Drinking more water seems to be one of those things that’s on everyone’s “must try to do” list. You know, “I must try to eat more vegetables”, “I must try to remember to moisturise more often”, “I must try to drink more water”…. But drinking water is so much more basic and fundamental than something we should “try to do”.
Water is the source of all life on this planet. Water gives us life because it is what we are made of. Up to about 70% of the human body is actually water. There is water in every part of us – our brain, our muscles, even our skin and bones! This is why even mild dehydration can affect us in so many different ways – tiredness, headaches, dizziness, muscle pain, joint pain, dry skin, dry hair…the list goes on!
Our body is like a factory, constantly using, and therefore losing the water within it. So it needs to be replaced. We should drink at least 2 litres of water a day. Here are my top 5 tips for hitting that target!
1 – Take baby steps
If you’re not a big water drinker, then don’t wake up tomorrow morning and decide you’re gonna drink 2 litres a day from now on, cos that would be a tad overwhelming! Start small. Maybe aim for drinking one glass or one small bottle a day for the next week and then gradually build it up. As much as our bodies need water, they also need time to adjust to change!
2 – Create a habit
We are creatures of habit. All of the work I do with people around food and health comes down to helping them change habits. You should try to incorporate drinking water into your daily routine and develop a habit around it. For example, when I worked in an office I would always fill a jug with water first thing and have it on my desk and drink from it throughout the day, knowing I should have it finished before home time.
3 – Carry a bottle with you
Carry a water bottle with you throughout the day so you will always have water to hand and can spread your intake over the day. The bigger and heavier the better, so you’ll be more inclined to drink from it to make it lighter!
4 – Make your water more appetising
Something I hear all the time is “I don’t like the taste of water”. Let me tell you this. Water is life. Our bodies know this. They will gladly accept it! Usually what’s going on is that our taste buds have become accustomed to sweeter tasting liquids, but I promise you they can be retrained to love water! Sparkling water and herbal teas are perfectly fine and count towards your daily water intake. You can liven up your water by adding chopped fruit to it. My favourite is sparkling water with lime and mint, yum!
5 – Embrace the peeing!
Another thing I hear all the time is “I don’t want to drink more water because I’ll have to go to the toilet more”. Well sit yourself down and get ready for this little truth bomb – peeing is a fact of life! It is our body’s way of getting rid of toxins and waste products – why would you want to discourage that!? Anyway, I promise you that your body will adjust to the increased water consumption and the peeing will settle down!
So there you have it, my top 5 tips for drinking more water. There really is no excuse for not drinking enough water. It is so cheap and easy to do, yet incredibly impactful on our overall health. I’ve seen clients dramatically improve how they look and feel by upping their water intake, transforming from a dried up, tired old raisin back into a plump, vibrant, juicy grape! So what are you waiting for!?
