How to drink enough water and make it enjoyable

We all know we should drink at least 2 liters of water, but sometimes staying hydrated seems like an impossible task. This especially is the case when you don’t count coffee. At my knowledge, the jury is still out about whether you should count it or not, so I choose not to. In this article, I will give you hydration tips that work for me and I hope they will work for you as well! So, without further ado: here’s how to drink more water!

Rehydrate yourself after a long night

The first tip I have is to start the day with at least three glasses of water. Since I find that a little to boring, I first have a glass of cold water from the fridge right when I get out of bed. That is when I am thirsty anyways, so that is not that hard to stick to. Meanwhile, I already heat up some water for tea. Green tea is a great way to start your day, because of the mild amounts of caffeine and because it takes a while to brew, I have time to change first, so I can drink the tea along with my breakfast. Because I take my medication in the morning, I also need a glass of water to drink them away and without really noticing, 3 glasses of water are already gone.

Making water special

I mentioned the second tip already, but for me keeping a glass bottle of (tap)water in the fridge is also key! I hate ‘boring’ water, and by keeping it cold it is so much more refreshing to drink! To avoid boring drinks outside of the house, you can add stuff like cucumber or lemon to your bottle of water. You even have special ‘infuser’ bottles that have holders for your fruit that make it easier to put it in en remover the fruits or vegetables. Mine is from the brand Loooqs and can contain 800 ml. It is quite a large bottle, but that is great considering fruit also takes up a lot of space.

Hydrated on the go

This also brings me to the third tip: always bring your bottle! Bringing a reusable bottle is cheaper and better for the environment than plastic ones. It also reminds you to drink, even when you are not thirsty yet. When you feel thirsty, your body tells you that it is already dehydrated. So, if you avoid getting thirsty, your body can function much better.

Built-in reminders

The fourth tip is another one of reacting to dehydration. We are not that good in recognising thirst, so we often perceive it as hunger. Therefore it is better to drink a glass of water half an hour (or 15 minutes if you can’t wait that long) before you eat. That way you eat less and you make it a habit of drinking regularly throughout the day. When you also drink a glass of water during or after eating lunch/dinner, you are already at 7/8 standard glasses (3 in the morning, 2 before and during lunch and 2 before and during dinner).

Lastly, before I go to bed, I always drink a cup of rooibos tea. Rooibos is a plant from South-Africa that has a calming effect on the mind and body and it has no caffeine in it, which makes it the perfect ‘evening tea’ and I have had at least 8 glasses, so 2 liters, a day.

Keep in mind that 2 liters is a guideline, but there is also water in food, which makes you drink more than expected. When you have an active lifestyle, you should also drink a little bit more, because of the sweating and if you are thirsty, you should always drink, also when you have already had your 8 glasses. This article is also written for normal circumstances, so please ask your doctor for advice when you have diseases that effect your water intake or when you are planning to use drugs, since that can change the way your body processes water.

I hope these hydration tips have helped you and if you have more tips, please let me know in the comments below!

Lots of love,

Lisa