You’ve probably heard the common recommendation of drinking six to eight, eight oz. glasses of water each day, but the reality is that the average American drinks a mere two and a half cups of water per day.
Although it’s not always easy, drinking a sufficient amount of water is important. Drinking water is essential to replace the large amount of water our bodies lose each day. Water boosts immune function, brain function and it aides in relieving and preventing headaches.
Given these important health benefits, it’s easy to see why we should all be drinking more water. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you may think.
Infuse
Drinking plain water can quickly become boring. An easy fix? Add your favorite flavors in order to motivate yourself to keep on hydrating. Adding mint leaves, cucumber, strawberries or lemon can take your water to the next level. You’ll find yourself reaching for water twice as much as you do now. Some of our favorite recipes? VALLEY suggests raspberry mint, orange kiwi or strawberry basil.
Plan Ahead
It’s easy to say you’re going to drink eight cups of water each and every day. Yet suddenly, it’s 10 p.m. and you realize you’ve consumed a mere 24 ounces of water throughout the day. In order to fix this minor issue, plan it out and space it out. Vow to drink one cup before breakfast, two before lunch, three before dinner and two with or after dinner. Planning ahead makes the uphill battle of drinking water easier and not quite as daunting. By the time 10 p.m. rolls around, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by your nearly super-human ability of drinking a full eight glasses of water each day.
Apps
Sometimes, we all need a reminder. There are plenty of apps available to help keep you on track. Plant Nanny is a cute and fun way to not only remind you to drink water, but also to keep you motivated as well. After answering some questions about yourself, Plant Nanny gives you a suggestion as to how much water you should be drinking each day. Then, you pick a plant to take care of. Every time you drink a cup of water, you water the plant in order to keep it alive.
If you’re looking for an app that’s more to the point, My Water is the way to go. This app also reminds you to drink water and it suggests how much you should be drinking each day as well. You can even set intervals for the app to remind you at certain times of the day to stay hydrated, and you earn awards along the way.
Have a tip we forgot? Tweet us @VALLEYmag to let us know!
