Hydration Hacks: Drink More Water Effortlessly

You know you need to drink more water. You tell yourself (every day) that today will be the most perfectly hydrated day in all of the days. From today not only will you drink more water, but you will do it for all coming days as well. But habits don't just build overnight. They don't just happen because you know, in your mind, that the idea behind them is solid and scientifically sound. Habits are hard to form and harder to sustain. Drinking enough fluids is a habit and a crucial one at that. In this blog, we discuss how you not just start drinking enough water, but also how you can effortlessly sustain it. 

Measure it

 

It was the scientist Lord Kelvin who, in a very different context, said that if you cannot measure it, you cannot understand or control it. Habit formation is, to some extent, a science too, and measurability, wherever you can introduce it, is valuable. There are some things in life we cannot measure, but drinking water is not one of those. The body requires between 2.2 - 3 L of water a day. Get a litre bottle, fill it at least twice, and sip it throughout the day. Make a game of it if you want. Checklist it. Whatever keeps you accountable. 

Zing it up

 

If what's stopping you from drinking enough water is that it's too boring, this trick will change the way you see water. If you like plain lemon water, add a slice or two of lemon to your water bottle. The juice will gradually seep into the water, and give it a zesty taste. The sour of lemons may not be to everyone's taste. If you are one of these people, substitute the lemons with some orange slices. It's sweeter, and some say, is better for health. Another interesting addition to your water bottle is sliced cucumber, which gives it a mellow, almost sweet flavour. 

Juice it

 

Juice has a lot of water in it. While drinking a lot of juice (even the unsweetened kind) is not good for your sugar levels or your teeth, a splash of it in your bottle may just do the trick. Add about 100-150 ml of your favourite, non-pulpy juice to your water bottle. The flavour is subtle, the sugar is not overwhelming, and it's way healthier than drinking the juice straight. 

Make some tea

The varieties of teas available today is staggering. Several of those, like chamomile, green tea, black tea, do not even need any sugar to be tasty. Green and black tea have some great polyphenols in it. Chamomile is great when you're stressed. All kinds are great pick-me-ups. While you cannot drink hot tea all through the day and get your quota of water filled, a cup once a while makes a welcome change during the day. Contrary to common belief, there are very few downsides to traditional tea, and a great many benefits. Pour yourself some piping hot tea, and you will reach your goal hydration in no time. 

Snack on water

Watery foods are a great way to not only drink more water, but also reduce your calorie intake. Foods like watermelon, muskmelon, oranges, cucumbers are almost entirely water. In addition to the water, they nourish you with other great things like fibre, vitamins A and C, and protein. Even carrots are almost 87 percent water and really low in calories.