National Hydration Day: 5 Tips to Inspire Your Daily Water Consumption

Although most of us have heard about the multiple benefits of drinking water, staying hydrated is not easy for many people. But if like me, this is one of those things that gets buried in your agenda, this National Hydration Day is the perfect timing to start changing some of your old habits and add water to your daily routine! Keep in mind that drinking water helps lubricate your joints, balance your body’s chemicals and prevent dehydration, a condition that can cause unclear thinking, mood change, the body to overheat, constipation, and kidney stones.

Now that the Summer is finally here, it’s even more critical to keep your body hydrated to protect it from overheating. Here are 5 tips to inspire your daily water consumption and enjoy the warmer season free of headaches, fatigue, and even high heart rate but low blood pressure, which are some of the signs of dehydration.

1. Understand your body

We all lose water throughout the day by breathing, sweating, via our urine, and our bowel movements. The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine sustains that people’s daily fluid intake should be approximately 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) for men and 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) for women. Although there’s no scientific evidence to support the well-known advice of drinking eight glasses of water every day, some think that this is a reasonable and easy-to-remember habit that can help you set a goal to start.

2. Carry a reusable water bottle everywhere you go

Having easy access to water will help fulfill your objective of drinking water during the day. It will also serve as a reminder and hopefully preclude you from losing track of the end goal while working out, driving, or simply running errands

3. Water, water, and more water

Some people think that the end justifies the means. But choosing sugary drinks (regular soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweetened waters, and coffee and tea beverages with added sugar) is not recommended as a substitute for water.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people who often drink sugary drinks are more likely to face health problems. Some of those health problems include weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney diseases, non-alcoholic liver disease, cavities, and gout, a type of arthritis. 

Here’s how much sugar and how many calories some drinks contain:

4. Drink water before your meals

Studies suggest that drinking a glass of water before all meals can help with weight management because it makes people feel full and helps create a habit that will ensure the consumption of at least three glasses of the precious liquid throughout the day.

5. Eat foods rich in water

A great way to add water to your body is by consuming fruits and vegetables with high water content. WebMD indicates that although 80% of daily water intake usually comes from beverages, the other 20% usually comes from foods. Here’s a list of 10 foods high in water:

1. Cucumber
2. Tomatoes
3. Watercress
4. Apples
5. Celery
6. Lettuce
7. Watermelon
8. Peaches
9. Broth
10. Zucchini
    
    

This National Hydration Day, change some of your old habits and add water to your daily routine! Then, tell us how you feel.