How to Drink More Water

For many of us (myself included), drinking enough water is not a natural habit. When I was in middle school, I often went up to a week without having a glass of any beverage at all. I never felt thirsty; I felt fine. I was very confused when I learned that humans can only last 3-4 days without water. If that was right, wouldn’t I be dead? Of course not. My week without drinking wasn’t actually a week without water; there was water in the food I consumed. Two obvious examples included the milk that soaked my breakfast cereal, and the juicy fruits that I enjoyed throughout the day. But I certainly wasn’t getting anywhere close to the recommended amount.

How much water should you consume? Some people remember it as the 8×8 rule: drink 8 ounces (or 1 cup) of water 8 times a day. The grand total can be thought of as a half-gallon jug or as just shy of a 2-liter soda bottle. Of course, this is just a guideline, and the amount depends on what you eat, your level of activity, and even where you live. We lose water through our breath, perspiration, and urination. This can vary day to day. For example, it is recommended that one drinks an additional cup of water for every hour spent in flight due to the extremely low humidity on an air plane.

So, are you currently meeting the recommended amount of water intake? If not, here are a few ways to increase your consumption of water:

• Carry a filled water bottle with you whenever possible. Additionally, impose a few checkpoints throughout the day – make a promise to your body that you will finish a certain amount of water by a certain time each day.
• Make it a competition. With a co-worker, friend, or family member, see who can drink more over the course of a week, or, fill a 2-liter bottle each day, and challenge yourself to finish it before dinner.
• Couple it with juice. Use a 1:1 juice-water ratio. You can mix the two together if you find juice too sweet, or simply follow up a glass of juice with a glass of water.
• Remind yourself that hunger is one of the first signs of dehydration. If you feel hungry, having a glass of water may satisfy your craving, and spare you the consumption of a few extra calories. Have water before every snack or meal; you will eat less.
• Pair it with 8 daily activities. Have a glass when you wake up, before and after each meal, and another before bed.

Happy (water) drinking!