Drinking enough water every day is essential to staying healthy and active. Unfortunately, getting the recommended amount of water for your age and activity level can be difficult. Don’t worry ! Here are 9 simple tips designed to make drinking enough water second nature and reaping all of its wonderfully positive effects. From timing tips to goal-setting tools, these little changes will soon make it easy for you to hit your daily quota. So read on – let’s find out how much easier staying hydrated can be!
A European study shows that many are unable to meet their recommended intake.
A study published in the Annals of Family Medicine, which surveyed more than 700 Europeans, found that more than half of respondents said they did not drink enough water, including forgetfulness, ignorance or simply because they don’t like the taste of plain water. The article concludes that there is a general lack of knowledge about how much water to consume and its benefits, which could lead to dehydration without people realizing it.
Another European study looking at the amount of liquid ingested by adolescents aged 11-13 showed that, although overall consumption is sufficient, there are significant disparities between those who remember to drink water and those who who don’t consistently, those who forget or don’t remember tend to be less hydrated.
It is important to note that another study conducted in Spain revealed that despite free access to drinking water for students, only 33% of them managed to reach the minimum recommended daily intake. This situation has been attributed in large part to the lack of awareness among students and teachers about the importance of hydration.
Taken together, these studies provide strong evidence of a lack of adequate daily fluid intake among Europeans, due to forgetfulness or misunderstanding, which can lead to long-term adverse health effects, such as the dehydration. Further work needs to be done to educate European citizens on proper hydration practices and to ensure that they receive accurate advice on how much water they should consume each day.
Here are 9 tips to put forward to respect your recommended daily allowance.
-
Try to drink a glass of water with every meal and every snack.
This can help increase your daily fluid intake, as it’s an easy way to remind yourself to stay hydrated throughout the day. Also, adding a few slices of fresh fruit or herbs like mint can add flavor to your water and make it more pleasant to drink.
-
Take a refillable water bottle with you wherever you go.
This way, you’ll be sure to always be able to stay hydrated during the day. There are great options for eco-friendly and reusable bottles. It is therefore a simple way to respect the environment while ensuring that your body is sufficiently hydrated.
-
Set reminders on your phone or calendar.
If you tend to forget or get busy and neglect your hydration habits, this tip might inspire you to drink water throughout the day. Having something that reminds you every two hours can be a great way to stay on track towards your goal of increasing your daily water intake.
-
Make sure that all other beverages such as coffee, tea, alcohol, and sodas don’t take up too much of your diet.
These drinks can actually cause dehydration because they contain diuretics that cause frequent urination! Try to opt for decaffeinated versions of coffee and tea when possible, or simply reduce the frequency of drinking these beverages so that water remains the main drink of choice of the day.
-
Choose foods rich in water.
If you have trouble remembering to drink enough water during meals, try eating something hydrating, especially at lunchtime! Foods such as cucumbers, tomatoes, oranges, grapes and melons have a very high percentage of water compared to other foods. Eating them at lunchtime can help increase overall hydration levels without having to drink extra gallons of fluid!
-
Add more flavor to your raw vegetables.
Eating raw vegetables with hummus or guacamole is another great way to increase your daily water intake without feeling like a chore. Both hummus and guacamole contain large amounts of liquid that add up over time! Crudités dipped in either of these sauces can really satisfy food cravings while providing the fluids necessary for optimal health and well-being.
-
All hard work deserves a reward.
To further motivate you to drink more H2O each day, reward yourself after completing certain milestones! For example, if you manage to finish 4 drinks in 6 hours, treat yourself to something special afterwards, like adding fresh berries to a drink or buying a small treat from the store – anything that will make the drinking more pleasant and beneficial at the same time!
-
Prefer infused waters to sodas and fruit juices.
Replace fruit juices and sodas full of sugar with infused waters so that your body continues to enjoy sweet flavors while avoiding added sugars. This is especially useful when trying new recipes since the infusions don’t require additional sweet ingredients (like lemons/limes + honey). Simply fill a pitcher halfway with cold, filtered tap water and slice any type of fruit (eg strawberries or lemons) before adding to the water. Let sit overnight before consuming the next morning so that all the flavors have had time to blend!
-
Have more creativity!
Finally, try spicing things up by making ice cubes out of different combinations of fruits, herbs and vegetables – it gives an interesting twist when added to regular glasses filled with tap water, as it adds natural flavor profiles without the need for artificial sweeteners!
The best part about these types of ice cubes is that they’re super easy (and fun!) to make – just mix all the ingredients together before freezing them overnight on trays lined with parchment paper; Once solidified, simply place each cube in its own sealable plastic bag until ready to use later – enjoy!