Staying Hydrated

With summer here, staying hydrated is more important than ever.  Dehydration can come on without you having a clue until it gets to be too late.  I saw this when my cousin who just felt tired fainted due to dehydration.  Water is one of the easiest liquids to consume, and is great for your body with 17 health benefits including weight loss and healthy skin.  You should be drinking about 64 ounces a day, more if you're active or are out in the heat. This is NOT something you can drink all in one sitting. First I'll give you ways to get the water down (I was a camp counselor and nanny, so I know many), then I'll get you suggestions to make the water more drinkable.  Give me your suggestions!

GET IT DOWN
- Drink 3, 8 ounce glasses of water at each meal.  Do them all before you eat, 1 before, 1 during, and 1 after, or make your own schedule of when you're drinking.
- Drink 1 glass of water before snacks (it helps to fill you up).
- Have a glass ready to go when you wake up.  Jump start your day (and your metabolism) with a nice big glass of water as soon as your alarm goes off.
- Make it a routine.  Once you get in the swing of drinking water, it will just come naturally.
- Bribery.  Yes bribery is not just for kids, it's for you too.  Give yourself a goal (32 ounces and you get a soda or beer with lunch) and stick to it.
- Get a reusable water bottle or cup.  Especially one with a straw.  You never know how much water you can drink until it's right next to you and you keep sipping it all day.  I've gone through a .75L (about 25 ounce) water bottle in 30 minutes, just by going 1 sip at a time.
- Always keep your bottle or cup with you and keep filling it.
- Mark your water bottle.  Water bottles are great, they can be reused and help you gage how much water you're drinking.  I saw this great idea here where she marked her water bottles with how much she should be drinking an hour.
- Make it a competition.  Get some coworkers or roommates together and see who can drink more water in a day.  Put some money down and it will get you drinking faster.
- Make a bet with yourself.  Every day you drink your 64 ounces, put some money away.  Use that to buy yourself a treat.  $1/day can really add up AND you're being healthy.
- Remember, water is free at restaurants.  Most nonalcoholic drinks are now around $3.  If you go out to lunch every day that's $15/week and $780/year!
- While you're at lunch, see if they can leave a pitcher of water at your table (and a bowl of lemons).  Trust me, you'll drink more when it's there and you won't have to wait on your waiter to bring you more water.

DRINK IT
- Try infusing your water with fruit.  I've been doing this for years and it's amazing!  You can buy fruit infusers from the store or just get a pitcher, add your favorite fruits, and let it sit overnight.  Google or search Pinterest for a recipe that inspires you.  I personally just toss a bunch of fruit in (make sure you cut up your fruit first).
- Always have a lemon, lime, and/or orange on hand at work.  Slice it up and stick it in your water when you finish what you have.
- Make sure your water is cold.  Cold water just tastes better for some reason.
- Remember that PURE water (this includes fruit) helps keep your skin looking healthy, along with all the other health benefits.
- You're saving money.  Again when you're thinking about soda, think about what you could do with $780.

SNEAK IT
Most of the things you're drinking already have water in them.  Milk, juice, sports drinks, coffee, and tea all are mostly water.  Why shouldn't you be drinking those for all your water needs?  Well milk, juice, and sports drinks contain a lot of sugar; coffee and most teas contain caffeine which actually dehydrates you (so you're at a wash).  You can count a couple glasses of these towards your water intake if you need to, but why not just make them extra for your day?