How To Stay Hydrated

We all know we need to drink more water, but the question isn't really how much water. (If that's the question you are asking then go here first.) It's how do I do it?! How do I possibly make myself drink that much water in a day. Our top tricks on how to stay hydrated and answers to all of your excuses of how you can't will have you drinking more water TODAY!

1st thing is changing your mind set from I'll never be able to drink that much water to that's really not that much. We all have this idea that we need to drink a gallon of water a day to be healthy or that we have to completely overhaul our water intake to 5x the amount that we're already consuming. Wrong! What you need to do is just start. No one says that tomorrow you need to wake up and drink a gallon of water! You just need to drink more water than you have been or more water than yesterday. You just need to start.

Seriously, you probably already drink water at least on occasion so now you just need to focus a little more energy on drinking more. Ideally you would drink 64 ounces a day. So let that be your long term goal. A short term goal that you can make today is that you will drink 1 water bottle full or 16-20oz. And then you do that again the next day. And the next day. And you get the idea, every day. Here's how to make it even easier to hydrate:

Have Multiple "Water Bottles"

One of the biggest mistakes we make with drinking water is having one designated water bottle. Well what happens when you forget it or lose it or it breaks. We like to think that we will just go get another one, but the reality is that we are more likely to just stop drinking water...That is until we go get another water bottle. And who knows when that will be.

Having a water bottle or glass or tumbler for the car, one for your bedside table, one for the living room, work, etc. One for each area that way there is always one around, so you never really go a long period without water because it was forgotten or you don't think about water. Cups and tumblers can be visual reminders when left in all of your common places. Here's a couple of our favorites:

Fill It Back Up

When you finish your water get into the habit of immediately filling it back up! Don't let it go empty as you will be less likely to pick it up if it's always empty. No matter what you're doing don't skip it or tell yourself you'll fill it up later. Having a full water also reminds us to drink it as it is a visual reminder that more water needs to be drank.

Try a High Tech Water Bottle

Wish your water bottle could just remind you to drink water? Well actually it can! Check out the Hydrate Spark 2.0, it's designed to do exactly that! This water bottle not only communicates with your smart phone but also glows to remind you to drink more water. So if you've been having a hard time reminding yourself to drink more water, just let your water bottle do it!

Make It A Competition

Challenge a friend or family member who could also use more water to compete against who gets to their goal first! Having someone else to hold you accountable but also to motivate is a great way to meet any goal. Health goals are especially good for a competition because a it can bring out a better outcome for both or multiple people involved.

What If "I Don't Like The Taste of Water"

If you don't really crave water itself, that's a good sign that you're not drinking enough. Simply water doesn't interest you though? Try either adding fruit to your water or also getting a lot of your water intake through natural and caffeine free teas. Try a variety pack to see which one you love the most. Or also try the fruit and herbal tea samplers!

Reduce Your Soda and Alcohol

There are two reasons that reducing soda and alcohol can increase hydration. The first reason is typically if you are cutting these items out you will electively add in more water due to still being thirsty. The second reason why reducing these two items helps hydrate is because both remove water from your body.

Alcohol is a diuretic, which causes you to lose more water than normal through urinating. Similarly soda is a known as a mild diuretic meaning that it can also be dehydrating in a similar way as alcohol just not as strongly. Bottom line, limit both alcohol and soda and try and choose water as an alternative.

Set Reminders

Technology is great and it's even better if you use it to focus on your health! Set reminders on your phone or tablet to drink water throughout the day. You can set 1 or 20 the freedom is yours for however you need to be reminded. Did you know you can set silent reminders?The alarm will flash across the screen reminding you to hydrate without letting everyone and their sister know that you're trying to encourage yourself to drink more water.

Don't forget that many fruits and vegetables are made up of water too! So when calculating your 64 ounces you are probably closer than you think! You can do it! You just have to start. Start drinking more water than before, start choosing water as an alternative to soda and alcohol (as often as you can), and start making water more of a priority to your overall health.

The information you need...Straight Up!