Since I started my 30 day Emergency food supply experiment, I’ve come to realize that I definitely did not drink enough water before. Sure, I drank my weight in tea, but it’s caffeinated and that was leaving me with a different set of problems. Now that I have been consciously trying to drink plenty of water, I’ve noticed I feel better. My skin looks better too {less tired somehow}.
It makes me wonder how many of us go through our day to day lives kind of mildly dehydrated? Even an article I found on NPR suggests that kids and teens especially do not, on average, get enough water. The article cited a study that was originally aiming to uncover how many sugary drinks young people drink each day, only to find that they aren’t drinking much at all.
I tried to find out how much water I should be drinking each day. Does the 8 glass a day thing still stand? It turns out, the exact amount of water each person needs each day varies depending on the person {according to the Mayo Clinic}. How you eat, your exercise level, your age, the climate etc. are all considerations. The good news is that water doesn’t just have to be by the glass. We get water from food {specifically fruits and veggies that have high water content}.
For me, one of the biggest ways to get more water into my day has been to carry around a water bottle with me where ever I go. It reminds me to take a sip every once in a while, and before I know it, the bottle is empty. A couple of years ago, when I realized I wasn’t getting enough water {I obviously have to learn my lesson more than once}, I used some of these tips to get a little more hydration into my day.
I totally get that drinking water is kind of boring. Unless you are really thirsty, it doesn’t seem all that appealing. That’s why you have to find ways to make it more exciting. When my self-imposed emergency food supply challenge is over, I plan on making my own vitamin water to add flavor without packing in a ton of sugar. I think that will help me not get right back on my excessive tea habit bandwagon again.
So, do YOU drink enough water? What do you do {or you going to do} to make sure you get plenty of fluids throughout the day?
~Mavis
Pam says
I do about a gallon of water a day – more when I’m out working in the garden. I allow myself one Pepsi or one cup of tea in the morning (got to get that morning caffeine infusion) and the rest of the day I drink water.
Tiffany says
My clean-eating/workout plan recommends you drink half your weight in ounces. So a 150lb. person should shoot for 75oz. of water a day when eating well, exercising and trying yo lose/maintain weight. Don’t know if that’s a definitive thing or not…but it’s something up try!
suzanne says
I go through streaks. When we downsized and moved into town everything started to taste soapy to me. Particularly hot beverages. It turns out I have an intolerance to fluoride. It’s a fairly common problem so only bottled water for me unfortunately. I really miss my well water.
Tb says
You should look for a spring water source near you or a filter that would clean out the fluoride.
Linda says
After my morning coffee, I only drink water while at work. At home on the weekends or the weekends, I’m allowed fizzy water or flavored waters. I drink a lot more water on weekdays so I can feel it on the weekends and crave more water.
Connie says
On any given day, I’ll have one cup of morning coffee or tea and then iced water w/lemon the rest of the day. This time of year the days are humid & hot so, I probably sip on at least a half gallon a day. And I feel so blessed to have well water on our place – if I run out of lemon, it’s still palatable. 🙂