Staying hydrated is essential for maintaining a balanced body. So how much water should you drink? Research indicates that the amount of water you need, varies based on factors such as climate, environment, age, and physical activity levels. Experts recommend consuming an average of 8 glasses of water per day to meet your hydration needs.
Also read Water and Healthier drinks here or How much water should I drink?
I was surprised to learn that men require a higher amount of water than the female counter-parts – I’ve always thought it to be the other way round. This practice can be very beneficial, however, before you make it a habit, it can seem like a difficult task to do.
Among the benefits of being hydrated include, prevents constipation and headaches, reduces blood pressure and improves oxygen movement in your body. It's also said to remove toxins from your body, is good for optimal brain function, and good for sustained energy levels. It may also help in weight reduction.
I have personally benefitted from this practice of increased water intake. I used to have consistent migraines that wouldn't go easily even with medicine. I forming a habit of taking water first thing in the morning, and this considerably helped. To date, I keep a bottle of warm water in my bedroom for consumption first thing in the morning. This has also boosted my energy levels in the morning. (I’m usually not a morning person), and would wake up feeling groggy and took time to really wake up. I am more energetic now with this practice.
If you're not used to taking a good amount of water, it can take some active participation to get this into your daily habits and routines. Here are some ways you can use to increase your water intake until it becomes a habit.
- Use a bottle – having a bottle you fill up daily – possibly twice or thrice a day to finish your target amount is a good way of knowing how much water you’re consuming.
- Have a scheduled water intake time. I take about 600ml (2 glasses) of water when I wake up, before I do anything else. Then during the day, I follow up with action number 1 above to keep up with consumption
- Flavor the water – some people find taking plain water to be a little too much. No harm in having some additive in the water, just ensure the sugar is not too much. This can be flavored with tea bags, fruit, cucumber, lemon, mint or any other healthy flavor.
- Eat more hydrating foods like water melon, cucumbers, oranges, to supplement your water needs
- Soak chia seeds in water. Chia seeds are known to have vast benefits including weight loss, as a source of fiber intake, omega 3, increases heart health, among other benefits. Soaking a teaspoon in water softens and forms a gel-like and making them easy to drink directly.
- Set up hydration stations – have a specific space in the house where all the hydration material is placed; from flavors, additives, glasses, tea bags and the like, to make it more attractive to consume fluids
- Drink a glass of water an hour before each meal, and schedule the remaining glasses for the course of the day
- Set reminders – if you’re prefer to work with reminders, you can set reminders on your phone to drink water. This method is also good for the elderly who tend to forget that they need to take water and thus a frequent reminder should be set for them.
- Drink a glass of water after every bathroom break – a mental reminder that you’ve just removed fluids that need to be replenished. A very good and reliable way.
- Use a straw – for those that need motivation to drink water, sometimes using a straw can make it easier to consume more water
- Choose water over sugary drinks when having a meal at a restaurant.
It is said that drinking more would eliminate a lot of the diseases we currently struggle with. The more water you drink, the more you increasing your trips to the bathroom, for a start, but it also means you’ll need to walk a little more; this is exercise in itself.