How to Maintain the Habit of Drinking Enough Water

How much is enough?

First of all, let’s figure out how much water is enough. According to research by the National Academies, “Total water intake at the reference level of 3.7 liters per day for adult men and 2.7 liters per day for adult women covers the expected needs of healthy, sedentary people in temperate climates.” It is worth noting that this intake includes all beverages we consume throughout the day as well as the water we get from food, meaning you don’t have to consume 2.7-3.7 liters of water alone because that will only wash away the important vitamins, minerals, and microelements from your body. However, it’s better not to substitute water with other beverages completely, especially if they contain a lot of sugar, caffeine, or alcohol, and stick to clear water. 

How to understand if you drink enough water?

Some people might think that they drink enough water when, in fact, it’s far from being true, so let’s take a look at the main signs that consume that you are well-hydrated from 

Liana Reiland, C.N.P., D.N.P., A.P.N.P. at Mayo Clinic:

1. You rarely feel thirsty
2. Your urine is colorless or light yellow

Additionally, people who consume enough water rarely have urinary tract infections, do not suffer from headaches caused by dehydration, have healthy bowel movement, and usually do not have eye and skin dryness.

Developing a habit

So, now we know that women and men have to consume 2.7 and 3.7 liters of water per day, respectively. But how to develop such a habit? Here are some tips from our team.

• Add soups and smoothies to your diet. As we have mentioned above, we consume water from different sources, including food, and eating more soups and drinking delicious smoothies from time to time is a great means to increase your daily water intake. 
• Flavor your water. Water is pretty much tasteless, which is why a lot of people do not enjoy drinking it. Yet you can easily solve that problem by adding some fresh mint, lemon, lime, or any other fruit you like to it.
• Set alarms and reminders. In case you are one of those people who keep forgetting to drink, just set alarms or get a special app to set reminders there. 
• Get a fancy water bottle. For some people, a fancy bottle is a great motivation to drink more water, especially on the go. So, if you are one of those people, consider getting one. 
• Tie drinking water into your routine. Try starting your day with a glass of water, drink a glass of water before every meal, or add any other drinking “tradition” to your daily routine.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water, which will help you increase your daily intake of water. Plus, they contain fiber, which is also pretty important for our health. 

These simple tips will surely help you develop an incredibly healthy habit of drinking enough water, so make sure to give them a try.