National Hydration Day: 6 Tips To Drink More Water

National Hydration day, observed every June 23, is the perfect time for people to make a conscious effort to drink more water.

Drinking water is important for health and provides a host of health benefits. For instance, it helps regulate our body temperature especially when it's hot, keeps our organs working properly and the joints lubricated, and even carries nutrients to the cells.

Not drinking enough water, on the other hand, poses risks because dehydration can affect the body's functioning, our ability to think clearly and even mood.

However, people at times get so busy that they even forget to drink water.

National Hydration Day was created to honor the legacy of Victor Hawkins, a late football coach who invented a special hydrating mouthguard for players on the field. The day is also a reminder of the importance of drinking water and staying hydrated.

On this day, let's have a look at some simple tips to drink more water. (Courtesy: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Healthline and Mayo Clinic)

Set a goal

The simple act of setting a goal could help motivate people to step up to the challenge, and they may even have a friend to do the challenge with them. The Mayo Clinic recommends a daily water intake of 11.5 cups (92 ounces) for women and 15.5 cups (124 ounces) for men. However, this may still vary depending on various factors such as your activity and the climate you are in.

Add flavor

Whether you prefer strawberries, cucumber or perhaps herbs, adding a bit of flavor is perhaps the simplest way to add a little creativity and even fun to drinking water. This may help encourage kids to have their fill of water as well.

Choose water

When eating out, it's always tempting to go for a soda or perhaps a glass of wine, but choosing water instead may help keep you hydrated while also saving money and reducing the amount of calorie intake. This doesn't need to be an abrupt change, however. One can gradually shift from other drinks to water over time.

Freeze it

Carrying a reusable water bottle is helpful in making sure that you drink water throughout the day, but it's quite refreshing to have ice-cold water handy on particularly hot days. For this, the CDC recommends freezing water in freezer-safe bottles. This way, one can have ice-cold water during the day.

Eat foods high in water

People can also get their water from eating foods that have high water content. This includes lettuce (96% water), watermelon (91% water) and celery (85% water), which are foods that also have vitamin, mineral and antioxidant contents.

Drink a glass before each meal

The simple act of drinking water before each of the meals in a day automatically adds to one's water intake. Someone who has three meals a day and drinks water before each of them could add three cups to their water intake. This also helps people eat fewer calories during the meal.