12 Simple Ways to Drink More Water

Your body is about 70% water, and drinking enough of it is vital for optimal health (1).

Water plays many roles in your body, including maintaining electrolyte balance and blood pressure, lubricating joints, regulating body temperature, and promoting cell health (1, 2Trusted Source).

While everyone knows that it’s important to stay hydrated, doing so can be difficult at times.

Here are 12 simple ways to drink more water.

1. Understand your fluid needs

Before you decide to drink more water, you have to understand your body’s fluid needs.

A common recommendation for daily water intake is 64 ounces (1,920 ml), or 8 cups, but this is not based on science (3Trusted Source).

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) recommends that men consume 125 ounces (3,700 ml) and women about 90 ounces (2,700 ml) of fluid per day, including the fluid from water, other drinks, and foods (4).

However, NAM acknowledges that it isn’t ideal to make broad recommendations about fluid needs, as they depend on your activity level, location, health status, and more (5Trusted Source).

For most, simply drinking to quench your thirst will ensure you meet your fluid needs. Yet, you may need more fluid if you exercise regularly, work outside, or live in a hot climate (5Trusted Source).

2. Set a daily goal

Setting a daily water intake goal can help you drink more water.

Simply the act of setting a goal can be motivating and make you more likely to make positive changes that last (6Trusted Source).

To be effective, goals should be SMART, which is an acronym for the following criteria (7Trusted Source):

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Time-bound

For example, one SMART water-consumption goal might be to drink 32 ounces (960 ml) of water per day.

It can also help to record your progress, which can keep you motivated to achieve your goal — and make it a habit.

3. Keep a reusable water bottle with you

Keeping a water bottle with you throughout the day can help you drink more water.

When you have a reusable water bottle, you can easily drink water in any setting, whether you’re running errands, traveling, or at home, work, or school.

Keeping a water bottle handy can also serve as a visual reminder to drink more water. If you see the bottle on your desk or table, you will constantly be reminded to drink more.

Plus, it’s better for the environment than relying on single-use plastic water bottles.

4. Set reminders

You can also set reminders to drink more water using an app or the alarm on your smartphone or smartwatch.

For example, try setting a reminder to take a few sips of water every 30 minutes, or set a reminder to finish drinking your current glass of water and refill it every hour.

These reminders can help you increase your water intake, especially if you struggle with being forgetful or too busy to drink.

5. Replace other drinks with water

One way to drink more water — and boost your health and reduce your calorie intake — is to replace other drinks, such as soda and sports drinks, with water.

These drinks are often full of added sugars, which can be extremely detrimental to your health.

For optimal health, limit your added sugar intake to less than 5% of your calorie intake. Just one 8-ounce (240 ml) cup of soda per day can exceed this limit (8Trusted Source).

Diets high in added sugars have been linked to obesity and other conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).

Furthermore, replacing these sugary drinks with water is an easy and cheap way to cut calories, potentially helping you lose weight.

6. Drink one glass of water before each meal

Another simple way to increase your water intake is to make a habit of drinking one glass of water before each meal.

If you eat 3 meals per day, this adds an extra 3 cups (720 ml) to your daily water intake.

Moreover, sometimes your body may mistake feelings of thirst for hunger. Drinking a glass of water before eating can help you discern whether you are feeling true hunger (12Trusted Source).

What’s more, if you’re trying to lose weight, drinking a glass of water may help you eat fewer calories at the following meal (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).

7. Get a water filter

In America, most tap water is safe to drink. However, if you have concerns about the quality or safety of your tap water, consider purchasing a water filter.

There is a filter for almost every budget, from costly whole-home water filtration systems to inexpensive water-filtering pitchers.

In addition, filtering your water could improve the taste.

Point-of-use water filters, such as water-filtering pitchers or filters that attach directly to a faucet, can reduce levels of waterborne bacteria, lead, and arsenic in contaminated tap water to safe levels (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).

Using a water filter is also less expensive and more eco-friendly than purchasing bottled water, which is oftentimes no different than tap water (18Trusted Source).

8. Flavor your water

If you dislike the flavor of water, or just need a bit of flavor to help you drink more, you have many choices.

Using an inexpensive fruit-infuser water bottle is one healthy option.

Popular fruit combinations to use in an infuser bottle are cucumber-lime, lemon, and strawberry-kiwi. Although, you can use any combination of fruits that suits your taste.

You can also purchase water enhancers in powder or liquid form to add to your water, but be aware that many of these products contain sugar, artificial sweeteners, or other additives that may harm your health.

9. Drink one glass of water per hour at work

If you work a standard 8-hour workday, drinking a glass of water each hour you’re at work adds up to 8 cups (1,920 ml) to your daily water intake.

Fill up your cup as soon as you get to work, and at the top of every hour, simply drink the remaining water and refill.

This method will keep your water intake consistent throughout your workday.

10. Sip throughout the day

Sipping on water consistently throughout the day is another easy way to help you meet your fluid goals.

Reaching for a sip of water consistently during your day will keep your mouth from getting dry and may even help keep your breath fresher (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).

Keep a glass of water or a reusable bottle nearby and within your line of sight for a constant visual reminder to take a sip.

11. Eat more foods high in water

One simple way to get more water is to eat more foods that are high in water.

Fruits and vegetables that are particularly high in water include (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source):

• Lettuce: 96% water
• Celery: 95% water
• Zucchini: 95% water
• Cabbage: 92% water
• Watermelon: 91% water
• Cantaloupe: 90% water
• Honeydew melon: 90% water

In addition to their high fluid content, these fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that promote your overall health.

