06 Aug Hydration Tips: Making Drinking Enough Water A Little Easier
So many of us struggle to meet our water needs. Water is bland, has no taste, and sometimes we just forget to drink it. Although, as many of us know, drinking water is the best way to stay hydrated, and a necessary step in maintaining your body’s health.
However, with all of life’s distractions like work deadlines and social obligations vying for our attention every day, the task of consuming half of our body weight in ounces of water and staying hydrated can become extremely tedious and difficult for most people.
While it might seem impossible to meet water needs, there are many ways to make drinking water enjoyable as well as finding little ways to incorporate it into your day! Below are some hydration tips and tricks that can make incorporating more water into your day a little bit easier.
What Is Hydration?
Water is a complex carbohydrate. Believe it or not, water can be used as alternative medicine by those who need more fluids in general, and to improve their overall diet and nutrition. Hydration is the act of the body It absorbing water or other liquids. There are various benefits of drinking the recommended amounts of water that are worth exploring.
Before diving into our smart hydration tips, let’s discuss why it’s essential to stay well-hydrated maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Benefits Of Hydration
Maintaining the right balance of water with electrolytes (such as sodium-potassium) allows our various systems to function properly. As mentioned before, every organ system in the body depends on fluids for survival. Without H20, you’ll suffer from dehydration, health complications can arise, and even death if left untreated. Water has an essential role that can’t be replaced. The benefits of water and hydration include:
- Regulates body temperature
- Helps
- Provides moisture to the skin and tissues, which helps strengthen the immune system
- Help carry essential nutrients from food to the cells/organs in the body
- Helps with blood circulation
- Helps the body digest food effectively
- Flushes toxins from the body
- Provides the body with vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and potassium
- Gives the body energy and electrolytes
- Makes your body less susceptible to injury or harm (Bones and joints become stronger and more mobile.)
Hydration Tips And Tricks
Water is an essential part of your makeup, and it’s involved in a multitude of functions, such as the ones above. H20 also dissolves other substances around the body, assists with metabolic reactions like muscle protein synthesis or blood sugar levels (for diabetics), lubricates tissues like eyes and joints, and also helps with your skin’s complexion, by keeping wrinkles at bay too.
Without adequate hydration, you experience dehydration, it can be mild or severe with symptoms ranging from dry mouth, which may lead to tooth decay up through dementia-related cognitive impairment.
There are several different ways to help you reach your water quota, from tracking and monitoring consumption with hydration trackers or smart bottles that connect to the app on your phone. All these options have their pros as well as cons so it’s important not only to do some research into which ones would suit you best but also to try them out yourself before making any final decisions!
10 Hydration Tips: How To Make Sure You’re Drinking Enough Water
Below we’ve listed some hydration tips for incorporating this healthy habit into your day.
Hydration Tips 1: Add Flavor To Your Water
The taste of water isn’t always appealing to the pallet. By adding something like fruit or herbs, your water will become full of flavor and it will be desirable to consume. There are also low-no calorie flavorings to add into your water if fruit or herbs aren’t a strong enough flavor, also, adding FIT, HYDRATE, or IMMUNE to your water is a great way to spruce up the flavor and the functionality!
Hydration Tip 2: Purchase Larger Water Bottles
Without even realizing it, you will automatically be consuming more water when finishing a glass or bottle if you purchase larger sizes. It doesn’t have to be a giant 1-gallon bottle, something like a 32 oz bottle is more reasonable and by consuming 2-3 of those a day your needs will be met or close to it.
Hydration Tip 3: Develop A Routine
Something as simple as drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up after you get home for the day, etc. could get you in the habit of consuming more water at specific times and a routine will develop.
Hydration Tip 4: Choose Sparkling Water Instead Of Soda
Soda is full of sugar and extra calories that our body doesn’t need. Sparkling water is a great alternative. You still will get the bubbly carbonation just like soda but without all of the added junk. Sparkling water also comes in flavors if the plain taste doesn’t appeal to you.
Hydration Tip 5: Eat Water Rich Foods
Foods like fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, zucchini, mushrooms, etc. all have high amounts of water in them. This is a great way of getting water in without even having to take a sip of anything!
Hydration Tip 6: Use A Straw
It has been seen that drinking from a straw leads an individual to consume faster and in turn, more liquid is consumed. There are so many kinds of straws so you can choose one which you feel comfortable using in whichever setting you are in.
Hydration Tip 7: Develop A Reward System For Meeting Water Needs
It feels great knowing a goal you’ve set for yourself has been accomplished. It makes you excited to repeat that goal and even strive for bigger goals. You can reward yourself either after every day of meeting your needs by choosing something desirable to do or perhaps weekly or monthly.
Hydration Tip 8: Keep A Water Bottle With You Throughout the day
Always carrying around a water bottle reminds you that it’s there and to drink it. Whether it’s in a bag or your hand, you will always have that constant reminder with you!
Hydration Tip 9: Refill ASAP After Finishing A Bottle
Once empty, it’s easy to just leave the bottle empty and then not drink anymore. When you refill your bottle you have the opportunity to keep drinking instead of thinking “there’s no more water so I’m done drinking for the day.”
Hydration Tip 10: Add Water Or Ice To Sugary Beverages To Dilute It
Although these sugary beverages are not favorable, some people still want to be able to enjoy them. By adding a bit of water or some ice it will not only dilute the drink making it less sugary per ounce but also be providing you with more water, now that’s a win-win!
Contact FITTEAM Global For More Hydration Tips
FITTEAM HYDRATE is an all-natural delicious way to restore your balance and feel your best by replenishing your body through optimal hydration. There are many ways you can make drinking water more fun, contact us today.
Maryann Walsh, MFN, RD, CDE
Registered Dietitian/ Nutrition Communications Specialist
References
https://www.self.com/story/how-to-drink-more-water
https://www.everydayhealth.com/dehydration/hydration-hacks-that-help-you-drink-more-water/