I'm not going to list the reasons why drinking water is important! It's a sure thing - drinking a good amount of water has incredible benefits for our health and productivity! Considering, on average, 60% of our body-weight is made up of water, it only makes sense that we make drinking it a priority. I know that most of us would agree that we would drink more if (1) we could remember and (2) if it were in front of our faces.
There are many ways for you to remember to drink water, but at the same time it needs to become a part of your schedule! Even though I've done a lot of research, I have still lived moderately dehydrated most of my life, but not anymore. There are three steps to the Spacics hydration plan:
1. Purchase Bottles That Work For You
Invest and splurge on the perfect reusable water bottle for your lifestyle. Pick a color and design that you love and slap an inspirational sticker on it. This bottle will be with you a lot so this step is important. Make sure that the bottle you pick is "BPA Free" or better yet, glass! It turns out that BPA Free may not be good enough. Click here to find out why. Research is still ongoing in this area.
I use a double-walled bottle with a straw included because I dont like the feeling of a wet bottle and I drink more and faster through a straw. Google makes researching and shopping for bottles painless, but here are a few suggestions to start your search:
*IMPORTANT: Make sure the bottle fits into your beverage holder in your car.
2. Learn The System
First you need to figure out how much water on average you need to consume daily. This task is not an exact science due to differences in environment (dry/moist), your daily activity, your weight and your water retention level, but you can get super-close to the correct amount for you. These sites will help:
Hydration Chart
Hydration Calculator
Once you figure out the daily ounces you require, divide that number by seven and drink that number of ounces at each of the following intake times:
- Before you get out of bed
- Before breakfast
- During breakfast
- Before lunch
- During lunch
- Before dinner
- During dinner
Your final water intake time should be during dinner so you can get rid of most of your fluids before bedtime to help insure a full night's rest.
**I have to mention (but my guess is that most of us won't have to worry about this) that over-hydration could be an issue. According to Healthline.com, if you have nausea, vomiting, headache or changes in mental state such as confusion or disorientation - you may be drinking too much water.
3. Keep It With You
Make your bottle as important as your cell phone. Before you leave your house make sure you have your phone AND your water bottle. Your water bottle should be AS if not MORE important than your phone. Some people find benefits from purchasing multiple bottles (one for home, one for office, etc.) and although this plan doesn't work for me, it might for you. For me, having one bottle insures that I only have to wash one bottle each day.
**Other Methods To Help You Remember Your Water**
The Rubber-Band Method
Place 7 rubber-bands on your wrist. Each time you drink one of your seven daily waters, move a band to the opposite hand. Always go left to right and return a rubber-band to your left hand for each caffeinated beverage that you consume. This method can also be altered by placing the rubber-bands near the top of your water bottle and moving them down with each finished drink.
The Gallon Jug Method
There are 128 ounces in a gallon. For most of us, our daily water intake amount will fit into a gallon jug. Use an old milk jug and pour your full amount of daily ounces into the jug and mark that water level. Subtract 1/7th of the water and make your next mark and so on and so forth. This is an easy way to see your progress during the day. This method can be altered to incorporate your water bottle instead of a jug. JewelPie does a great job describing how to make this happen.
Use Your Electronics
Your electronics can send you reminders throughout your day. Check out Waterlogged, MyFitnessPal or any of the many water reminder apps available today. The only downfall of this method is that you may not be in the ideal location to take a drink when your alarm goes off, hence, potentially skipping an intake time.
Spice it up
Add store bought water spray or flavor packets, frozen fruit, flavored ice cubes or better yet, one of the following to your bottle:
- Aloe Vera Juice: Relaxes & relieves stress
- Berries: Promote beauty & prevent oxidation
- Chia Seed: Strengthens teeth & bones
- Cinnamon: Regulates blood sugar & reduces cholesterol
- Cucumbers: Cool and Hydrate
- Fresh Mint: Freshens breath and treats nausea
- Ginger: Warms the body & aids digestion
- Herbal Tea Bags: Relaxes & relieves stress (make it hot for a change)
- Honey: Prevents cancer & infections
- Lemon/Lime: Boosts immunity & prevents colds
Good luck on your journey towards a more hydrated and healthier life. If you don't reach your daily ounce goal every day, just remember that many foods that you consume also have some hydrating value to them, however; drinking your water is a more reliable way of insuring success. You have to have a goal and a plan and I hope that I have helped you in achieving them.
Please share this post on Facebook and with your unhydrated freinds!
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