How to increase Water intake?
It is a well known fact that 80% of the human body is made up of water. Water is one of the most important resources on Earth, and without it, we cannot imagine life at all. It is a calorie free drink, which is the lifeline of the universe, and an essential component for the effective functioning of our body. Water helps in maintaining the internal environment of the body by the process of homeostasis. Did you know that it also helps in removing unwanted toxins from the body by the process of perspiration and urination?
Lack of water may cause constipation, asthma, allergies, and lots of other skin diseases. Every day, our body is losing water during the processes of perspiration, respiration, and excretion, so it is very important to drink plenty of water to keep your system healthy. When you drink less water, the brain takes it as a threat to survival, and starts storing more and more water, something which is manifested in the form of swollen legs, feet, and hands. Hydration, therefore, is a health mandate! However, various nutritionist ageed to the fact that they come across so many people who are not able to drink more water or are hardly drinking three glasses of water in the whole day! If you are one of those, here are a few tips which can help you increase your water intake –
1. Carry your water bottle – Always try to carry your water bottle wherever you go. This will remind you to complete your water intake.
2. Water before meals – Get into the habit of drinking at least 1 glass of water before your meals – this is a small trick that will also prevent you from overeating!
3. Water after a bathroom break – Make a habit of drinking water every time you go to take that restroom break, so you’re restocking your water stores.
4. Water app tracker – Technology can make anything possible! You can track your water intake with the help of so many free apps out there. In these apps, you can also set alarms or reminders for tracking your water intake.
5. Eat water-rich food – Add fruits and vegetables with high water content like cucumber, zucchini, watermelon etc., to your diet, and see the difference.
6. Add flavour to your water – Add lemon, cucumber, ginger, and a few mint leaves to make your water intake a more refreshing and exciting one.
7. Increase the consumption of other beverages like green tea, lemonade, sparkling water etc. Indirectly, these add to the amount of water consumed in a day.
8. Encourage every family member to get into the habit of drinking more water. Maybe you can have a whole set of colour coded bottles for each member of the family and have mini water drinking contests!
9. Dilute juices – Another method of increasing your water intake is by adding extra water to your glass of smoothie or juice. This will help you to reduce your calories and boost your water intake.
10. Last but not the least, water can help you lose fat, prevent ageing, keeps your digestive system healthy, and your skin glowing! So, if you want all these benefits, then make it a point to keep drinking plenty of water.
NOTE: THE EXACT WATER INTAKE VARIES FROM PERSON TO PERSON DEPENDING UPON THEIR AGE, HEIGHT, WEIGHT, MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS.