Sarah Blooms.

Drinking the recommended amount of water every day can be a struggle, but these top tips to help you drink more water every day will make the process so much easier!

Hydration is extremely important to your health. Thankfully, drinking enough water is one of the easiest ways to improve your health.

Why should you drink more water?

Drinking more water can make you feel great and energized, aids digestion, improves immunity, clears and hydrates skin, reduces hunger, helps you lose weight, and more!

How much water should you drink?

If you do a Google search for this question, you’ll see that most experts can’t agree on recommendations for water intake.

I’ve seen recommendations anywhere from eight 8-ounce glasses of water to a whole gallon of water (and even more!) per day.

I would say the baseline for a healthy, nourished person is about eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day, but you also want to be sure not to drink too much water (more on that below).

The National Academy of Medicine recommends science-based daily total water intake amounts.

Since 20% of that total comes from food, here’s the 80% we need from fluids:

• Women: 9 cups
• Men: 12.5 cups
• Pregnant women: 10 cups
• Breastfeeding women: 13 cups

If you sweat a lot during your workouts or eat a lot of salty foods (not recommended), you may need to increase that amount.

You want your urine to be clear with a slight yellow tinge to it. If it’s bright yellow, you’re not drinking enough water.

Do other liquids count?

That also depends on who you ask. I’ve seen nutritionists say that any liquid, including diuretics like coffee and tea, should count toward your daily water consumption.

Since tea and coffee have a diuretic effect (i.e. can make you lose water through urination), I recommend only including water in your daily hydration totals.

By limiting caffeinated drinks and replacing them with water, you can cut a significant number of stimulants from your daily routine.

Many people report more energy by simply replacing coffee, tea, and energy drinks with water throughout the day.

Looking for more ways to get more energy? Check out 12 Natural Ways to Increase Your Energy Naturally.

The choice is yours, but to ensure I get my daily water requirements, I only count water and think of other liquids as a bonus.

Especially if you don’t drink much water now, you may find it difficult to get your daily recommended water intake every day. The following tips will make drinking more water a breeze.

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Can You Drink Too Much Water?

Technically, yes, you can drink too much water, but in a typical day, it’s highly unlikely.

When you drink too much water, your kidneys can’t get rid of the excess water, and the sodium content of your blood becomes diluted.

This is called hyponatremia, and it can be life-threatening. Drinking too much water is rarely a problem for healthy, well-nourished adults.

Athletes occasionally may drink too much water in an attempt to prevent dehydration during long or intense exercise, which is why you may see cases of hyponatremia at intense athletic events, such as marathons.

Symptoms of hyponatremia include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Headache
• Confusion
• Loss of energy, drowsiness, and fatigue
• Restlessness and irritability
• Muscle weakness, spasms, or cramps
• Seizures
• Coma

Seek emergency care for anyone who develops severe signs and symptoms of hyponatremia, such as nausea and vomiting, confusion, seizures, or loss of consciousness.

Call your doctor if you know you are at risk of hyponatremia and are experiencing nausea, headaches, cramping or weakness.

Depending on the extent and duration of these signs and symptoms, your doctor may recommend seeking immediate medical care.

Painless Ways to Drink More Water Every Day

1. Start Your Day with Water

Drink a big glass of water every morning within an hour of waking to start your day off right. You just fasted for 7+ hours while you were sleeping, so your body may be getting a little dehydrated.

Drinking water first thing in the morning has many benefits, including jump-starting your metabolism, aiding weight loss, improving cognitive function, and helping you eat less for your first meal of the day.

Add some lemon juice to your water for flavor and to help cleanse your digestive system.

2. Store Water in the Fridge

Keep a jug of water in your fridge to ensure you have ice cold water on hand at all times. I can’t tell you how much this has helped me increase my water intake, and it’s so easy!

I fill a big reusable glass jug with tap water, then keep it in the fridge so the water is always nice and cool. Glass jugs are better for the environment and reduce plastic waste.

If you decide to go with plastic jugs, just make sure to replace them regularly. Studies show that reusing plastic bottles and jugs can cause the plastic to break down and release harmful chemicals, including carcinogens.

Replace plastic bottles and jugs as soon as you see signs of wear and tear, such as cracks, scratches, etc.

3. Invest in a Filter.

Don’t like the taste of your tap water? Buy a faucet filter or pitcher to remove contaminants in your water to make your tap water taste fresh and clean!

Filters are more cost-effective than bottled water, and they’re better for the planet.

4. Flavor Your Water

Add fresh or frozen fruits, veggies, and herbs like berries, lemon or lime juice, sliced cucumbers, mint, and citrus fruits to your water to add flavor without a lot of extra calories.

Whole fruits are healthier than juices, since they contain less sugar and more fiber to help keep you satiated and blood sugar levels balanced.

5. Choose Sparkling or Mineral Water

When you’re craving something fizzy, opt for a fizzy water over sugar-laden sodas. Add a squeeze of lime juice, and it’s basically like drinking a fancy mocktail.

