Drinking more can lead to weight loss, clearer skin, more energy, better brain function, and more.

We know all this. 

Maybe you have challenged yourself to drink more water every day. I have. Several times.

You hear “Eight glasses of a day” as if that is the golden rule for how much water you should drink. And what size are these glasses? Eight ounces is the typical answer. So that is eight cups of water a day. 64 ounces or ½ a gallon or almost a 2-liter bottle.

That is a lot.

Water is my primary beverage. I have a cup of hot, plain tea in the morning and the rest of the day I drink plain or sparkling water. 

But it isn’t even near eight cups a day. I’d be surprised if it was even half that amount. 

I don’t want you to get caught up in a specific number of something. Trying to consume eight glasses of water a day seems like a set up for failure in my book. 

But if you are one of those who likes to know the numbers, here is the answer to how much water you should have day…

There isn’t one. That is what the CDC says.

What?!?!

According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, adequate daily fluid intake is about 15.5 cups for men and about 11.5 cups for women. These recommendations cover fluids from water, other beverages, and food. 

It still sounds like a lot. 

Overall, I am sure we agree water is important and we could benefit from having more and staying well hydrated.

Our busy lives make it challenging to get more water every day. So here are 5 tips to keep yourself hydrated in your busy day.

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables. This seems like the answer to many things. In general, fruits and veggies are high in water content. Watermelon and greens are a top choice for helping stay hydrated.
2. Avoid salty foods. The higher the salt content the more water your body needs to offset the sodium in the bloodstream. You may typically think of snack foods as high in sodium but most prepared and packaged foods are, too.
3. Drink mostly water or sparkling water. Sounds a little like “duh, of course!”. But take an evaluation of what you drink during the day. If it’s several cups of coffee, a few cans of soda, or a couple glasses of sweet tea, work on making a switch. Substitute some water or sparkling water for each of those servings. 
4. Keep water with you. Keeping water next to you or at least within sight at all times eliminates the tedious step of having to go get it. If it is easily available, you are more likely to drink more and be reminded to drink more. 
5. Set up a reminder or prompt. Set an alarm on your phone or use a hydration app to give you a reminder to drink some water. You could also pick a prompt or an anchor event to help with the habit. When I go do this action, I will drink water. For example, I used an anchor event when I was working as a nurse. When I needed to go to the bathroom, before I did, I had to drink water. I can definitely tell you that those days working as a nurse, were the most hydrated I’ve ever been. My co-workers probably wondered why I took so many bathroom breaks. 

If improving your daily hydration level is a habit you want to develop, I’d encourage you to create a game plan focusing on just one week at a time to set yourself up for success. Start small and build.

Cheers (with water, of course) to a hydrated life. And excuse me while I go use the restroom.