Q: Are You Getting Enough Water? Are you Staying Hydrated?
We all know that we’re supposed to drink “8 glasses of water a day”. We’ve been told this forever. But for one reason or another, most of us are guilty of not doing it. We go around dehydrated and don’t even realize it. And our body pays for it, especially the kidneys.
Did you know that some hunger pains are actually signs of thirst? Studies show that many times people will eat when they are only thirsty. So maybe we should try drinking a glass of water when you get the urge to eat.
Did you know that the main cause of kidney stones is dehydration? Wow! kidney stones are caused by dehydration and poor diet. Check it out on this report.
Furthermore, did you know that dehydration causes a lack of energy, lowers cognitive skills, and may affect your mood? There are ten or more dangers of dehydration. You can read about that right here.
Actually, we may need more than 8 glasses of water.
Your Weight in lbs / 2 Equals number of ounces to drink each day.
There are a lot of factors to figure this, such as where you live and how much exercise you get. My nutritionist said you should take your weight in pounds divide it in half and THAT is how many ounces of water you should drink each day. Oh boy! If you weigh 200 pounds or more, you are gonna be floating away. But then again, it could help you lose weight, get your blood pressure under control, and many other things. I have also been told that the running to the restroom issue will go away once your body acclimates itself to receiving the right amount of water. My experience is that this is true.
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Here are 8 Ways I Get my 8 Glasses
- Make Rules. When I first became aware that I was not getting enough fluids, I made rules such as I cannot have anything other than water, each day, until I have had my 8 glasses. Ok. You can have your coffee in the morning. But after that, no tea or coke or whatever, until you have finished off 8 glasses of water. And DON’T try to gulp it all down in the first hour of the day. Not helpful folks.
- Drink 16 oz first thing in the morning. This might be a little difficult at first. Start small and build up to it. As a result, your body will wake up, kick-start your metabolism, and get “things” moving. If you know what I mean.
- Do drink a full glass of water before each meal and snack. They say that this will help curb your appetite. As I said before, thirst is often disguised as hunger pangs. It will also, fill you up a bit so that you don’t eat as much.
- Keep a glass of ice water on your desk, on your bed stand, and in your car. This way, you can sip on water throughout the day. Before you know it, you will have your goal accomplished. Get yourself a Bubba Cup. The steel ones will keep your water cold for 12 hours or more. Ours, keeps water cool all night long. It even still has ice in it! I fill this cup before I go to bed and sip on it whenever I am aroused. In the morning, I pretty much have 16-20 oz finished off.
- Be sure to drink a full glass of water when taking medications. I can take an aspirin at a drinking fountain with one sip but use the opportunity to get in a full glass. If you are taking an RX, you should be doing this anyway.
- Get a Water Purifier. We don’t all live out in the country with a nice deep well with cool, freshwater in it. And some tap water can taste pretty nasty. We use a filter from Pur. Awesome little attachment that goes right on the faucet. Actually, we recently found the Culligan Water Filter which works Soooo much better.
- Additionally, Improve the Taste with Infused Water. Purchase flavored or seltzer water. However, be sure that you don’t select drinks that have sugar added. Or, you could make your own flavored water. … Draw a pitcher of water each night before bed. Add a few pieces of fruit, vegetables, herbs, and VOILA! In the morning, tasty water. I have enjoyed one with cucumbers and mint. An added advantage here would be that when the pitcher is empty, you know you’ve met your goal! Michele shared about making Kefir Water here.
- Fruit Infuser Water Bottle. My son just introduced us to this amazing water bottle that infuses your water with fruit flavor as you drink.
- Finally, Eat More Fruits and Vegetables. They are made up of 20% water, which equals more fluids!
So, there you have it. 8 ways to help get your 8 glasses of water each day. Go do the math and see how much you really need and start doing these things today. Soon, you will find your blood pressure dropping, your bowels moving better, and you will have so much more energy. You might even lose a little weight.
How do you keep hydrated? Let us know in the comments.
Pastor’s Wife (retired) & Chronic Pain Warrior blogs about how to make it through anything by relating her own life experiences to her writing. She is passionate about her love for the Lord and desires to spread that passion to others. She has a great desire to encourage women who are following behind her.
Great suggestions. I woke up this morning feeling dehydrated so your post is perfect.
Karen
What I have learned is that most of us are dehydrated and don’t even realize it. I have found that if I keep well-hydrated before getting a blood draw, it’s much easier to find the vein. Thanks for coming by.
Thanks for these great reminders. Most of them are familiar to me, but I had only heard briefly about drinking half your weight # in ounces. I need to increase the amount that I have been drinking. I really like having lemon or lime water in the morning and evening, it seems to help digestion too! Blessings to you!
Betty, I need to have lemons and limes around but no one here really cares about them. I should buy some anyway. 🙂
I’m a water drinker! Three water bottles (Nalgene size) and I go through them at least twice a day. One thing I’m good at!
That’s awesome Tara. I have been too but I still wasn’t getting enough. Doing better now. Thanks for dropping by