a jug of water with that. Enjoying the booze in a bar? Ask for a glass of water to match each glass of booze. Alcohol and caffeine can be diuretics – meaning that if you’re drinking lots of them they could make you pee more. Replace that lost fluid with water as you go and you won’t have so much of a hangover. Here a few more adverse affects of not drinking enough water.
8) Drink water with every meal
Having a glass of water before and during every meal will help you digest your food as well manage your appetite, which is handy if you’re watching your weight. Double bonus points!
Do you find it easy to drink enough water? How have you changed your habits? Share nicely on Twitter and Facebook
by Bob Fear
- 12 reasons why you need a water dispenser at home
- 6 adverse affects of not drinking enough water
- The scary truth about dehydration
- How much water should I drink?
- Top 10 reasons to drink more water
The key facts, figures and statements in this article are unashamedly, and with lots of good will and much humble debt, heavily lifted from the hydration toolkit produced by the Royal College of Nursing and the NHS as well as the NHS Choices website.
If you want to know more about healthy hydration from the professionals – pop along to the NHS site.
Images from Getty