Summer is here, and so is the heat. As temperatures rise, proper hydration becomes all the more critical. We lose liquids as we sweat (and sweat, and sweat). Replenishing those losses is about more than quenching thirst, it’s about staving off dangers such as dehydration and heat stroke.
Proper hydration is key to proper health. And proper hydration is best achieved by — drumroll please — drinking water.
For some, that’s easier said than done. While we at Mountain Valley Spring Water love, love, love water, we realize that love isn’t always shared. Water isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (although with a little heat and some tea leaves, it could be), yet water is crucial to our wellbeing.
So, how do you drink more water if you don’t quite love water? If you kind of, sort of hate water? Here are some ideas to kick your hydration into high gear this summer and all year long.
How to drink more water? Drink different water
All waters are not created equal.
There’s tap water and purified water and spring water, just for starters. Yes, each of these waters is — water. But each takes on a unique flavor profile depending on where and how it’s served.
Tap water, for example, may be treated with chlorine and/or chloramine to rid it of disease-causing germs such as Salmonella, Campylobacter and norovirus. While these chlorinated disinfectants are to be closely monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure the safety of U.S. drinking water, they can cause the taste and smell of tap water to differ from those of untreated waters. And they may be the reason a glass of water straight from your faucet does not appeal to you or your palate.
Purified water, on the other hand, is essentially tap water that’s been filtered and processed to remove these chemical impurities. To adjust for this processing, many bottlers of purified water add in trace amounts of minerals, such as magnesium sulfate, potassium chloride and even sodium chloride (table salt) to create a more rounded water flavor. According to the Beverage Marketing Association, almost half of all bottled water sold in the U.S. is simply purified tap water.
And then there’s Mountain Valley Spring Water.
Mountain Valley Spring Water is spring water bottled directly from our protected source deep in the heart of Arkansas’s Ouachita Mountains. Our water fell from the sky thousands of years ago, working its way through layer after layer of shale, sandstone and limestone into natural, subterranean aquifers far below the earth’s surface. As these aquifers filled, excess water pushed its way back to ground level through beds of Ordovician marble lined with veins of quartz. This movement natural filters and naturally mineralizes Mountain Valley Spring Water.
Our water enters our bottles naturally crisp, naturally pure and naturally refreshing — award-winningly so. Just ask the judges at the prestigious Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting, where Mountain Valley Spring Water has taken home almost two-dozen awards, including two gold medals for Best in the World Spring Water.
How to drink more water? Make it sparkle
What tastes better than the award-winning, purely sourced flavor of Mountain Valley Spring Water? The award-winning, purely sourced flavor of Mountain Valley Spring Water PLUS a pop of fizz.
Mountain Valley Sparkling Water takes all the crisp refreshment of our Ouachita Mountain spring water and adds a touch of sparkle thanks to millions of tiny, palate-tickling bubbles. This fizz of carbon dioxide isn’t just for show, it adds complexity and heightens the flavor of plain water.
While Americans still drink far more still water than sparkling water, for those who haven’t yet learned to enjoy the delicious simplicity of water, a few (million) bubbles can go a long way.
For many, sparkling water, aka carbonated water, mimics the fizzy flavor of sodas but without the chemicals and sweeteners, making it a much healthier option for hydration. According to wellness writer Christina Caron of The New York Times, “Nutritionists agree that carbonated water … is just as hydrating as regular water.”
At Mountain Valley, we take carbonated hydration up a notch with our line of naturally flavored sparkling waters. From Key Lime Twist to Blackberry Pomegranate to White Peach, our flavored sparklers combine the best of Mountain Valley Sparkling Spring Water with a hint of natural fruit essence. The result: a zero calorie, zero sugar, zero sweetener water that’s as fizzy as it is delicious.
How to drink more water? Sweeten the deal (just slightly)
If you’ve tried various flat and carbonated waters and still haven’t quite fallen in love, sweeten your hydration by infusing your water with fresh fruits and vegetables. From lemon juice to watermelon, to blackberries, cucumber and basil, these all-natural additives have been known to change the water game.
Infusing water can be as simple as squeezing a wedge of citrus into your glass, or as complex as steeping water with slices of your desired produce for hours or even overnight. At room temperature, fruit-infused water can be ready in as little as one or two hours. If infusing water in the fridge, give it three to four hours. For a much stronger fruit flavor, you can let it infuse for up to 12 hours.
The beauty of fruit-infused waters: They gain many of the water-soluble vitamins and nutrients of the infused fruits with few or none of the calories. And they are ideal for hydration, especially on hot summer days.
How to drink more water? Set reminders
The tech world is overflowing with apps and smart water bottles that will remind you to drink more water — for a price. But experts say all you really need is a timer. Set it for every 30 minutes, as a reminder to take a few sips from the water bottle at your desk. Or set a timer for every 90 minutes, as a nudge to finish your current bottle and refill it or grab a new one.
Proper hydration isn’t just for preventing dire scenarios such as heat exhaustion, it’s about regulating the body’s systems, preventing headaches, constipation, bloating and so much more. It’s about feeling good, all day long.
How to drink more water? Have it delivered to your door
The crisp, purely sourced and award-winning flavor of Mountain Valley Spring Water and Mountain Valley Sparkling Water is just a click away. Have our spring water and sparkling water delivered to your home or office. Enter your zip code on our Home Delivery page to find a Mountain Valley local distributor near you.
