Stay hydrated even if you hate water. By some estimates, about 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated. So many people either drink too little water, or they drink other beverages for thirst instead of water.
This is not good, because water affects every organ and function in your body. Whether you get headaches, suffer from sinus problems, dry skin, brittle nails, frizzy hair or something else, it may all be traced to not drinking enough water. No matter what you’ve heard, nothing is better for hydration than drinking regular unadulterated filtered water.
But, since even mild dehydration can cause fatigue, here are some tips to ensure that you get enough water in every single day. If at any part of the day water tastes “funny” to you even though it’s fresh filtered water, try brushing your teeth because you’re likely just tasting your breath instead of your water. Yes, it’s true.
- Keep Water Handy – Instead of thinking that you must guzzle water, just have it handy. Keep a container of water with you always and sip it whenever you’re thirsty or hungry between meals. Due to the fact that most of us ignore our thirst signals, sometimes the body will signal hunger even when it’s not meal time to try to get moisture into your body.
- Drink Water Before, During and After Working Out – When you work out, you need a little extra water to replace what you lose over your basic needs. Simply drink about four ounces of water before your workout and have some to sip occasionally during your workout, and then drink another four ounces after your workout.
- Add Fruit to Your Water – If you want a change of pace, put a pitcher of water in your fridge with different types of fruit and even herbs. For example, sliced oranges and mint are good together. So are lemon and strawberry. Cucumber also makes water taste fresh and delicious and gives it a little extra something as a change of pace without adding unhealthy sugars.
- Avoid Other Beverages – Even if you enjoy coffee, coke, tea and so forth, none of these are hydrating. Make it a rule that you can only enjoy something else once you drink your mandated amount of water depending on your weight. If you must have your morning coffee, add an extra few ounces of water to your day since it’s so dehydrating.
- Start and End Your Day with Fruit-Infused Water – You can even heat it up as a pick-me-up or relaxing beverage in the evening. Just choose your fruit wisely. Try mint and orange in the morning, and berries and chamomile in the evening.
- Drink Water with All Your Meals – Water needs to be the beverage of choice with meals. Some experts on digestion believe you should drink your water before and after your meal and not with it, so that your digestive juices are strong enough to digest your food. Test it out to see if it makes a difference for you.
Like most things, enough is the best, but too much is not good. Be aware of people trying to tell you to drink too much water. To calculate your needs, simply take your weight in pounds, divide by two, and then drink that many ounces of water all throughout the day. Do not guzzle water or drink water too fast, as drinking too much too fast can be very dangerous and unhealthy. Instead, make water drinking part of your daily life to enjoy all throughout the day.
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