12. Drink one glass of water when you wake up and before bed

An easy way to boost your water intake is to simply drink one glass when you wake up and another before you go to bed.

A glass of cold water in the morning may help wake you up and boost your alertness (28Trusted Source).

Plus, drinking water before bed can keep you from waking up with a dry mouth and bad breath (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).

The bottom line

Adequate water intake is essential to good health.

The National Academy of Medicine estimates that most people need 90–125 ounces (2,700–3,700 ml) of fluid per day, including fluid from water, other beverages, and food.

However, it can be difficult to drink water habitually, especially if you are busy, regularly forget to drink, or dislike the taste of water.

Choosing from these 12 simple tips can help you boost your daily water intake.

Immunity Tips: 5 Zinc-Rich Recipes That Are Perfect For Winters

Did you know that theres another mineral you need to load up on to ensure your immunity is in good shape?! The mineral is zinc, and you can find it in a host of foods too

Highlights

• Zinc could help boost immunity
• Immunity can be bolstered with natural foods
• Some zinc-rich foods are pumpkin seeds, almonds, chickpeas etc

Enjoying the nip in the air? That makes two of us. The chilly weather calls for indulgence, and aren't we glad for all those loose sweatshirts and sweaters that have helped us hide that winter belly all those years? Winter is one of our most favourite seasons of all times but we also cannot ignore the risk of seasonal infections it brings along. Instances of cold, cough and flu are becoming all the more common now and we need to tweak our diet a bit to combat the same. Cold- and phlegm-inducing foods need to be replaced with warm, and energy-boosting foods. We have heard about the co-relation of vitamin C and immunity, but did you know that there's another mineral you need to load up on to ensure your immunity is in good shape?! The mineral is zinc, and you can find it in a host of foods too, along with the supplements of course.

Here are 5 of our favourite winter recipes that are packed with zinc:

1. Sesame Ladoos

Sesame or til ladoos are very common in Indian household, especially during winter and winter festivals like Sankranti. They are very easy to make and helps keep your body warm and fortified. Click here for the recipe. 

Sesame is also known as til in Hindi

2. Roasted Pumpkin seeds

Don't toss away those seeds, they are a treasure of nutrients you do not want to part with. In addition to protein and fibre, pumpkin seeds are also packed with zinc. You can roast pumpkin seeds in butter with a hint of red chilli powder, and it will make for a great snack. 

3. 3-Bean Chat

This chaat comes with the goodness of not one or two, but three beans, and a whole lot of spices, tomatoes, onions. This is one eclectic fare that is actually great for all seasons

4. Spinach and chickpea soup

As discussed before, legumes are a potent source of zinc. They are also loaded with antioxidants that help fight dangerous, disease-causing free radical activity. Chickpea is one legume that is a blend of both health and flavour, combine it with another zinc-rich veggie like spinach and you have a winner

5. Almond milkshake

Almond and milk together make for a powerful zinc-rich combo. Additionally, this lush milkshake also packs the goodness of saffron and other aromatic spices like cardamom. Serve at room temperature

5 Amazing Benefits of Having Gur or Jaggery This Winter

What many don’t realise is that jaggery, more popularly known as gur, has immense health benefits to impart as well.

Representation purpose only.

It is made with sugarcane in North India; date, coconut or other palm trees in East, West and South India. Jaggery, no matter which part of India you hail from, is an integral part of our food culture. What many don’t realise is that jaggery, more popularly known as gur, has immense health benefits to impart as well.

Reaping benefits of jaggery since ancient times

In fact, as a study published in Ayurpharm - International Journal of Ayurveda and Allied Sciences in 2016 points out, Ayurveda endorses the use of jaggery for therapeutic and pharmaceutical purposes - and has done so since ancient times. This is not just because jaggery is a natural and healthy sweetener when compared to white sugar but also because its mineral content is considered to be much higher.

Jaggery is packed with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and phosphorus and even has trace amounts of zinc, copper, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. Studies suggest that jaggery has B vitamins, some amounts of plant proteins and loads of phytochemicals and antioxidants. No wonder then that eating jaggery, especially during the winter season, has many potential benefits. The following are some health benefits you can garner by including more jaggery into your diet.

1. Cleanses the whole body

According to a 2009 study in Food Chemistry, the antioxidants and minerals in jaggery give it a cytoprotective quality, meaning that not only can it clear the mucus off the lungs but also cleans the respiratory and digestive tracts from the inside out. In fact, eating jaggery at least once daily can help detox your entire body.

2. Improves digestion 

There’s a reason why jaggery is usually consumed after meals as a dessert. It stimulates the bowels and aids the release of digestive enzymes. It is also believed that jaggery is great for people who suffer from constipation and other digestive issues.

3. Prevents anemia

As mentioned before, jaggery is packed with minerals like iron and phosphorus, which aid in the production of hemoglobin in the body. For people with low-iron in their diet or at risk of developing iron-deficiency anemia, consuming jaggery is an effective preventive measure.

4. Improves immune function

Any food that’s packed with nutrients and helps detox the body is great for your immune system and so, jaggery is believed to be one of the best immune-boosting foods available to humankind. This is also the reason why jaggery is consumed more during winter when your body needs that extra immunity boost to help keep cold, flu and other diseases at bay.

5. Aids glucose control and weight loss

Jaggery is a great alternative to white sugar, which is known to increase your blood glucose levels and the risk of weight gain and obesity. Opting for jaggery as a sweetener can not only keep your blood sugar levels in check but also help you control your weight better. What’s more, jaggery can keep you feeling full for longer, which can also help you control your cravings when you’re trying to lose weight.