Drinking more water
Confession: I have to work hard to drink enough water daily. I simply don’t have much of a thirst reflex – no natural inbuilt reminders that I am thirsty or should drink more. It is a daily struggle for me. Every. Single. Day.
I know I am not only the one. When I ask new clients how much water they drink daily, the most common response is “not enough.”
Although I can’t confess to being an expert at drinking enough water every single day, I am happy to share with you the things I have found to help me drink enough water.
How much water should we drink?
First though, how much should we drink each day? We have heard the 2-litres daily rule. Interestingly, there is no science behind this. It is simply a guide. You could use the colour of your urine throughout the day as a more helpful tool. Except for the first void of the morning, your urine should be light yellow. Not clear, not dark yellow, your urine should be light yellow.
I still aim for 2 litres plus daily as I find this proactive quantified approach easier than reacting once the urine is too yellow. I drink more when I work out, so 2 litres is a minimum, adding more for the weather and the intensity of my exercise sessions.
A few tips I have found to be helpful
Break it down – I found that simply aiming for 2 litres a day often meant that I was drinking a litre each night after getting home from work simply to catch up. Instead, I now aim for 500ml every 4 hours. This approach also gives me a 3-4 hour buffer each day to make up for any I have missed.
Get fancy – I have this beautiful tumbler, which happens to be 500ml, from Cheeky that I use daily, making drinking water more enjoyable. Remember, your mind will repeat the things it finds easy and pleasurable, so invest in a fancy glass, bottle or tumbler to work with your brain, not against it.
Suck it up – I do find that I drink more when I drink through a straw. Not sure why, but I do.
Make it effortless – I have a tumbler full of water on my bedside table. So I drink first thing in the morning, without even getting out of bed. I drink another glass after brushing my teeth. I carry my tumbler wherever I go, so I always have water handy.
Reminders – there are many apps available that can send you reminders to drink more water. You can set up alarms on your phone. These are helpful when starting out and if you get busy at work.
Front of mind - I put my fancy tumbler right next to my computer, so I see it every time I sit at my desk. It sits next to me on the kitchen bench when making dinner. On the side table when I am watching tv.
Change it up – in the summer, I like to add lemon or lime to my water to make it different and exciting. I also like iced teas in summer, again something different. Sometimes I go crazy and drink from a glass rather than my tumbler. Wild, I know. Sometimes the novelty is an excellent way to keep drinking enough water.
Filter it - I have an alkalising water filter as I find it tastes better, so I drink more. I believe it is healthier, especially when you consider the effects of chlorine on gut bacteria (i.e. not good.)
There are many benefits to keeping well hydrated (appetite suppression, detoxification, warding off headaches, bowel regularity, etc.) Therefore, it is worth the effort to keep trying new things until you get your water intake right. And you will if you keep at it.
