Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Drink Sufficient Water

By Ethan O. Tanner

You probably know that it is important to drink adequate water. A minimum of 8 glasses of water a day is suggested. This is a number to strive for to improve your health and well being. You should aim for more if it is genuinely hot, or you are sweating a lot and working out. Getting enough water in your body will keep you from getting dehydrated.

According to WEB-MD the early signs of dehydration are increased thirst, sticky saliva and xerostomia, and reduced urine output with dark yellow urine. You may also experience head ache and a lack of energy. None of these sound very amusing. I know it is hard sometimes to drink that much water; particularly when sodas and coffee tempt us. However, to stay healthy and feel eager, we should strive to drink those eight glasses of water a day.

Keep a Log of your water intake to meet your minimal water intake goals. This can be as simple as a small piece of paper on the fridge, or a page in your day planner. Just make a little check-mark, or dash on the piece of paper every time you drink a glass of water. The log will help you keep track of how much water you have had in any given day. You'll also be surprised how motivating it is to try to get those eight little check marks on there every day. Another idea would be to use little stickers instead.

Fetch some lemon juice to your water will add a soft zip to the taste. I tend to get bored with drinking just water after a few days. Change things up and add a little flavor by adding a teaspoon or less of lemon to your water. You can also try some other fruit juices. Just make sure enough you are still drinking mainly water. Just a splash of juice should be enough to make things interesting and give the water some flavor without adding too much sugar and calories.

Try to also drink some carbonated water if you are looking for some frothiness. If you are craving the fizz of a soda, try some Club Soda. Most brands have a bit too much sparkle for me. I finish up watering them down with - guess what - water. Whenever you want to get really fancy, check your local grocery for flavored club sodas. As an alternative, you can also add a splash of fruit crush to your watered down club soda.

Try out on drinking water when you feel empty. This trick will not only help with fluid levels, it will also help with weight control. Unluckily, many of us have gotten so out of tune with our bodies that we feel hungry when we are actually thirsty. If you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water first. You may just be thirsty.

Take a water bottle is an excellent habit to practice and promote. It is much easier to drink water when you induce it and readily available. Pack a bottle of water around with you in the car, at work, while running errands, in the yard, and even while you are working around the house. You'll be sipping away the water without even noticing it.

Create a point you drink a few extra glasses of water if you exercise, or if you spend some time outside while it's hot. Your body uses and needs more water when it sweats a lot. So do not forget to fill back up on water during and after your exercise.Just pay attention to how much you drink and implement some of these ideas if you don't get the recommended eight glasses of water a day. Your body will thank you for it in the long run.

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