How To Drink More Water – 8 Signs You Are Dehydrated

There is so much health advice out there nowadays, however one thing everyone can agree on is the importance of drinking more water. Most people need 90-125 ounces a day. But if you’re like me it’s not so easy to implement that into daily habits.

I know it’s strange but, I’m not a huge fan of the taste of water, and with my ADHD I tend to forget about things like hydrating myself. If you’re reading this article, you can probably relate in some way. Over the years I’ve figured out little tricks that have helped me and that can help you too!

But how do you know if you aren’t hydrating enough?

I’m going to go through many of the signs that you are lacking some H20 to illustrate why we need water, and the importance of hydrating. Knowing the benefits can definitely help get you on track.

Then we’ll go through the extra tips and tricks on adding water into your daily routine.

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8 SIGNS YOU AREN’T DRINKING ENOUGH WATER – How does water help you?

1. Headaches – Lack of water makes your blood thicker. This leads to many problems like high-blood pressure. The thicker blood cannot carry as much oxygen to you brain. Not only oxygen but other nutrients which can lead to problems from trouble concentrating to intense, painful headaches.

• Tummy Problems – Water promotes a healthy digestive system making a smooth passage for your food, and also keeps your stool soft making it easier to go to the restroom. When you are dehydrated it can cause you to be constipated and make digestion an uncomfortable and long process.

• Fatigue – Water helps all of your bodily functions. So when you don’t get enough of it your body conserves it’s energy. This will leave you feeling sluggish and sleepy even with a good night’s rest.

• Dark Stinky Urine – When you drink water it filters through your kidneys. Your kidneys help flush toxins from your body. When you don’t drink enough, your kidneys will contain a more concentrated amount of toxins. This causes your urine to be darker and smell worse. Not only your urine, but also your sweat. Low H20 = Very Bad B.O.

• Bad Breath – Drinking water helps your salivary glands produce more saliva. This helps rinse away bacteria in your mouth. When you’re dehydrated it aids bacteria growth in your gums and in between your teeth, causing bad breath.

• Sugar Cravings – Water helps your body produce energy from its glucose stores. Without it your body will try and get it’s fix by sending hunger signals to you, particularly in the sugar department. This can lead to many other issues including skin problems, weight gain, and tooth decay.

• Joint Pain – Our cartilage is made up of 80% water! Dehydrated cartilage leads to bones uncomfortably pressing together causing aches and pains in your muscles and joints.

• Bad skin – Water flushes toxins out of your system. Without it that build up can lead to acne. Dehydrated skin also becomes dull and flakey. By keeping your body hydrated, you keep your skin hydrated! This gives you a brighter smoother complexion while also preventing premature fine lines and wrinkles.

HOW TO ADD WATER IN YOUR DAILY ROUTINE

1. Add flavors. As I said before, I personally don’t like the taste of water. This makes it very hard to drink it with consistency. Adding something like crystal light or even just a squeeze of lime can make all the difference. This also gives you the options to add vitamins and minerals to your water making it even better for you.

• Buy a BIG daily water bottle. Having your daily water intake in one big jug can help keep your goal on your mind, and help you keep better track! 

BUY HERE: Gallon Daily Water Bottle

• Track with an app. There are so many apps out there that can help you track your water intake. My personal favorite is Plant Nanny. When you drink and record it on the app, it waters your virtual plant and help it grow. When you don’t the plant will slowly dry up and die. I don’t know why but even when I don’t care about hydrating myself, I feel bad about letting the plant die!

• Attach it to a part of your routine. Routine helps me a lot with my ADHD. That’s why I started drinking water when I’m making my morning coffee. The act of drinking coffee helps remind me to drink water.I also make myself drink a glass of water in between each cup of coffee I drink. I’m a big coffee drinker so this added a good amount of water into my morning routine as well. Add a glass in the morning and one at night. Add a glass before every meal. Whatever is easiest with your daily living habits.

• Eat it. Adding foods into your diet with high water content counts toward your daily water intake! I’ve made a huge list of high-hydration foods that you can add to your diet to help that you can find posted here on my blog!
• Set a reminder. Sometimes I simply forget. It’ll be the end of the day and I’ll suddenly realize that I’ve only had coffee and soda to drink. Which does hydrate to some extent, but it doesn’t give you everything you need. Adding a reminder in the evening on my phone is perfect on those days when I let it slip my mind. It also helps that iPhone reminders stay on your phone until you check it off.

Help show up as your best self by staying hydrated!

Hopefully one or one of these tips resonates you and helps you with the extra push you need to add more water into your daily routine. Also, perhaps an answer to the reason you weren’t feeling the best that you could be.

Leave a comment if one of these tips worked for you, or if you have one of your own that you would like to share! 

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