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Water Sports  » Are You Drinking Enough Water?

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.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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

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feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water first. You may just

be thirsty.

5. 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.

6. 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.

About the author:

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/sample-newsletter-signup.html