Drinking water is an integral part of staying healthy, and is especially important when trying to lose weight. While there are differing ideas on how much water a person should be drinking, the Mayo Clinic has posted the following advice:
So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.
Everyone has heard the advice, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day." That's about 1.9 liters, which isn't that different from the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Although the "8 by 8" rule isn't supported by hard evidence, it remains popular because it's easy to remember. Just keep in mind that the rule should be reframed as: "Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," because all fluids count toward the daily total.
Based on these numbers, eight 8-ounce glasses of water may not be enough for many people, and that’s for those who aren’t active! If you’re active, trying to lose weight, or have a job that requires a lot of physical movement or activity, you will have to be drinking more than the 3 liters (for men) or 2.2 liters (for women).
That’s a TON of water!
And let’s be honest, drinking that much water can be tough. The first few glasses aren’t that hard to get down, but after a while, water starts getting bland and undesirable. But we still need to get more water into our bodies. What are we do to?
Well, I have a couple tricks I’d like to share about how I make sure to get the water my body needs:
1. Give water taste. I do this with the travel packets of Crystal Light. These are a great choice because they don’t have any calories and give flavor to the water, making it easier to drink more. I may just be making this up, but I recall an ad by Crystal Light claiming people drink 15% more water when using Crystal Light. With taste, I drink more water, keeping me hydrated.
2. Eat salty snacks. One thing I do to drink more water is keep salty snacks nearby, which keep me thirsty. My favorite are nuts, primarily pistachios. I can eat about four or five pistachios, and the salt from them make me thirsty, which causes me to drink almost a whole glass of water. As I do that throughout the day, I find I am drinking a whole glass of water ever 30-60 minutes. As a side note, this is also a good idea to keep from eating too much at lunch or dinner. Right before you eat your meal, throw down a handful of nuts, and drink a glass or two of water afterward. All that water will cause you to feel less hungry.
