Water; we all know we should drink it, we all know how much our body needs it and we all know one glass of squash and three cups of tea shouldn’t be all we drink each day. Like many others, I rarely come close to drinking the 6-8 glasses of water that the NHS recommends we consume, despite being well aware of the benefits such as clearer skin and increased alertness. Most of the time I only really drink tea and coffee, unless I’m going to the gym where I’ll drink the equivalent of one or two glasses, so meeting the NHS’s guidelines was going to be a challenge, but I was looking forward to seeing the results.
Having now spent a week attempting to boost my water intake, admittedly with only marginal success, I can safely say I’ve noticed a difference, but not in the way I thought; the biggest change has probably been in my appetite. Drinking in-between meals almost became a substitute for snacking. As the water both filled me up and gave me something to do because, as I’m sure we’re all a little guilty of, I often find myself snacking out of boredom, not hunger. I also found that when I did eat, it took less to fill me up with all that water taking up room in my tummy! Whilst this was the only obvious change I noticed over the five days of completing the challenge, I’m sure that with time the more noticeable, physical changes will also occur such as less dry skin and chapped lips.
Having said this, it was definitely hard to keep up the challenge and so I’ve taken notes on some tips for those who also want to increase their water intake but never quite manage it:
1. Get into a routine
Having set times when you drink is a great way to make sure you drink enough. I found that grabbing a glass of water when I first woke up and with each meal – quickly slotted into my routine so that soon I wasn’t even thinking about it.
2. Set reminders on your phone
Until you’re in the habit, setting a reminder to have a glass of water, say perhaps an alarm every two hours, will stop you having to down eight glasses of water before bed to reach your daily target.
3. But, having said that, don’t be too strict with a schedule
One of the problems I found is that life often got in the way of me and water. Things like catching a long train, the library water fountain running out of water, and sometimes just not wanting a drink when I was due one all threatened to knock me off track.
4. Invest in a nice water bottle
Whether you make a fashion statement with a stunning Swell bottle or think more practically with this clever Joseph Joseph bottle that counts your water intake for you, having something nice to drink out of with undoubtedly help you stay on track whilst on the go.
5. Mix it up a bit
Drinking water on its own is ideal, by the eighth glass it can become undeniably monotonous. The NHS in fact recommends that we consume ‘six to eight glasses of water or other fluids’ meaning juice, squash and tea. These can also count towards your quota for the day. Unfortunately, I don’t think they’re counting wine and VK in that category!
Edited by Angelica Beier
Sources
https://www.nhs.uk/news/food-and-diet/six-to-eight-glasses-of-water-still-best/
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4287/10-Reasons-Why-You-Should-Drink-More-Water.html
https://waterstories.nestle-waters.com/health/what-are-the-best-times-of…