Save money over time by making your own sparkling water at home with a SodaStream.

6. Use a Reusable Bottle

Carry water in a reusable bottle with you wherever you go, so you won’t be tempted to grab a soda or latte when you’re out and about.

Bonus: You’ll save money refilling a reusable bottle with tap water versus buying bottled water or soda.

7. Track Your Water Intake

Recording your water consumption every day in your food journal or health and fitness app can help you reach your daily goals. This way, you can look at your tracker throughout the day and know exactly how much water you have left to drink.

Get a daily hydration tracker FREE when you sign up for the Sarah Blooms Weekly Wellness Email Newsletter.

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8. Eat Hydrating Foods

Water-rich foods like watermelon (92% water), grapefruit (91% water), cucumber (96% water), and zucchini (95% water) could toward your water intake, too.

9. Drink Before Every Meal

Studies show that drinking about 16 ounces of water 30 minutes before a meal can help you eat less, which, in turn, can aid weight loss efforts. It also ensures your hunger isn’t just dehydration, which can have similar physical symptoms.

10. Keep Refilling

You probably feel pretty proud of yourself when you finish a glass of water (and you should!), especially if you struggle to get the recommended intake every day.

But don’t stop there.

When you empty a glass of water, fill it back up again. If you have water close at hand, you’ll be more likely to keep drinking.

11. Add Ice

Sneak some extra water into all your cold beverages by filling your glass with ice. Just four large ice cubes equal about 1/2 cup of water.

12. Set Hourly Goals and Reminders

Try to spread out your water intake throughout the day, instead of chugging it at night to meet your daily hydration goals. If you struggle to remember to drink during the day, set alarms on your cell phone to remind you to drink regularly.

Divide your water intake goal by hours you’re awake and active, and drink some water every hour to make drinking water less of a chore.

Spreading out your water intake will make your body feel more balanced and can increase energy levels, too.

13. drink during workouts

Replace the sweat lost during intense workouts by carrying a water bottle with you and drinking regularly throughout your workout.

Drinking during a workout can give you more energy and help you work out longer.

Just be sure not to drink too much water at once, which could potentially upset your stomach, especially during activity.

14. Dilute Sugary Drinks

Can’t go without your favorite sweet drinks? Dilute sugary drinks like fruit juice and sweetened iced tea with water and ice. This can also help as you wean yourself off sugar and get used to drinking plain water.

15. Drink a Glass of Water with Every Pill

Make it a habit to drink a full glass of water with every pill and supplement you take.

16. Eat Spicy Foods

Eating more spicy foods is a surprising (and tasty!) way to sneak additional water into your day.

When eating spicy foods, you probably drink lots of water to cool off. If you enjoy spicy foods as much as I do, consider adding them to your diet at least a few times a week.

17. Replace Your Water

Every time you go to the bathroom, replenish water lost by drinking a tall glass of water right before or after you go.

18. Drink Before Bed

To make sure you don’t feel thirsty overnight, drink a glass of water right before bed, or enjoy a mug of hot water with a bit of honey as a relaxing nightly ritual.

19. Follow the 1-to-1 Rule

You’ve probably heard of the 1-to-1 rule to stay hydrated while drinking alcohol. For every alcoholic beverage, you drink a glass of water.

Since hangover symptoms are mainly caused by dehydration, this rule can make you feel better the next day, too.

I also recommend following this rule for caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea, since these beverages are diuretics, which may cause mild dehydration.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you can drink as much alcohol as you want.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, moderate alcohol consumption is defined as having up to 1 drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks per day for men.

You should also watch portion sizes carefully, since many of us tend to underestimate the ounces in a drink.

A standard drink is equal to 14.0 grams (0.6 ounces) of pure alcohol. Generally, this amount of pure alcohol is found in

• 12 ounces of beer (5% alcohol content).
• 8 ounces of malt liquor (7% alcohol content).
• 5 ounces of wine (12% alcohol content).
• 1.5 ounces or a “shot” of 80-proof (40% alcohol content) distilled spirits or liquor (e.g. gin, rum, vodka, whiskey).

20. Reward Yourself

Make a rule that if you hit your goal every day for a week, you reward yourself with a special (preferably healthy) treat. Maybe after you’ve hit all your water goals for a month or two or six, you reward yourself with something even more significant.

Sure, hydration and the health benefits of water are their own reward, but treating yourself once in a while can give you some much-needed motivation.

Drinking more water can have a wonderful impact on your overall health and wellness, increase your immunity, fight hunger, help you lose weight, and more!

These Top 20 Tips to Drink More Water Every Day can make transitioning to a healthier lifestyle and increasing your hydration so much easier!

Once you form a habit, drinking loads of fresh, cool water each and every day will become second nature!

What do you think of My Favorite Ways to Drink More Water Every Day? Will these quick and easy tips help you increase your intake?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

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