It’s time you started drinking more, and we don’t mean those drinks with little umbrellas in them, although in the right circumstances those are great too! Rather, we’re talking about the energizing, refreshing, detoxifying substance which comprises most of you – yes water!
We all know how good water is for us, in fact we’ve talked about it on more than one occasion, but why don’t most of us drink enough of it? Water is vital for life and well-being; because your body is about 70% water (your brain even more so). In fact, every function in the human body requires water and an insufficient intake may result in dehydration, never a good thing, and potentially life threatening in extreme cases.
So, how to get more water into your life, and your body? If you know you’re not drinking enough water try these tips for a fresh, new and hydrated you:
-
Add more flavor to water
For some people drinking plain water can be a little boring but this is no excuse to skip water and replace it with fizzy drinks, sugary juices or alcohol.
You can add more oomph to your water by simply adding slices of strawberries, grapefruit, oranges, lemons, limes or cucumbers. Some people like the taste of mint and lime or ginger with cold water.
You could even try out a few of these delicious detox drinks, all of which have a high water content (skip the optional sugar for the most health benefit).
-
Make sure water is accessible
Whether you’re having it flavored or plain, having a bottle of water with you at all times can definitely help. So, grab a reusable water bottle (or two and make sure they’re bpa-free) and put it in your desk drawer, hand bag, car or gym bag and make sure you refill it regularly.
-
Set up reminders
Many people forget to drink water when they are too preoccupied with work. To prevent this, set reminders for every hour of the day. This can be in your phone or your computer.
You can even develop triggers to drink water. For example, tell yourself that you’ll drink one glass of water whenever someone calls out your name, rings you or whenever you receive an email. Or try out one of the many apps to remind you!
-
Have something spicy
It doesn’t matter how tough you are, you will reach for a glass of water or more several times while having spicy food. As an added bonus, spicy ingredients such as hot peppers boost your metabolism (but only slightly) and there is also evidence that capsaicin (the hot part) in some spicy foods can act as an appetite suppressant.
-
Consider your weight
Like we’ve mentioned before drinking water is awesome for weight-loss. Studies show that drinking water before, during and after a meal can actually help you lose weight. When you drink water, you feel full, which naturally means you eat less. Not exactly rocket science.
Water also aids your digestion, especially when you add a little ginger (which is an absolutely awesome herb, oh excuse us – rhizome).
Another boon of increased water intake is that you replace your desire to have other fluids or “liquid calories”. Some common culprits that cause weight gain and metabolic decline are sugary fruit juices, alcohol, hot beverages with sugar, fizzy beverages and energy drinks.
-
Start eating more water
Several fruits and vegetables including berries, strawberries, grapefruit, oranges and lemons, watermelons and cucumber are mostly made of water. So, having more of these water-rich detox superfoods is a great way to get more water while you fill up with essential nutrients like fiber, minerals and antioxidants.
-
Have healthy beverages
Tea, coffee and fresh juices are excellent sources of water as long as you don’t have them with sugar. Adding sugar to a drink reduces its nutritional value and makes it unhealthy to drink. Consider adding flavorsome spices like cinnamon or cardamom to your hot beverages. If you’re having a fresh juice which tastes bland or bitter, add an apple or a handful of berries into the blender as well.
-
Think about the money you spend
Every year people spend so much cash on soft drinks and alcohol. Just think about how much you’ll save per year if you cut down all the liquid calories in your life and replace them with water, tea, coffee (not the expensive kind) and fresh juices (juice them yourself!). You’ll probably be surprised by how much you save.
-
Take a bottle with you to the gym
Grab a large enough bottle and take it with you to the gym. Many people don’t take regular sips of water and end up suffering from tummy problems which can otherwise, be easily avoided. When you exercise, you lose precious water in the form of sweat. When the body loses too much water, it starts to withdraw water from vital organs like the kidney and liver.
Not only that, studies have shown that even a little bit of dehydration can degrade your performance quite significantly. To prevent this from happening make you have a bottle of water or coconut water with you. Coconut water is packed with energy-boosting electrolytes, which makes it a popular favorite in the fitness world today.
-
Have a tall glass of hot water every morning
Most of us prefer cold water over hot water but did you know that the latter has more benefits? Drinking just one glass of hot water every morning can help you lose weight and improve bowel movements, win-win.
For a nutrient boost, and also because drinking plain hot water can feel a little odd, add some lemon and ginger and – voila! – you’ve got yourself a healthy hydrating drink.
Shomaila is a fitness-loving, clean-eating, keyboard-stabbing bookworm. Being involved in a sedentary lifestyle, she enjoys releasing her frustration through exercise, especially Pilates, and sharing her thoughts via the interwebs.
Comments are closed.