In a previous article, I wrote about how much water you need to drink every day. Water is great for flushing toxins out, treating constipation, having clearer skin, and just feeling great overall!

That’s all fine and dandy, but what do you do if you don’t like drinking plain water or if you just forget?

Keep reading and you’ll find out exactly how to drink more water every day!

Photo by Matthew Stuart

How to Drink Water First Thing in The Morning

One of the most important things you need to do when you wake up in the morning is to drink water. And preferably about 16 oz of it!

That much?! Yes, and here’s why: your body gets dehydrated throughout the night as you exhale little droplets of water. Not to mention that you’re likely not drinking any water during the night.

That makes for an easily dehydrated body in the morning.

Plus drinking water first thing in the morning is a great way to kick start your body awake and flush out any toxins.

So how do you do it? Gradually! Just like Havi explains that waking up earlier is all about waking up a few minutes earlier each week, so it is with drinking more water every morning.

Start with just a sip of water if you’re not used to drinking anything in the morning. Then gradually work up to half a glass, and then a full glass.

You might need to put the water somewhere obvious if you’re a little groggy in the morning. Think about putting the glass on the toilet seat. Or beside your alarm clock.

Taking Water Breaks Throughout The Day

Another really important thing is to drink water throughout the day. Preferably earlier on in the day, as opposed to late at night. Otherwise you might need to wake up to go to the bathroom!

If you have a hard time remembering to take water breaks throughout the day you just need to put a few friendly reminders.

If you work at a computer, get yourself a little “take a break” software reminder. Every hour it should tell you to go get a glass of water.

Another tip that a friend of mine employs is having a carafe of water to refill her glass, so she doesn’t need to get up all the time. Then she refills the carafe and takes a longer break during that time.

Making Water Taste Good and More Fun to Drink

If you’re used to drinking soda, juice, milk, coffee, and the bazillion other types of drinks out there – settling for water can seem like a step down.

It doesn’t have to be! Water can be just as much fun, and taste just as good as all those commercial drinks. Here’s how:

• Use a Fancy Glass: If you’re bored of drinking water in a boring glass, get a funky one to make it fun again! Use a wine glass, a funny cartoon glass, or even your favorite mug.
• Change the Temperature: Some days drinking cold water is refreshing, while drinking warm or hot water can be just what you need on a cold day. Experiment and enjoy different temperatures of water.
• Add Goji Berries: This is essentially like making a tea using goji berries and water. It adds a little boost to your water, and it tastes great too.
• Margarita Water Recipe: Add some sea salt and squeeze half a lime into your water. It’s reminiscent of a margarita and it’s got tons of great minerals in it!
• Slice Some Ginger: Add a few slices of ginger and some raw honey if you want something sweet and hot. This is a great remedy for a sore throat too! Or if you’re experiencing some cold-related pain during that time of the month.
• Add a cucumber or lemon slice: Similar to the margarita water, adding a slice of cucumber or lemon is a great way to add some zest to your water.
• Get a New Water Filter: If you can’t stand the taste of your water, maybe it’s time to consider getting a new water filter.
• Crush Mint Leaves: Mint is such a refreshing herb, try adding some fresh leaves to your water and enjoy the yumminess!
• Add a little raw cacao: Okay, we’re venturing further from true water here but adding a little bit of raw cacao powder or raw maca powder is a great way to have some really rich satisfying water.

What Are Your Tips?

Leave a comment and let me know what your favorite “drink more water” tricks are.

Have a happy, hydrated day!

Photo by Patrick

This story starts a long time ago, in a small town where families had dozens of kids. Her name was Monique, and she was a bright eyed bushy tailed girl, who liked to draw horses and sometimes people too.

Monique liked to dance, and she hid stacks of love letters under her mattress. As she grew older, she did what most young girls do. She settled down and got married. Then Monique started a family of her own.

Somewhere along the way she stopped being a bright eyed bushy tailed girl. Not that she wasn’t happy, because clearly she was. She had all that a woman could hope for, and she was content.

But somewhere along the way, she stopped doing the things that had kept her healthy and shiny-eyed.

She stopped drinking water.

As Monique grew older, she watched her children move out on their own and start families. She even taught some of her grand children how to draw horses and sometimes people too.

When one of her bright eyed bushy tailed grand daughters asked Monique why she didn’t drink water, she replied: “Because I don’t want to go to the bathroom too often.”

How Much Water Really Affects Us…

We all think that wrinkles are normal, and that it’s age that makes us sick and weak. But what if it was just a matter of keeping your body fully hydrated?

Monique was my grand mother. She passed away when I was a young girl, suffering from bladder and kidney issues and later on cancer.

I’m sure there were other contributing factors, but from my research and experience I know that drinking more water could have helped keep her healthy longer.

Photo by Cyron Ray Macey

How Much Water Should You Drink a Day?

We’ve all heard something about drinking 8 eight ounce glasses per day. But the amount of water you drink should really depend on the individual, as well as your lifestyle.

If you exercise and sweat a lot, then you would need to drink more water. Also, it’s important to note that drinking liquids other than water are not a good substitute.

Even changing the amount of minerals the water contains can change how your body absorbs it. So think twice before drinking anything other than pure water, and counting it toward your total.

My recommendation for figuring out how much water you need to drink in a day, is to look at the color of your pee.

Yes, it might seem silly, but it’s a great way to get immediate feedback on how dehydrated your body is. If your pee is dark or yellow, then you aren’t drinking enough water. It’s only once your pee is clear that you know you’re getting enough water.

Notice that most mornings your pee is dark, whereas throughout the day it is more clear. That’s because our bodies get dehydrated during the night from exhaling, sweating, and because we aren’t drinking any water during the night.

Should You Drink Less Water if You’re Eating Raw?

Recently, I was talking to a client about green smoothies and he mentioned that he had to go to the bathroom more often after drinking a smoothie. Since green smoothies are high in fiber, that made sense to me but he was more worried about having to pee more often.

A lightbulb went on in my head, since I had heard the whole “I don’t want to pee too often” excuse somewhere before.

The truth is that high water content fruits and vegetables are good for you. They help flush out toxins in your body, and they keep you hydrated with the most purely filtrated water available – from plants!

I recommend you use the same strategy of looking at your pee to determine if you’re drinking enough water.

How Much is Too Much Water?

With every recommendation there’s always a caveat, and this one is the possibility of drinking too much water. I remember hearing about a case where people drank so much water while fasting that they experienced major problems, and some even died.

Clearly, it’s a case for listening to your body. If your pee is clear, then don’t try to force yourself to drink too much extra water. Just to be on the safe side.

And remember that going to the bathroom often is not a bad thing! If you are worried about an elderly person, why not bring a bedside commode for them to use, so they can get the health benefits of drinking enough water.

Tricks to Keep Hydrated

If you really don’t like the taste of water, try adding a slice of fresh ginger, or cucumber, or a lemon or lime. This adds flavor, it’s inexpensive and can make drinking water a little more enjoyable.

Another tip is to have water with you where ever you go. That means bringing a water bottle, or knowing where the water fountains are.

If you need more tips, check out the follow-up article all about how to drink more water every day!

What other tips do you have for keeping hydrated?

Share in the comments below!