“Dig a well before you are thirsty.” — Mencius
Many of us probably suspect we should be drinking more water, especially in cold and dry Canberra. Dehydration this time of year can be especially subtle and you’re often dehydrated long before you even feel the thirst. Like anything else, drinking water throughout the day is a habit that needs forming. So here are some creative habit-tweaking tips to make all that water go down easier.
1) Bookend your drinking
If you’re running off your feet for most of the day, then maybe try shifting the bulk of your day’s water intake to the start and end of your go-go-go hours — especially after you wake up. Take a huge guzzle (>500ml, if you can!) straight after you wake up for an immediate detox and to top up your water loss while you were sleeping.
2) Find it in your food
Don’t forget: your total water needs include ALL fluids such as tea, coffee, juices, and yes — food. Veggies with high water content include cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce.
3) BYO straw
You actually tend to swallow more each time you drink from a straw compared to when you sip directly from the bottle. It’s also about accessibility: having a glass of water at your desk (as opposed to a bottle) means that water is within easier reach each time.
4) Alternate your beverages
For every mug of tea, you should really be trying to counter it with two glasses of water. Change it up! Alternate your caffeinated beverages with a tall glass of water each time and you’ll reach your liquid goals before you know it.
5) Make it interesting
There are heaps of phone apps now that will calculate how much liquids you should be drinking based on your weight and age. They’ll ding you with gusto and frequency so you can remember to drink and log. (I set mine to go off every hour.) Also, try adding sugar-free infusers to your water. Maybe a squeeze of lemon. Or use sparkling water instead and pour it all into your prettiest Martini glass.
You could drink it in your house.
You could drink it off your blouse.
You could use your poshest glass.
(You’ll be la-di-da and Class!)
You could knock back in one go.
You could take it really slow.
You could have your coffee too
(With your naughty choc fondue…)
Then return to drink some more —
Make it two, then make it four.
You could drink it here and there.
You could drink it anywhere!
You do so like your water, no?
Well, thanks for reading — off you go.
