easy ways to drink more water

We all know that there are tons of reasons *why* we need to drink more water (improved organ function, improved brain function, to keep skin looking good, improve digestion, etc). Generally, ~64 oz or 1/2 your body weight in ounces are the minimum amounts recommended. Ask your doc what’s right for you – it is possible to have too much water, and you don’t want to end up hyponatremic!

Here are my top tips to make it easy to get your water in:

  • Start the day with 8-16 oz of room temp water
  • Invest in some cute stainless steel or glass vessels and fill them with water, infused water, or herbal tea in the morning & make sure to finish them by the end of the day. Sit them out on your kitchen counter or desk so you won’t miss them!
  • Have 1 bottle of water on your commute in the morning and leave another in your car to drink on the way home. I used to keep a bottle of my favorite herbal tea in my car to enjoy on the way home from the hospital – if I used boiling hot water in the morning, it was still warm at the end of the day in my HydroFlask!
  • Try infused water: add some cucumber slices, citrus slices, frozen watermelon cubes, or whatever sounds good.
  • Enjoy added electrolytes (Nuun & Ultima – available at Kroger or Whole Foods – and Omnourish -available online – are the ones I use most).
  • Herbal (no caffeine) tea and mineral water (eg Pellegrino, Perrier) count as ‘water’, but I don’t include sparkling waters and definitely not caffeine. The others are fine to enjoy, but shouldn’t count as “water intake”.

Rehydrate

 

Rehydrate!

Yep – you’ve heard this one before, again for good reason! After fasting all night, it’s important to rehydrate.  Staying hydrated is essential for maintaining optimal brain activity and is an easy way to promote overall health, including benefits to your heart, lungs, and kidneys.

After my quick oral care routine, I have 16-32 ounces of warm water with lemon, apple cider vinegar and a dash of cayenne pepper.  Does this detoxify or alkalize the body? No. You have a liver for that. But – I do think it tastes great and helps me feel more awake before my morning workout. If you have GI/acid/reflux issues, you may want to stick with plain water.

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