Are you drinking enough water? 5 ways to know.
When asked about water intake, most people have heard of the standard recommendation to drink 2 litres of water a day. But is that really the quantity you need? Most people are unsure of their answer to this question.
Today’s post will give you some pointers on how to identify that your body needs more water, but also how to increase your daily water intake (if that’s what you feel you need to do)!
Here are some signs you might not be getting enough water (other than feeling thirsty, duh):
1.You're easily fatigued during exercise - in fact, muscular fatigue is the first sign of dehydration during exercise, particularly aerobic exercise
2. Persistent headaches or fatigue
3. Dry mouth or eyes
4.Constipation: to help relieve constipation, before reaching for the laxatives, we can try getting in more water, fibre and exercise. These usually help, and don’t disturb the microbiota in the large intestine.
5.The color of your urine is a dark yellow, orange or brown: this is the best one! We ideally want the color of our urine to be pale yellow (sometimes translucent is okay too), however many glasses/litres of water that takes, whether it’s only 1 litre, or 3 litres a day.
7 tips to help increase your daily water intake
1.Keep a bottle/glass full of water on your desk at all times: Hey SIri, what's the opposite of "out of sight, out of mind?”
2. Opt for a brightly coloured glass/bottle: This has greater chances of caching your eye
3. Tell your smartphone's virtual assistant to remind to you take a sip every hour: Most smartphones will be able to do this.
4. Try tracking your drinking habits as you go: This can be done in your agenda, on a whiteboard, on your phone, or another tracker.
5. Add a straw! This can surprisingly make drinking water more fun, while decreasing the risk of spills. DOUBLE WHAMMY!
6. Add a bit of flavouring with fruit or some juice: While adding notes of citrus to your water doesn't "detox" your body, if it helps you enjoy staying hydrated, go for it!
7. Fill one large 2-litre water bottle for the whole day: This one poses its own challenges, but can be helpful for some!
Final thoughts
Water is SO important for our bodies. Without going into the metabolic details of it all, it really just helps it function properly. Getting enough water daily is therefore important, no matter what our health goals may be. Some of these tips have helped me and my clients improve our water intake, and I sincerely hope these tips were helpful to you as well.
Have a wonderful day,
Maria Tanielian, RD/Dt.P
Registered Dietitian/Nutritionniste (OPDQ #7223)
