How to Drink More Water
Water is important, not just for fat loss but for our overall health in general! It makes up the majority of our body and is necessary for everything from regulating body temperature, to removing waste, supporting tissue and cell function, and digestion just to name a few benefits. (2,3)
A study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism shows that drinking approximately sixteen ounces of water could increase one's metabolic rate by thirty percent (1). Sounds like an easy way to help burn a few extra calories! Why then, do we have so much trouble drinking enough water?
Whether it be that water is, “Boring,” flavorless, that we find the never-ending bathroom trips inconvenient, or simply just forget to sip on the bottle next to our computer; drinking enough water though it may be easy to do is also easy to not do.
Here are Six Tips to Help you Drink Up!
1. Set a Water Goal for the Day!
A general rule of thumb to ensure you’re drinking enough water each day is to take your body weight in pounds and divide it by two. That resulting number is how many ounces you should be taking in each day. For example: If you weigh 140 lbs then you would want to drink at least 70 ounces of water. Be sure to increase your overall intake in you live in a dry climate, are active throughout the day, or exercise regularly!
2. Add Some Flavor!
Not those sugar laden, extra calorie fake mixtures but rather herbs and fruits!
Some great ideas? Ginger + Lemon, Cucumber, Mint, Watermelon, or Basil + Strawberry + Lemon (6). You can even add your own carbonation for sparkling water at home via a Soda Stream machine!
3. Set a Reminder
Busy schedule and need a little nudge? Create a system to help remind you to drink up! Set an alarm on your phone, put a post-it note over your computer screen each time you step away or begin getting into the habit of taking a few sips on the hour every hour.
4. Follow the 10-Sip Rule
Each time you go to take a drink, take 10-sips, with breaths between of course! This hacks the system to help you reach your goal more quickly!
5. Invest in a Reusable Water Bottle!
Begin getting in the habit of carrying a water bottle with you wherever you go! If it is available to you, you'll be that much more inclined to drink! Ideally use stainless steel, BPA-free, or glass bottle, the last thing we need is plastic leaching into the water and impacting your hormone health (6,5)!
6. Front -Load your Water Intake
Aim to drink at least half of your goal water for the day prior to the afternoon, and finish the other half before dinner. This helps to prevent chugging large amounts of liquid before bedtime and limiting frequent trips to the bathroom throughout the night. (6)
At the end of the day, sparkling, flavored, or simple and plain, water is water and as long as we drink up that’s what matters. Cheers to hydration!
Xo,
Shannon
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