Water accounts for approximately 60 percent of an adult human body. Therefore, it is essential to continuously replenish your water supply.
Nevertheless, it can be easy to forget to stay properly hydrated every day or have trouble doing so. If you are older, maintaining proper hydration may be especially challenging.
Certain medications and natural bodily changes that come with the aging process like reduced feelings of thirst make dehydration more likely. Yet, hydration is especially important as you age.
Proper hydration can help you maintain everything from brain function to joint health. Here are some no-brainer ways to stay hydrated throughout the day at any age.
Use Water Bottles to Encourage Yourself to Drink More Water
It is easy to get wrapped up in your daily activities and forget to go get a glass of water. You can avoid that problem by always keeping water visible.
Invest in a large, insulated sports bottle. Fill it whenever it is empty and keep it with you at all times. When it is right in front of you and easy to access, you are more likely to take a drink.
You can also take the extra step of purchasing a smart water bottle. Many different models are available. Most use sound or light cues to remind you to drink from them or refill them.
Believe it or not, some are also capable of sending progress updates and reminders to your cellular phone to help you see how much water you are drinking daily.
Invest in a Water Filter
You may not like the taste of your tap water at home. Purchasing bottled water may also seem ridiculous to you, since it is often expensive, and it is sometimes inconvenient to buy or store.
A good way to avoid those problems and drink more water is to invest in a water filter. Even though your tap water is probably safe to drink, it may not taste good without filtration.
After filtration, you may enjoy it. You can also enjoy doing your part to protect the planet by not purchasing water in plastic bottles repeatedly anymore.
Start and End Your Day with a Glass of Water
One of the most helpful things you can do to help yourself stay hydrated daily is to establish a routine and stick to it. A simple adjustment you can make to your day to incorporate more water is to add it to the start and end of your day.
Drink one glass when you first wake up and another before you go to sleep again. The immediate hydration in the morning can help kick start your body for the day.
Meanwhile, a glass of water before bed is a great way to help your body flush out toxins while you sleep.
Drink Water with Meals
Another way to drink at least three glasses of water per day is to schedule a glass of water with each meal. Provided you are not prone to skipping meals, you can automatically drink three glasses per day that way.
Studies also show that drinking water right before or during a meal can encourage you to chew your food more thoroughly. Therefore, it may improve your digestion.
Figure Out Your Favorite Way to Drink Water
You might think you do not like to drink plain water. You may simply prefer your water a certain way.
Finding your favorite way to drink water can make you more likely to consume more of it. Here are some variations to try:
- Room temperature water versus cold water
- With or without ice
- Tap versus bottled
- Add flavors, like slices of lemons or cucumbers
Snack on Fresh Fruits
You may not enjoy drinking water directly, but there are still ways to improve your water intake. A good option is to change your snacking habits.
Fill your refrigerator with fresh fruits you can snack on. Many fruits contain a lot of water. They are also rich in healthy vitamins.
Here are some such high-water content fruits to add to your daily diet:
- Watermelons
- Strawberries
- Oranges
- Blackberries
- Grapefruits
- Peaches
- Nectarines
Eat More Vegetables
Fruits and berries are not the only excellent sources of water. Many vegetables are full of water.
Leafy green vegetables tend to contain the most, including lettuce. Therefore, a simple change like eating more salads with meals can quickly increase your water consumption.
Cooked squash and certain other vegetables, such as celery and spinach, also contain a lot of water.
Give Your Water Some Flavor
Flavoring your water may make it more enjoyable to drink. You can purchase flavored bottles of water at your local grocery store. Flavor packets to add to water at home are also available.
However, you may already have easier and healthier options at home. For example, you can take some of the fresh fruits and berries you are now eating as snacks and put them in glasses of water to flavor them.
For the best results, find a few different flavors you like and alternate between them. Then, you may be less likely to become bored with your flavor choices.
Eat Other Hydrating Foods and Beverages
Water, fruits, and vegetables are not the only sources of hydration you can eat or drink. You can also drink other healthy beverages, such as milk.
Milk is a great source of water. At the same time, it can provide your body with vitamin D and other nutrients it needs.
You can also eat more healthy foods that already contain water. Some options include soups and cooked oatmeal.
Use Smart Apps or Alarms to Help You Hydrate
The tips above can only take you so far on your hydration journey. Most of them cannot help you if you struggle to remember to drink water at certain times.
If that is the case, set reminder alarms. Similarly, you may have difficulty remembering how much water you have already had on a particular day and how much you still need to drink. If so, keeping track with a smart app on your phone can help.
An app can also assist you by allowing you to see your hydration progress from one day to the next. Using one is a great way to stay motivated and gradually increase your daily water intake.
By Admin –
