TIPS ON DRINKING WATER
Do you know how much water is recommended to drink each day? You are supposed to take your weight, divide by 2 and drink that many ounces. For example, someone weighing 200lbs should consume 100oz of water per day. Not drinking enough water is something I hear about often with the main reason being that it is HARD to want to drink it. I have decided to share a few tips on ways to encourage more water consumption. With summer and warmer temperatures around, I figured now would be the best time to share a few tricks.
-First and foremost, get a re-useable water bottle that you LOVE! You can find them anywhere in all price ranges. It’s amazing how much more exciting it is to use something new/that you love. You can get one with your favorite sports team, or your favorite destination, or the ones that have the levels of water consumed, or you can even personalize it with stickers and/or your name. It doesn’t matter as long as it makes you happy when you are using it. Plus, if you purchase a re-useable one, you are cutting down on waste from using a plastic water bottle. Also, you can get one that is stainless steel/aluminum which will stay colder, longer. Re-useable ones are always perfect for flying. You are allowed to take your empty water bottle through TSA and they will allow you to keep it. Once you pass through, you can fill your water bottle up at one of the fountains in the airport which will not only save on waste, but you will also be saving money by not buying a bottled water at the airport.
-Carry your water with you EVERYWHERE you go! For me, this began in college. I would keep a water bottle in my backpack as I walked around campus going from building to building for my classes. You can get a water bottle with a non-leaking screw top lid and throw it anywhere such as your backpack or your purse for easy transportation. It’s easier to drink water if you have it on you all the time.
-Always ask for water when you are at a restaurant even if you order another drink. Even if you only drink 1/3 of it, that is still better than not having any water during your meal.
-Keep water by your bed at night. Before going to bed, fill a glass with water and set it on your nightstand. That way, if you wake up thirsty in the middle of the night, you have water right there without having to getting up- or not and falling back to sleep thirsty.
-Try adding things such as fruit and mint to your water. You can even prepare the pitcher and keep it in the fridge allowing the water to really absorb the added flavors. Add a few lemon or cucumber slices and mint leaves for a light, refreshing taste, or even add sliced strawberries to have a sweeter taste, or even oranges.
-Utilize a water utility service. You may not like the taste of the water straight from your faucet. You can subscribe to a home delivery of water as often as you need scheduled. Just having that in your house may help to increase your water intake and you will see the dispenser quite often as you’ll have to walk by it several times a day.
Hopefully this will give you a few ideas on how to consume your daily amount of water, if not more!
