Hydration Hacks: Creative Ways to Drink More Water and Boost Energy

Proper hydration is one of the fundamentals of maintaining energy levels, bodily functions, and overall well-being. Though drinking eight glasses a day is the generic advice given to everyone, that is a good place to start; turning hydration into a fun activity will more than double your hydration levels on a daily basis. By the way, here are a few creative and practical ways to stay hydrated all day long!

Inspired to Infuse: Step Up Your Water Game

Turn regular water into a refreshing elixir by adding vitamins from fruits, veggies, and herbs. This not only enhances the flavor of your water but also provides trace amounts of vitamins and antioxidants.

Fruity Refreshments: Mix them up with flavors such as cucumber and mint for a refreshing impact, lemon, and ginger for a spicy zing boost, or berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries) for a sweet kick. Place some sliced fruit or crushed berries in your water bottle or pitcher and let it steep for at least 30 minutes.

Herbal Infusions – Fresh herbs such as basil, rosemary, and mint can impart interesting and aromatic notes to your water. Vary Up the Garnish: Use mint but with lime or rosemary but with orange, for example. Now, bruise the herbs before adding them; you want to release the essential oils.

Beyond the Fundamentals: Fruits and herbs are just some of the planters for beginners, and those have tons of corpulence inaccuracies, too. You can experiment with cucumber or bell pepper slices or even a cinnamon stick for a hint of flavor. Make infusion water in the morning for day-long stock in the refrigerator.

Intelligent Reminders: Reminding You to Drink Water

Between all our daily obligations and distractions, we often neglect our hydration needs. Using tech and visual cues will act as perfected reminders to consume enough water.

• Hydration with Technology: Multiple mobile applications are available to track your water intake and remind you in time. With applications such as Water Reminder—Daily Tracker, or Plant Nanny, you can set your target, log your intake, or even see your progress. Other apps even send you casual nudges throughout the day to remind you to take a drink.

• Visual Triggers: Leave water bottles out where you tend to be the most often – on your desk, in your car, next to your bed. The sight of water can be a gentle prompt to drink. Use a water bottle with time on it to make sure you drink water constantly all day long.

• Associative Hydration: Associate drinking water with one of your daily rituals. Every time you do something in particular, for instance, a glass of water each morning after dealing with your business, prior to every meal, after utilizing the rest space, or before and after workout. It establishes a ritual that turns hydration into a habit during your day.

Give a competitive touch to your daily hydration and make it fun!

Gamifying your hydration experience or adding an element of competition can help you have fun while drinking more water.

• Daily Goal Challenge: Establish a daily water target to achieve and monitor your achievement. Yes, reward yourself (with something nonfood related, of course!). When you consistently hit your target. Feel free to have fun with it and take it a step further by challenging some friends or family to a friendly hydration competition.

• Hydration Bingo: Players fill out a bingo card with different times of day or triggers (e.g. "after a meeting," "while watching TV"). Every glass of water you drink during or following that trigger, mark off a square! Aim to get bingo!

• Hydration Jar: Fill a jar with small tokens (or marbles, whatever works) equal to your daily water intake goal. Whenever you empty a glass of water, shift one token to another jar. It can be oddly motivating to see your progress visually.

Smart Swaps: How to Add Hydration to Your Diet

Though the foundation of hydration is drinking plain water, you can also increase the water contained in your foods and beverages.

• High Water Content Foods: Many fruits and vegetables are rich in water. Some of the best choices that add to the overall water you consume are watermelon, cucumbers, strawberries, spinach, and celery. Eating them can be a great way to up your water intake and a refreshing way to do so!

• Hydration with Fluids: Though it is recommended to limit the intake of sugary beverages, some other drinks, such as herbal teas, clear broths, and diluted fruit juices, can be added to the daily fluid intake. Note: Some teas and coffee contain caffeine, which has a mild diuretic effect (more on caffeine).

With these creative hydration hacks, you will turn the tedious chore of drinking water into a fun habit that energizes the body. Use different techniques that work best for you and make them an essential part of your energizing and well-being process.