How to Drink Half Your Body's Weight in Ounces of Water Each Day

As human beings, we are made up mostly of water. We need to drink water for health, and it is necessary for life. However, many do not drink enough water each day, resulting in bloating, weight gain and illness as the body tries to hold on to as much water as it can get. Some people dislike the taste of water and choose not to drink enough. Experts agree that the amount of water one needs for health and ideal weight is half of one's weight in ounces of water each day. For example, a person weighing 160 pounds would need to drink 80 ounces of water daily. A 100-pound person needs only 50 ounces of water total for the day. You will learn ways to make it easy to drink the required amount of water each day to keep your body healthy, hydrated and at your ideal weight.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Timer
• Fresh lemons or limes (optional)
• Fresh, filtered water
• "Green" or eco-friendly water bottle

Easy Ways to Drink Enough Water Each Day

1. Drink a glass of water each hour. An easy way to accomplish drinking half of your weight in ounces of water each day is to drink an 8- or a 10-ounce glass each hour on the hour. When first starting out, you may even want to set a timer as a reminder. In this way, you create a habit of drinking water on a regular basis, and soon it will be second nature.
2. Add lemon water. For those who do not like the taste of water, adding fresh lemon or lime juice to each glass can make it more appealing with a refreshing taste. Do not use the lemon concentrate--it must be fresh lemon juice, preferably from organic lemons. Slice up a lemon at the beginning of the day and squeeze each slice into your glass or container of water. The acid of the fresh lemon or lime juice becomes alkaline once inside of the body and is very beneficial to ones health.
3. Drink water before and after meals. Some people like washing down their food with water or taking sips of water during a meal. This keeps the body from digesting food properly, since the necessary digestive enzymes can be washed away or diluted. It is much better to drink water before eating a meal, preferably 30 minutes before and one to two hours after. Remember to keep track of your water intake for the day when working around meals.
4. Drink the first glass of water warm. Edgar Cayce (1877-1945), called the "father of holistic medicine" by the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggested drinking the first glass of the day warm in order to flush out the body.
5. Drink your water at room temperature. Many prefer drinking ice-cold water, but this can be shocking to the system. Drinking water warm or at room temperature makes it easier for the body to use and process it. It also makes it easier to drink all of the ounces of water for your body throughout the day.
6. Drink each glass of water all at once. Pour yourself water in the same 8- or 10-ounce glasses to make it easier to keep track of. Drinking each glass at once keeps you from taking small sips and stretching out your glass of water. You want to make sure you are getting all of the required ounces of water each day. This means, of course, you will be urinating more frequently at first. This is normal.
7. Carry Your water in safe, reusable bottles. If you are carrying around a water bottle, make sure it is eco-friendly. An eco-friendly, reusable bottle would be a plus. Some health food stores sell eco-friendly bottles, meaning they are non-toxic and made of materials that are safe for you and the environment. The regular plastic water bottles one can purchase and even the plastic bottles originally containing water can be toxic. They leach chemicals into the water every time they are reused.As more companies become "green", you will see safe resuable water bottles appearing in greater quantities. You will find that drinking half of your weight in ounces of water each day is easy, refreshing and very enjoyable.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are a coffee or tea drinker, add an extra glass of water after drinking each cup of coffee or tea with caffeine. Water is lost when drinking caffeinated beverages, and this is a way to ensure you are still getting enough water.
• It is not necessary or recommended to drink more water than what's required for your body and weight. Drinking too much water each day can be dangerous.
• Expect to be urinating more frequently at first. This is very normal. The color of your urine will become lighter also. Ideally, your urine will look like a very pale lemonade.
• If you drink coffee, this is a diuretic and your body will lose some of your precious water. Better yet, limit or eliminate all caffeinated beverages, including soft drinks.