Every day, with nearly every client, I ask about their water intake. Invariably they say, with some embarrassment, “not enough I’m sure…”. I certainly don’t mean to put pressure on anyone; I ask more out of an absolute desire for their highest good. Still, it is a sticking point for many people, most people really.
It is a sometimes monumental task to just drink enough water. You’ve all heard why it’s good – hydration, anti-aging, lubrication to the joints, weight loss, organ/tissue health, better daily performance including mental health. If you’d like more details about the science of water intake, you can go here and here. But how about you just – FEEL better – LOOK better – THINK better…
An easy way to drink more water is to take an organizational approach. For instance, since I get busy with clients and forget to drink, I put it into my iPhone calendar as a reminder. Also, since I drink a cup of coffee in the morning, I always remember to drink 2 cups of water as soon as I wake up and coffee then becomes my reward. The earlier you get the water into your system, the easier it is to drink the allotted amount. If you get near the end of the day and realize you still have 2 litres to go, it’s pretty overwhelming.
Of course we all know the trick of adding lemon or cucumber to your water to tickle your taste buds. And drinking herbal teas works for no more than half of your required water intake.
Another trick is eat a lot of vegetables which reduces the amount of water you need to drink (and helps in SO many other ways). Eat 2 cups of vegetables a day not including the lettuce, peas, carrots and mushrooms you may eat during the day.
It’s not easy sometimes but strive… strive for your required amount and if you don’t reach it, try again tomorrow. And the next day and the next day. You might not reach your goal but you’ll drink more for the trying.