When you are planning on following a clean eating diet, one of the essential steps is to drink more water. Unfortunately, this can be a struggle if it’s new to you. Water has so many benefits – that you’ll be glad that you started this healthy habit. Here are some easy ways to start drinking more water throughout the day.
Make it Taste Better
A big reason people don’t drink a lot of water is because while it may not taste bad, it doesn’t taste like much of anything. You can really encourage yourself to increase your water intake by adding flavoring to it.
The most basic way to do this is by cutting up some fruit slices and adding it to the water. Lemons, limes, and oranges are great since the citrus content quickly changes the flavor of the water. You can also use a water infusing pitcher and add fruits like strawberries, apples, and grapefruits to it.
Keep Track of Your Water Intake
Another issue with increasing water intake is that you might lose track of how much you have had. It is important that you try to have at least eight glasses of water a day or half your body weight in ounces.
A good method for tracking water is by using the same water bottle all day and marking it somehow. For a reusable bottle, you can add a chalkboard sticker and bring along a piece of chalk with you to check of how many times you refill it. There are also bottles specifically meant for this purpose that make it easy to mark the bottle.
Drink a Glass of Water With Every Meal
An easy way to remember to drink more water during the day is by filling up a glass of water every time you eat a meal or snack. This allows you to have at least 5-6 glasses of water automatically during the day.
Not only is it good to drink water with your meals instead of unhealthy drinks like sugary juice or soft drinks, but the water can help you feel more full. It helps keep your portions down and keeps you from overeating.
Begin and End Your Day With Water
It is also a good idea to have a glass of water in the morning when you start your day, and one at night before bed. To remember to drink water in the morning, fill a carafe or pitcher with fruit-infused water the night before and put it in the refrigerator.
By the morning, you will be ready to have your glass of water and get your day started. At night, put a glass of water on your nightstand and enjoy the fresh drink as you prepare for bed.
Use the One-to-One Rule
When you are drinking anything that isn’t water, stick to the one-to-one rule. If you want to have a glass of juice in the morning, make sure you drink a glass of water as well. When you go out with friends and want to have an alcohol drink, have a glass of water before or after every drink you have. By doing this, you are able to drink more water even if you are already having other drinks on occasion.
You can get creative to make sure that you are getting enough water. These are all great ideas. Try them out and see which ones work for you and then make it a commitment to continue drinking your water daily.