Why is drinking water important?

Drink more water. It’s a message we hear whenever we search for advice about losing weight, exercising safely, cleansing our system, improving our skin care routine or supporting our immune system – and that’s just for starters.

Water makes up more than half of your body weight, and every cell of your body is affected when you don’t get enough water. If your body’s water level drops, you become dehydrated, which can range from annoying to dangerous: Fatigue, lethargy, headaches, inability to focus, dizziness and lack of strength are all possible signs of dehydration.

It’s important to think about how much water you consume because your body is constantly losing water—even when all you’re doing is breathing. Add exercise to the mix and your water loss grows.

When you sweat, you lose a lot of electrolytes, including sodium, potassium and chloride, which are essential to your body’s functions. This is why you’ll often get muscle cramps if you haven’t consumed enough water.

Bonus: Maintain hydrated skin

Your skin also benefits when you get enough water. To support hydrated skin, consider the water you drink just as important as the moisturizers and serums in your regular skin care routine.

Drinking water helps keep your skin plump and hydrated and helps maintain skin elasticity, which reduces the look of pores. And if you don’t get enough water, your skin can turn dry, tight, flaky and more prone to wrinkles. (Gasp!)

Water also helps your skin flush out toxins. If you don’t drink enough to do the job, your skin might become oily as it tries to remove the toxins on its own.

Daily recommended water intake

The amount of water required each day depends on many things, including your body size, how physically active you are and whether you’re sick or breastfeeding. Even the climate in which you live can make a difference because your body uses water to help regulate your temperature.

In general, however, experts suggest that men should drink 125 oz. or 3.7 liters each day, while women should drink 92 oz or 2.7 liters to replace fluids normally lost throughout the day. And if you’re exercising, you need even more.

That doesn’t mean you must drink only water while excluding other beverages. But not all liquids will have the same hydrating effects. And some might have some unwanted side effects.

Practical hydration tips

Drinking enough water may seem simple, but if your days have you running from one project or appointment to the next while juggling a few other things, too, it can be easy to overlook. If you’re struggling with how to drink more water, here are five tips to help you up your hydration game.

1. Change your daily habits

Avoid getting caught with that parched feeling when there’s nothing to soothe it by being proactive about hydration at more convenient times.

Make it a habit to drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and before every meal. You can even set a timer to ensure you take a break at the same time each day to get some water. The more you drink at regular, convenient times, the less likely you’ll be desperate for it when you’re out and about.

Are you a regular soda drinker? Try kicking that habit to the curb and replace it with water or other healthy drinks. While you may be getting some hydration from your soda, the bubbly beverage could also be laden with caffeine and/or sugar or artificial sweeteners. The sugar delivers empty calories, and although caffeine has its benefits, too much can have a dehydrating effect.

2. Buy a reusable water bottle

Make a reusable water bottle your new best friend. Has the leaky plastic bottle sitting on your desk seen better days? It’s time to treat yourself to something new and snazzy, one that you’ll want to take everywhere and that will bring you joy every time you fill it.

Invest in something that will last and you can help your hydration while also being kind to the environment. Stainless steel is always a solid choice because it’s durable and a breeze to clean. We like the insulated bottles or cups, too, because your drink stays nice and cold. When choosing, consider whether it fits in the cup holders in your vehicle, bike or on your gym equipment. (Here are a few to consider.)

You could even go super high-tech and get a smart bottle that connects to an app that automatically tracks your daily water intake. If you’re the competitive type, some apps make a game of it! Whatever you select, make it something you never leave home without, like your keys or phone, and you’ll always have a source of hydration at the ready.

3. Healthy drinks: Make water inviting

Does the thought of drinking plain water all day make you sad? Consider adding some flavor. For a light touch, slice up some cucumbers, lemons, strawberries or other favorite fruits and drop them in a pitcher of water in your refrigerator or right into your water bottle.

For even more flavor, choose a mix-in. There are several that come in convenient, single-serve packets or tubes so you can bring them anywhere and add them to your glass or water bottle. Many also have added nutrients to make them healthy drinks.

Nutrilite™ Twist Tubes 2GO™ has varieties that support your immune health, antioxidant health or joint health, all in different flavors. And XS™ Sports Twist Tubes include a blend of B vitamins and selenium to help fight free radicals.

4. Choose foods with high water content

If you struggle to drink water during the day, there are some other options. About 20 percent of your daily fluid intake comes from food with high water content, so make sure your diet includes water-rich selections.

Most fruits and vegetables have extremely high water content – around 85 percent or more. The aptly named watermelon along with cantaloupe, strawberries, lettuce, cabbage, celery, spinach, pickles and squash are 90-99% water.

Fruit juice, yogurt, apples, grapes, oranges, carrots, broccoli (cooked), pears and pineapple are close behind at 80-89% water. Consider these foods with high water content when you’re packing snacks and lunches for the day to help reach your recommended water intake each day.

5. Improve your home drinking water

Sometimes the quality of tap water can be a barrier to drinking it. If you don’t like the taste or smell of your home drinking water, you’re certainly not going to look forward to drinking it all day. If that’s the case, consider investing in a quality water filter like the eSpring™ UV Water Purifier to remove that barrier.

It effectively removes or destroys more than 140 potential impurities and dramatically improves the taste, odor and clarity of the water. Knowing that will make you much more likely to fill your slick new water bottle at home before you leave each day, ensuring you can support your hydration on the go.

Happy hydrating!

Are you thirsty yet? Time to put some of these hydration tips into action so you can make sure you get your recommended water intake and give your body everything it needs to function at its best!