7 Ways to Keep Make Sure You’re Drinking Enough Water
I’ve always found that when I’m at home I never seem to drink as much water as when I’m out of the house.
It’s very important that you keep yourself hydrated. From someone who has always been poor at doing this, I want to share a few tips which can help.
It takes some time to get into the habit of drinking enough water so you might need to keep this up for 21 days to set yourself in the routine.
Some people have a rule of 1 Litre water per 20kg of bodyweight. I use the theory that you should be going for a wee every hour. It doesn’t matter which rule you start with, being hydrated is the key.
So, here are some tips to help you:
1. Drink a glass first thing in the morning. I’m always thirsty when I wake up but I find that by the time I brush my teeth, I’ve forgotten about having some water!
So, why not put a glass next to your sink and before you reach for your toothbrush, and have a quick drink of water?
You might also find having a glass next to your bed helps. I have a water bottle so that I don’t have to worry about it being spilt by either me or the children. I find that I tend to drink it only before I go to bed rather than when I wake up.
2. Keep a water bottle with you. Whenever I drive I always have a water bottle with me, it’s the same when I worked in desk job. Keep one with you when you’re at home too.
It’s a great way of being able to properly track how much you’re drinking, and also a gentle reminder when you see you haven’t drunk enough. We’re a massive fan of the Ion 8 water bottles as they have markers on the side.
3. Set a reminder. It’s so easy to forget to drink – we all do it and reach for a snack because we think we’re hungry when actually we are dehydrated.
Combine setting a reminder on your phone, with keeping a glass by your toothbrush, and a water bottle with you throughout the day. You’ll have no excuses if you combine all three of these!
4. Have a drink with you when exercises. You should always have a drink with you if you’re exercising, even when you go for a walk.
If you go for a run and don’t want to carry a small bottle, then make sure you are hydrated before and after your run.
Being a little dehydrated can seriously effect your workout and definitely make your performance suffer.
5. Eat more fruit and vegetables. If you don’t eat too many fruit and vegetables then this is another kind reminder that you need to. They contain high levels of water as well as vitamins and minerals. Be also conscious of the amount of sugar in them too.
6. Naturally flavour your water. There are so many different fruits you can add to your water. You can infuse it for about an hour and then remove the fruit and drink the water. It’ll last at least a day infused with the fruit out of it.
I personally don’t add anything to my water bottle, other than water. If you’re the same then you can buy infusing bottles perfectly designed for naturally flavouring your water.
Also why don’t you try cucumber water? We tried it a hair salon once and it was so refreshing. I’ve added a lemon and cucumber infused water recipe below
7. Drink (water!) before you go to bed. I usually have a vitamin and a glass of water just before I go to bed. I seem to be able to last until the morning before I need the toilet, but I know some people might find this one difficult. Especially as getting up in the night and disturbing your sleep isn’t what you’ll want to do. Bear with it though, your body needs to be hydrated.
A personal note from me:
I have an aversion to plain water in a glass, I really can’t stand it! I have absolutely no idea why but if you leave a glass of water out for me, the chances of me drinking it are so slim! So the way I have learnt to get round this is with a couple of methods.
✮ Having a glass on the sink and I make myself have 1/2 a pint before I brush my teeth. I find that as soon as I go downstairs for breakfast I forget, and I don’t touch the water by the side of the bed because I have to keep momentum going (of getting out of bed) otherwise I’ll stay in bed for longer!
✮ Carry a water bottle around. I’m getting better at this. I found that I was waking with a headache every morning, even though I had a glass of water before bed, so I know I am definitely not drinking enough.
✮ A slice of lemon and lime in a glass of water. I went to my sisters over Valentines weekend and she’s a (massive) gin lover. In their freezer they had slices of lemon in a box and I thought it was a pretty clever idea! Yep, I’m probably way behind the times on this one! So now I have a small container in my freezer with some sliced up lemons for my water. I also have fresh lemons and limes in the fridge in a little container.
✮ Hot water and a slice of lemon. I can get bored of having water, as mentioned above! Instead of going for a coffee or tea, I really like having a slice of lemon in hot water. If you let it sit for a bit, until the water is just cool enough to drink, it’ll naturally infuse with the lemon and make it a refreshing drink. Don’t let it sit for too long otherwise it’ll be too strong and pretty sour.
✮ Vitamin and half a pint of water before bed. Your body goes through a number of phases while you sleep – muscle repair, memory consolidation, hormone release regulating growth and appetite. I haven’t looked fully into the scientific research behind this, but in my experience I have found that if I have my vitamins before I go to bed, I feel so much better in the morning.
While writing this blog post, I have found this article quite useful in explaining the different vitamins and when you should take them.
Something for you
For a posh looking, healthy drink that is really easy why don’t you try this lemon and cucumber infused water. Organic lemons are best as lemon peel may contain a lot of pesticides.
Lemon and cucumber infused water
Thinly slice 1 lemon and 1/2 cucumber and put them in a large jug with water. Leave in the fridge for an hour to infuse and chill.
If you have any herbs then also try adding a handful each of thyme and mint, and 2 sprigs of rosemary before you chill it in the fridge.
Enjoy! You can top your jug up with water throughout the day. Add some more fresh herbs if you feel the flavour is weakening.
Let me know if you have any other suggested ways to stay hydrated. Do you have any other easy and great recipes for flavoured water?
Hannah 💚
