How to Drink More Water: 20 Tips on How To Add High Quality Water To You Diet

Symptoms of Poor Hydration:

Did you know that joint and muscle pain, allergies, digestive issues, constipation, stress, bloat and weight gain can all be symptoms of poor hydration?

Role of Water in the Body:

Our bodies are composed of about 75% water and it is this water that plays a vital role in our nutrition and well-being. All tissues in the body need water to function properly - as it aids in digestion, eliminates wastes/toxins from the body, prevents disease, averts water retention, gives the body energy, aids in satiety and much more.

Water is Essential for Survival:

As you can see, the amount of water we drink each day is extremely important and essential to our survival. For example, a reduction of as little as 1% of water content in your central nervous system can cause significant psychological disorders.

It is suggested that for normal hydration, you should determine your body weight in pounds, divide it by two and drink that many ounces of water each day. For example, a 200lb. man would need to drink 100 ounces of quality water every day!

If you would like to know how much water in liters you should be drinking each day calculate the following formula: take your body weight in kg. and multiply that number by 0.033.

Below are some tips on how to make sure you are drinking water from high quality sources and how to increase your water intake each day so that your body will receive the proper hydration it needs: 1/2 your body weight of water in ounces each day.

Before you know it, you will be drinking half your body weight in ounces of high quality water each day and will be well on your way to enhanced health, energy and vitality levels!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 
    

   Just as it is important to drink the right amount of water each day, it is equally important to make sure you are drinking high quality water free of toxins.
   
   Alarmingly, ninety percent of the world's wastewater is discharged untreated into local rivers and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified over 700 pollutants that occur on a regular basis in our drinking water, both from municipal sources and water taken directly from wells and springs. This means it is extremely important to make sure your water is coming from a high quality source free of chemicals and other harmful toxins.
   
   To ensure you are drinking safe and high quality water, use a whole-house filtration system. Make sure your shower has a filtration system as well. If it is on your skin, you are drinking it. This will minimize your exposure to chlorine, flouride, heavy metals, and other waterborne toxins, and will help with the water's taste.

2. 
    

   If you store your water, keep it in a dark cool area and in glass, if possible. Never buy water from a smokey plastic container, because they such containers will leak chemicals into your water.

3. 
    

   Ways to know if you are drinking enough water:
   
   1) Pinch the back of your hand. When you release the pinch, the skin should have elasticity and snap back into place. If it is slow in doing this, you are probably dehydrated.
   
   2) Check the color of your urine. The more transparent it is, the more hydrated you are. Your urine should look clear/very pale yellow or pale yellow.
   
   3) Headaches, dizziness, low blood pressure, cramping, rapid and deep breathing, a flushed face, excessive thirst, and bloating are also signs of dehydration.

4. 
    

   If you do decide to drink water out of a bottle, only purchase from high quality sources. Some of the top brands include: Evian, Fiji, Vittel, Volvic, and Trinity.

5. 
    

   Buy a high quality water bottle that is stainless steel. Not only is a stainless steel bottle healthier for you than plastic, it will help keep your water cool. Try carrying this water bottle with you wherever you go and refill as needed. Most bottles will tell you how much water they hold. Use this number to help keep track of how much water you are drinking each day. You may even want to have a separate water bottle for the office or for your desk so that you can be certain it is always with you.

6. 
    

   Do you often have a hard time drinking water because of the taste? Try squeezing a little bit of lemon or lime juice (preferably organic) into your glass. This will give the water a more pleasant flavor.
   
   You can also add a slice of ginger or mint leaf into you glass. Not only will this add flavor, but it will also provide you with valuable nutrients and aid in digestion as well.

7. 
    

   If you are tired of drinking plain water, try flavoring sparkling water with a splash of cranberry juice. This is a great to substitute water for alcohol at social functions.

8. 
    

