If there is only one decision you make toward living a healthier lifestyle it should be to drink more water. If you do nothing different in your life but drink more water you will experience a multitude of health benefits. The human adult body is made up of 65% water on average. It only takes losing 1 % of that water to impair memory and cause fatigue. At 3% water loss your body becomes dehydrated and thirst signals are sent to the brain. Water is necessary for our bodies to perform everyday functions such as metabolism, digestion, regulating body temperature, sending messages between cells and a whole lot more. Here are 5 more reasons to drink more water and 5 ways to increase your water intake today.

5 reasons why you should drink more water and 5 ways to really do it @dapperhouse

5 Reasons to Drink Enough Water

  1. Detox – Waste inside our bodies is filtered and secreted with water. Not enough water in our bodies means more toxins building up in our cells and systems. Are you feeling tired, cranky or ill? Have problems with headaches or constipation? These are all signs that your body needs more water to cleanse and purify itself.
  2. Get Energized – Water in the blood carries nutrients and oxygen to all parts of the body. Too little water means that your body is not getting what it needs. It also means that your muscles, organs, bones and mood will suffer. Drinking enough water throughout the day will increase your stamina and overall feeling of well-being by delivering the healthy, oxygenated blood to your whole body
  3. Healthy kidneys and bladder – when your body has enough water moving through it, toxins an pass easily through the kidneys and bladder. When water in the body is scarce, kidney stones and urinary tract infections are more common. You can prevent many sicknesses just by drinking water.
  4. Have less joint pain – by giving your body the amount of water it needs to produce lubrication. Joints have to stay hydrated to function properly and pain free. Glucosamine  works by causing the cartilage to increase water absorption so if you are taking this supplement you especially need to be sure that you are drinking enough water.
  5.  Maintain a healthy weight – Of course we have heard this many times, but are we drinking enough water to really see the rewards on the scale? Drinking water absolutely curbs cravings. Our bodies can confuse hunger with dehydration which causes us to eat more. Drinking water in place of high calorie beverages is not just a healthier choice but also reduces a lot of calories in a day. Having our bodies function at optimal health with the right amount of water makes us more active and motivated to move.

Now that you know why you should be drinking more water, how are you supposed to make sure that you are hydrating all throughout the day? First you need to know how much water you should be drinking. You can use the standard 8 glasses a day method to be safe and healthy but if you want to know more specifically how much water your body needs you can do a little math and find out. Calculate Your Weight  Divided by 2 = number of ounces needed per day. *For men it is an average of 13 cups and for women an ave of 9 cups. This increases when temperature and activity increases.

5 Tips to Drink More Water

Go buy a new water bottle that is special to you and only for your water. This will greatly signify your new healthy habit. Make sure that this water bottle has the features that fit your lifestyle. There are many different types and styles of water bottles and you should take these into consideration when deciding. Do you want a detachable lid? One that has a diffuser inside to add fruit to your water? One with a filter if you have to refill from the tap?  One that fits in the cup holder of your car? There is a lot to consider.

Mark the outside of your water bottle with a permanent marker or tape. Start with an empty bottle and add a cup (or 8 oz) at a time. Each time you add another cup, mark it on the bottle. Then try to drink to each line once every hour and especially before meals. This will help you space out your water intake the way your body needs it. (Make sure to drink more water when you are hot, active and thirsty). How to drink more water each day by measuring on your water bottle and drinking each hour @dapperhouse

Having a day that you really just can’t drink another glass? Try eating some small restaurant ice cubes, popsicles made of Natural fruit juice (mostly water and no corn syrup) or fresh fruit high in water content like melon, berries and citrus. Need something warmer? Make a broth soup, cup of tea or hot water with lemon and honey.

If you think that water is boring, find ways to make it fun and flavorful. There are many options from traditional lemons to gourmet muddled sage and strawberries. Most every store carries different varieties of flavor packets that you add to water or use a built in diffuser for fresh taste. You can make these fresh mint ice cubes too.

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Make it public. Tell the people in your office to do the challenge with you. Post a status on twitter or facebook everyday with how many cups you drank that day. Take an instagram selfie of you drinking your water every day for a week or so while you create the new, healthy habit!