Staying hydrated throughout the day is undoubtedly necessary, but it’s easy to slack off and not meet the daily recommended water intake, which is between 11-15 cups. And while water is the most efficient way to keep you hydrated throughout the day, there are definitely instances where you can spice it up. So in an effort to make sure we are all meeting our daily water requirement, we’re going to look at fun ways to keep you hydrated all day long.
The first fun way to keep you hydrated is by making a game out of the process. I am absolute trash at math, but I believe 15 cups in a 24 hour period equals out to a little more than half a cup per hour. However, with sleep on average taking up more than 6 hours of our days, we have to get a little hasty with our water drinking. In order to guzzle down 15 cups in a 12 hour period, you have to make sure you stay disciplined enough to drink a cup and some change for nearly every hour that you’re awake.
And of course, you can break this down into any way you please, you can have it set up where you make sure that you drink three cups of water at five different points in the day, or maybe you just want to crush all 15 cups once you wake up. But whatever formula you choose, just remember that the point is always to beat the clock and to hold yourself to a schedule. Prove that you can handle the challenge of drinking at least 15 cups of water a day, and let any additional methods that keep you hydrated be a bit of extra credit.
Some of us might have a love for coconut water or aloe water, which claims that it is even more hydrating than water while providing a taste that isn’t so plain. And whether or not that’s true I don’t know, all I can say is that for me personally nothing beats good ole vanilla H2O, but there are alternative options out there. For people like me who don’t necessarily want extra sugar or any weird texture associated with our water consumption, the opportunity also exists to infuse regular water with different fruits or vegetables. We’ve all had cucumber or citrus water, and that little extra zest of flavor is sometimes enough to make the task of drinking water more exhilarating than usual.
When it comes to obtaining extra hydration from sources that aren’t just a variation of water, nothing comes close to providing the satisfaction that fruit does. While eating fruit to keep you hydrated, you’re also getting a decent dose of vitamins and antioxidants, which will never be considered as a negative thing.
There are plenty of fruits that boast a high water content, but we’ll just take a look at the top three which are watermelon, strawberries, and cantaloupe, they each have over 90% water content.
When you look at these three, right away it’s evident that strawberries would be the hardest to load up on water-wise just due to there small size, but they are refreshing and delicious none the less, and the goal isn’t to obtain all your hydration through fruits.
Watermelon, on the other hand, I feel it can keep you hydrated throughout an entire day. I’m not sure what the conversion rate would be, like how much water one slice of watermelon would equal out to. Still, I do know that I’ve eaten an entire Tupperware filled with watermelon, and afterward, I felt bloated beyond belief, it was as if I’d just chugged three bottles of water. And with the fruit being called watermelon I get that it is pretty much just water, it’s not like I’m discovering anything new, but it’s still a great item to add into your diet just to make sure you’re giving your body what it needs on a daily basis.
Having some sort of routine where water is involved is a great way to make sure you’re reaching a hydration goal. Whether that is chugging a bottle of water after a workout or drinking a few glasses before a walk, incorporating it into a ritual can be extremely helpful. Me personally, once I wake up, I chug half a bottle of water and then pour my vitamins and supplements into the remaining half, which I then chug. In doing this, I’ve just taken all of my vitamins for the day, and I’ve already knocked out two of the 15 daily recommend cups of water, which is not a bad start.
While there is method upon method that works so well to hydrate us throughout the day, there are just as many out there working against us. If you don’t want your efforts towards hydration to be in vain, then there are a few things you will want to avoid, or at least double up on water after consuming them.
On the food side, it’s salt, anything you eat that is salty is working against all the hydration you’ve done for a day by literally sucking it out of you. We’ve all consumed copious amounts of french fries in our lifetime. Therefore, we are all familiar with how your mouth turns into a desert after doing so.
On the side of the liquid, it’s coffee, sugary drinks, and alcohol, all of these are diuretics that actively work to remove water from the body. And it’s not that you have to avoid these things at all costs, it’s just that if you do indulge, make sure to compensate for what you’ve lost, that way you’re not walking around with a dry mouth, a headache, and peeing out golden yellow unpleasantness.
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