Drink more water!

I thought this cool weather might be a good time to remind everyone how important is to be adequately hydrated. In summer it’s a little easier to drink enough water, but when the temperature drops, so does the amount of water we drink (usually).

Sometimes I will ask a client how much water they are drinking each day, and while I’m always grateful for an honest answer – I’m often horrified at the very low amount!! HORRIFIED!!

So if we’re talking a goal or 2-3 litres per day, 500ml is just not enough!! Neither is replacing water with diet soft drink or juice and thinking that’s a fair swap – yes, I have heard that one!

I’ve always said that drinking enough water each day is pretty much a part-time job…. I don’t enjoy drinking water, the amount we need seems excessive, but knowing the wonderful health benefits, and the many negative effects of being de-hydrated, it keeps me drinking bottle after bottle on a daily basis.

Here’s some tips to get more water in your day:

Firstly, don’t only drink water when you’re thirsty – this makes it too hard to get enough water- and often by this stage your body is already somewhat dehydrated

Don’t sip, you need to practise throwing a whole bottle or glass down in one shot – sipping will never get you there.

Get yourself a good BPA-free water bottle which holds 1-2 litres, that way you can track what you’ve had and you know you need to get through 1-2 of those each day (depending on the size of your bottle)

Don’t count your workout bottle as part of your daily total – write that off as replacing the sweat you’ve lost during your workout

Have your bottle near you all day, don’t go anywhere without it!

Have a 300ml glass or half a bottle before each meal – this will fill you up a little and can help suppress appetite, as well as helping to get your daily quota

When the days are cool, I add a little bit of water from the kettle, just to take the edge off – works wonders for me 🙂

I know lots of people who add some lemon or lime juice to their water, makes it a little easier to drink if you’re really not a fan or water on its own

Just a note – breastfeeding, caffeine and alcohol consumption requires an extra intake of water.

Make drinking enough water a priority in your day, and when you get into a good routine it’s much easier to stay on track – like everything else!!

The best and easiest way to make sure you’re well hydrated is to check the colour of your wee – the clearer the better!!

So go and find yourself a bottle you can use and keep it with you…… it will become your new best friend!! (and never go too far from a toilet)!

Have a great day!

Paula