Drink More Water

The topic of the week seems to be drinking water. Almost all the PFCs I've done, were people who only drank 2 or 3 glasses of water a day, and sometimes less. The benefits of their water were also cancelled out by over consumption of caffeinated drinks. Recently, I noticed a friend's status on facebook was also about drinking water so I decided to write a bit on this hot topic.

I empathize with those of you who don't feel thirsty, or don't like the taste of water (or lack there of) because drinking enough water has been an on going goal of mine as well. In the past few years I've found some tricks that help a bit:

1. Start small (literally) and Carry a water bottle with you.
At first I hated carrying a water bottle around because it was heavy, clunky and I always forgot it everytime I put it down. Then I decided to buy a nifty stainless steel bottle (to avoid BPA of course) that was half the size of most regular water bottles (probably 300mL). Initially I chose small because it was less heavy. I also found another benefit to small water bottles: mastery!! When I carry larger water bottles around, I rarely finish the whole thing. At the end of the day it still has that last little bit in the bottom - the "stale" water. But if I use a small water bottle, I finish it all and can easily refill it, keeping the water fresh, and increasing my motivation to drink it. Having a water with me all the time reminds me to drink it. Graduating to a bigger bottle seems easier once you get in the habit.

2. If you don't like the taste - flavour it!
For some people, like me, drinking plain old water is reserved for times of extreme thirst. I wish this wasn't the case (or do I?) but because it is a barrier to drinking more water for alot of people, I suggest adding a bit of flavour. Some ways this can be accomplished is to put some lemon, lime, or orange slices in the bottom of your water bottle (or in your water jug in the fridge) to get a suttle citrus taste. I've seen mint leaves used as well which is quite refreshing. I've also SEEN, although I am hesitant to try, the use of essential oils (a few drops for flavour).

Another option is to add an electrolyte or vitamin mix to your water that will make it taste good.I really like Rev3 energy packs (they taste like ice tea but do not have sugar). Unfortunately they're a bit expensive so I reserve them for times when my motivation begins to slide. Frequently I add Vega-sport drink mix to my water (just a tad for taste!). It can be found at most health food stores, and it's made of good stuff. They have acai and lime flavour, both which I recommend trying. The lime mix tastes even better when mixed with Emergen-C , a vitamin C supplement that comes in several flavours. Diluted gatorade is yummy when you're going to be doing exercise. Of course, these drink mixes are orginally intended for electrolyte replacement after vigorous exercise so use in moderation.

3. Some like it Cold.
If you like your water to be cold, a trick many athletes use is to fill water bottles ahead of time and put them in the freezer. Grab your water bottle from the freezer before you leave (write yourself a note if necessary to remind yourself). It will melt slowly through out the day, providing you with fresh cold water the entire day. If you're going to be somewhere quite cool the whole day, make sure you take your water bottle out ahead of time so it can melt a bit before hand.

4. Baby steps!
Don't try drinking 3L a day starting now because it will be overwhelming and you'll probably only do it for 2 days before deciding it's too hard and quitting. Once you start drinking at least alittle more water each day you'll start recognizing when your body is thirsty. Most people are walking around in a constant state of dehydration, especially in places like Calgary where it's very dry most of the time. Dehydration reduces your ability to lose weight and/or perform physically and mentally (affects your mental processes such as making decisions and solving problems efficiently). Whatever your goal may be, drinking more water will benefit you!

But what about that person who died from drinking too much? Hyperhydration is what happens when you go nuts and drink so much water you mess up your blood pressure. This will likely never happen to you unless you sit down and chug a few liters of water. People who need to be weary of this are athletes who worry about hydration such as runners, or people who decide that testing how much water they can drink in one sitting would be a good idea. Drinking anough water through out the day will not kill you - at all. See steps 1 through 4 above.