A new year has come, and with each new year, many of us resolve to improve our lives by making small changes. Some - like quitting smoking and working out more - require absolute dedication and focus on the end goal. Others, like drinking more water and eating healthier, are easier to maintain, and have massive benefits for our overall health.
If you’re reading this, chances are good that you’ve decided to go with one of the easier New Year’s resolutions to maintain: Drinking more water in your daily life. Staying properly hydrated is among one of the best things you can do for your overall health. After all, our bodies are mostly water. The Mayo Clinic recommends that healthy adult males drink at least 15.5 cups of fluids per day, and women 11.2 cups.
On average, your body loses 2-3 liters of water per day. This loss increases with physical activity and hotter weather, so maintaining your body’s supply of water is critical to keep it functioning in peak condition. Drinking water has enormous benefits for our digestion and cardiovascular health, and is essential in flushing toxins from the body. It carries oxygen and vital nutrients to cells, lubricates your joints, and keeps skin looking young and healthy. In short, it is the healthiest and most beneficial thing you can do for your overall health on a daily basis.
Remembering to drink enough water per day isn’t always easy. Life has a tendency to get in the way. Thankfully, there have never been more ways to ensure that you imbibe enough water. To help, we’ve compiled a list of five of our favorite methods to get your body working in top form.
1. Hydration Tracking Apps
We’ve mentioned before, but hydration tracking apps are one of the best ways available to help you monitor your daily fluid intake, and take much of the guesswork out of staying properly hydrated. These apps allow you to set daily hydration goals, and will remind you when it is time to re-hydrate. They can be personalized based on your weight, gender, even the current weather, ensuring that your body gets the proper amount of water it needs to keep it running at its best.
Best of all, most of these apps are free to download from Google Play or the AppStore. These apps will track your hydration habits over time, allowing you to monitor your fluid intake and make adjustments where needed. After a few weeks, you’ll be able.see how much progress you’ve made, and the habits these apps will help form will be massively beneficial to living a healthy lifestyle.
2. Reusable water bottles
It seems like everybody these days has their own personal water bottles. They come in all shapes and sizes, from smaller one liter bottles to giant gallon jugs you carry around on a lanyard. They are a cost effective - and environmentally-friendly - way to hydrate regularly. All you need is a water filter, or your favorite Mountain Valley Spring water, and you’re good to go.
A good water reusable water bottle is essential to take on your next outing, or when you hit the gym. They are relatively lightweight, do not take up much space and ensure that you remain properly hydrated throughout your strenuous activities. Combining these bottles with other tips, like the hydration tracking apps mentioned above, will take some of the thought out of drinking enough water daily.
3. Flavor your water
Occasionally, water, as vital as it is, can get a little mundane. Sometimes, we need to liven things up a bit. Mountain Valley has a complete line of infused essence spring waters for your drinking pleasure, in delicious flavors like Key Lime Twist, White Peach, and Blackberry Pomegranate. These, along with our renowned Sparkling and Spring waters in our iconic green glass bottles, are available at your favorite grocery retailer, or conveniently available for delivery to your front door.
We’ve also come up with some fun and exciting infused water recipes that are sure to please. Adding natural essence to your water is a great way to experiment with all the unique flavors that Mother Nature has to offer, and is sure to awaken your senses.
4. Tie it to a routine
Developing healthy new habits can be hard, so some may find it beneficial to link their newfound hydration goals to existing routines. Drink a glass of water with every meal, or before brushing your teeth and going to bed. Take a sip of water at least hourly while you’re at work. Never leave home without your wallet, phone, or keys? Make a reusable water bottle another one of those things that are on your person at all times. These are useful habit forming behaviors that will help you on your journey, and before long, drinking water will become second nature.
5. Make intentional dietary changes
Introducing more fruits and vegetables into your diet is a nutritious and delicious way to increase your water consumption. Celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons and lettuce are all over 90% water, and myriad other produce have a high water content as well. Not only will eating more veggies ensure you get the proper amount of water, but they are also packed with super healthy nutrients and vitamins will have massive health benefits down the road. It is one of the best things you can do for your overall health.
Replacing other drinks with water is another great way to stay properly hydrated. Sugary drinks, caffeinated drinks like coffee and soda, and alcohol all cause the body to lose more water than they introduce, and will leave you feeling dehydrated and dried out. Switching these out with water not only introduces more water into your life, you’ll feel so much better in the long run.
