Kitchen and Cooking Tips
Are You Drinking Enough Water?
You probably already know that it’s
important to drink enough water. A minimum of eight glasses of water a day is
recommended. You should aim for more if it is really hot, or you are working out
and sweating a lot. Getting enough water in your body will prevent you from
getting dehydrated. According to WEBMD the early signs of dehydration are
increased thirst, dry mouth, sticky saliva and reduced urine output with dark
yellow urine. You may also experience a lack of energy and a headache.
None of these sound very fun. I know it is
hard sometimes to drink that much water; especially when sodas and coffee tempt
us. However, to stay healthy and feel great, we should strive to drink those
eight glasses of water a day.
Here are a few tips to help you remember to
drink the water, and to make it a little more pleasant or interesting.
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Keep a Log
This can be as simple
as a little piece of paper on the fridge, or a page in your day planner. Just
make a little checkmark, 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 checkmarks on there every day. Another idea would be to use
little stickers instead.
-
Add Some Lemon Juice
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 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 a lot of sugar and calories.
-
Try Some Club Soda
If you are craving
the fizz of a soda, try some Club Soda. Most brands have a little too much fizz
for me. I end up watering them down with – guess what – water. If you want to
get really fancy, check your local grocery store for flavored club sodas.
Alternatively, you can also add a splash of fruit juice to your watered down
club soda.
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Drink Some Water When You Feel Hungry
Unfortunately 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.
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Carry A Water Bottle
It’s much easier to
drink water when you have it readily available. Carry 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.
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Drink More If You Are Working Out
We already touched on
this, but it bears repeating. Make sure you drink a few extra glasses of water
if you work out, or if you spend some time outside while it’s hot. Your body
uses and needs more water when it sweats a lot. So don’t 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.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Susanne Myers together with Christine
Steendahl, owns and publishes the Healthy Menu Mailer. Each week, we provide you
with 7 dinner recipes. Sign up for a free sample menu at
http://www.healthymenumailer.com
