Let’s talk water today friends – yes, plain old, boring water!  We all know that this colorless, tasteless liquid is extremely healthy for us, but often this life staple lacks all the glitz and glamour of other fun liquids on the market today.  So today we will talk about how to increase your water intake and make it fun - and to drive the point home, we will begin by explaining the benefits of getting the appropriate amount of water into your body everyday.  So, if you are ready, grab yourself a glass of refreshing H20 and let’s get talking.

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The Benefits Of Increasing Your Water Intake

Your body relies on water, bottom line.  Many of the daily functions that your body performs require water.  Here is a common example to help me explain the importance of water.  Have you ever been dehydrated before?  During those times your body literally thirsts for and craves water because your brain can’t function well without it.  Having an adequate amount of water not only leads to optimal brain performance but it also hydrates the skin, clears the body of toxins and wastes (while keeping you regular), increases your energy, decreases your appetite, prevents headaches, and helps to prevent muscle cramps and spasms. 

How is that for a list of pros to drinking more water!  And if nothing else, remember that drinking water is probably the #1 thing you can do to have a beautiful, glowing complexion!  Forget all of those pricey face serums and masks and try drinking more water for 30 days and see what a difference in makes in your skin.  Be sure to snap some before and after photos so you can see the difference with your own eyes because it is truly remarkable!

How Much Water Do I Need Per Day?

Now the questions is always – how much water does one really need?  There is the standard 8-8oz. glasses of water per day, which is the equivalent of 64 oz, or 2 liters.  Another way to look at this requirement is that every person is different in weight and size and likely, their water requirements will vary based on this.  Another easy and more individualized calculation would be that you take your weight and divide it in half and that should be your water requirement in ounces.  For either one of these calculations you should make this not only your water goal but perhaps even think of it as your water minimum.  Unless you are consuming gallons of water or your doctor has told you otherwise, it doesn’t hurt to drink more water!

If you bear with me for a moment I will also let you know an easy way to tell if you are not getting enough water or if you are in fact getting too much.  Simply put, monitor the color of your urine output.  If you have a healthy water intake your urine should be almost clear, similar to very pale lemonade.  If you are not drinking enough water your urine will be yellow, if you are drinking too much it will be completely clear (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing unless it is always like this then that may mean you are overhydrating).  And now that you know how much water to drink, let’s discuss how to make drinking water fun! 

How To Make Drinking Water Fun

1. Add Nature’s Flavors

If drinking water does not excite you simply because it is tasteless, then let nature lend you a hand.  Even though it may be a small amount of extra work, consider slicing up citrus fruits such as lemons and limes and squeeze some flavor into your water.  You can also make water infusions with fruits and herbs, slice up your ingredients, place into a large container, add water, and drink throughout the day.  Infused waters deliver more flavor over time as the ingredients have time to marinate in the water.  You can try citrus fruits, pomegranate, berries cucumber, mint, basil, cranberry; the sky’s the limit!  You can also try a water bottle such as these options below to make infused water easy and portable!

Are you thinking that this method sounds great but you feel it is not realistic in your day-to-day life?  There are certain days where I feel this way too and so I have started using water enhancers.  My favorite water enhancers are made by Pure Inventions (note: Pure Inventions sent me a few new flavors to try but they are a product I bought on my own long before writing this article and a product that I truly love and fully stand by).  With water enhancers you simply place a few drops into your water and get an amazing dose of flavor + health benefits (like immunity enhancement metabolism boosting, skin health benefits, GI tract benefits and much more!).  Click on the photo below to learn more about Pure Inventions.

If you decide to try out this method, be sure to find a water enhancer that is SUGAR FREE with NO artificial sugars, sweeteners, or flavoring/coloring agents.

2. Wake Up Call

Another tip that I love to use everyday is to go to bed with a full glass/bottle of water beside your bed and when you wake up try to drink it all prior to getting up out of bed.  Not only does this give you a jumpstart to your water intake for the day, but it also helps to wake you up and get you energized for your day ahead.

3. Stylish & Portable

This may sound superficial, but I am a firm believer that if you have a water bottle/glass that you truly love you will be more apt to drink from it.  Bonus points if it is easily portable and spill proof.  One of my main problems in getting enough water in everyday is the fact that I typically lack a place to refill my bottle so I always like to have a large capacity bottle (32 oz. or higher).  I also am very much against plastic bottles (although from time to time I will use them if they are BPA free) and aim to use glass as much as possible.  Now, this can make for a heavy bottle but like I said, when I find one that I really like I drink so much more water everyday! 

Nowadays there are many glass water bottle options whereas 10 years ago most things were plastic.  Add to that the increasing interest in living healthy and you can find many options for a bottle that you are sure to love. My absolute favorite bottle is made by BKR and comes in a variety  of colors.  I use it daily and love it so much its like an extension of me at this point.  

This one is also a nice option as it has time markings to help motivate you to drink consistently throughout the day.

4. There’s An App For That

In this day and age where technology reigns an app may be just what you need to stay on track.  You can download an app to track and send you reminders throughout the day to help you meet your water intake goals.  There are apps available for your phone, smart watch, activity tracker, and even your in-home devices such as Amazon Alexa.  If this sounds convenient to you, check out some of these highly rated and helpful apps below (click on the photos to open in iTunes App Store).

Daily Water Tracker Reminder

Water Balance

AquaAlert

5. Make It Sparkling

How about adding a fun and bubbly twist!?   As long as you are sure to choose a variety that has no sugar + no artificial flavorings then you can add a little variety to your water consumption without adding additional calories and unnecessary ingredients.  So fill up a glass of sparkling water, add a fruit wedge, and drink up your water in the fanciest way possible!

I hope these tips help as we head into those hot summer days; always remember to drink up (water that is LOL)!  Be sure to comment below if you have any other tips for meeting your daily water goals!

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