   Make this dietary change a game and challenge yourself to see if you can drink more water than the day before. For example, if you drank 40 ounces of water one day, see if you can top that number. Strive for 50 ounces. In the scheme of things, that is only 10 more ounces than the previous day.

9. 
    

   Consume water at room temperature. (Water in a stainless steel container is okay) Try to avoid very cold water, as it will sit in your stomach until it reaches body temperature. Water at room temperature is a lot easier to drink in large amounts than cold refrigerated or ice water.

10. 
     

    Spread your water intake throughout the day. Do not drink your recommended allowance in one sitting. Make drinking water a part of your routine. For example, drink a glass of water first thing when you wake up in the morning and then continue drinking throughout the day. Have a glass of water with each meal, in between meals, before, during, and after exercise.

11. 
     

    Try phasing dehydrating beverages (also known as diuretics) such as coffee, soda, and alcohol out of your diet. Replace these drinks with water instead. Gradually increase the amount you substitute each week. For example, if one week you replace 3 drinks with water, aim to replace 5-6 drinks with water the following week.

12. 
     

    Avoid adding sugar and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame (Nutrasweet) and sucralose (Splenda) to your diet. These chemicals are toxic to the body and may also cause dehydration.

13. 
     

    Include more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. Unprocessed fruits and vegetables are great sources of water. Eat fruits and vegetables with high water content like oranges, grapefruit, melons, zucchini, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
    
    Also be sure to choose organic produce. Organic foods are healthier for you; they do not contain pesticides or herbicides, taste better, and have more vitamins and minerals than commercially grown products.

14. 
     

    Move more. Daily exercise will benefit your health in a number of ways. Exercising and sweating will also cause you to want to drink water more often and many people find it easier to to drink while they workout. Just be sure to use this period when you are exercising as a time to increase your water intake, not as a time to substitute the water you plan on drinking later on in the day.

15. 
     

    Worried that drinking this much water will make you urinate too often? If you do not already salt your food, try adding a pinch of high quality, unprocessed sea salt into each liter of water you drink. This will help give the water a nice "mouth feel" and will reduce the frequency of urination. A great quality salt to try is Celtic Sea Salt. This can be found in many health food stores.

16. 
     

    Try drinking out of a straw. Many people find this helpful in increasing water consumption.
    
    If you cycle, hike, or go for walks or runs, try using a camelback backpack. This way you can carry water with you and it will be easy to access.

17. 
     

    Order a glass of water whenever you eat dinner at a restaurant. Do not be shy to ask for more than one refill throughout the course of the dinner.

18. 
     

    Feeling hungry? If you find yourself constantly hungry, you may not be hungry; you may be thirsty. If you are not in the habit of drinking water throughout the day, it is very easy to get dehydrate without even realizing it.
    
    Frequent hunger pangs are a symptom of dehydration. If you do get hunger pangs, reach for a couple glasses of water before you grab food - this may relieve the hunger pangs and in return, increase you water consumption.

19. 
     

    Drink your vitamins. Invest in supplements that are in an isotonic-powder form. Isotonic vitamins are typically free of byproducts, do not have side effects, have many benefits, and are absorbed quickly into the body.
    
    To consume these supplements and vitamins, the powder is mixed with water. If you take supplements on a daily basis, this is a great way for your body to get both the nutrition and hydration it needs. A great resource for these vitamins is:
    
    https://www.marketamerica.com/jregan/index.cfm?action=services.npHome

20. 
     

    If drinking 1/2 your body weight of water in ounces each day sounds overwhelming, don't worry you. You do not have to switch your routine overnight. Focus on starting slowly and increase your consumption by small increments each day.

Tips & Warnings

• If you live in a hot climate or are exercising, you should increase the amount of water you are drinking each day. This will help keep you hydrated and prevent heat related illness.

Resources

• Bamboo Core Fitness Facebook Business Page
• Bamboo Core Fitness Official Website

[nutritionist5]

on 12/17/2009 Well written, very detailed article with nice illustrations. *****