Time to drink up—and we don’t mean heading to the nearest happy hour. First Lady Michelle Obama recently announced her latest stay-healthy initiative with a Partnership for a Healthier America: Drink just one more glass of water a day. Sounds easy enough right? But if you’re struggling to take in enough H20, use these tips to meet your daily quota. Add Your Own Flavor We get it, water can be pretty boring. But instead of using the flavoring agents you see in stores, opt for something more natural—like watermelon chunks and mint or orange slices. To amp up the taste even more, let it sit for a few hours in your fridge. Order Something Spicy Adding crushed red pepper to your plate will have your reaching for the water pitcher multiple times through dinner. Plus, studies show that hot peppers give your metabolism a boost. Use Your Phone Yep, there’s an app for that. In fact, there are several. Try Waterlogged for iPhone or Water Your Body (for Android and iPhones). Not big on apps? Just set a few alerts on your phone throughout the day to remind yourself to hit the water cooler. Get a Filter You’ll Actually Use If your water filter just takes up space in the fridge and leaves residue in your glass, it’s time for an upgrade. We’re loving Soma ($49, drinksoma.com), a new sustainable filter shaped like a carafe. It’s made out of coconut shell carbon, silk, and plant-based casing—so no more black flakes in your water. Plus you’ll get new filters delivered every two months, and each one helps provide clean water through their charity project. Keep it Close Let’s be real—if you’re stuck at your desk all day or on the road traveling for hours, you’re not going to make it a priority to go get water very often. The fix: Always keep a big tumbler of water on your desk or a water bottle in your bag so you have no excuse. And if you work at a desk, leave the cup in plain sight so you’re constantly reminded. Be Prepared At the Gym You know those muscle-y guys toting jugs of water in the weight room? It’s actually not as stupid as it looks. If you head to the gym without a water bottle, you’re not going to pause the treadmill every few minutes to get a drink, so come prepared. But no need to carry a jug—this Klean Kanteen eco-friendly bottle holds 40 oz. Think of Your Wallet Make a pact to only order water at restaurants and you’ll save calories and cash. Just make sure to ask for tap instead of bottled. Most restaurants use a filtration system anyway, and you likely won’t have to pay for the cup of water. Eat Your Water It isn’t exactly cheating—you can technically hydrate with water-rich foods like cucumbers, melons, celery or even soup with a light broth. Consider it an Appetizer Drinking 16 oz. (the amount in a regular water bottle) before meals can help you lose weight, according to a 2010 study in the journal Obesity. Just knowing that drinking up can help you eat less should be enough motivation to grab a glass. Make it Part of Your Night Out If you’re out at the bar, you already know you should be alternating a glass of water for every cocktail (right!?). But make it a habit to always drink at least one more glass of water before bed when you get home. Not only will it help you rehydrate after drinking, but it’ll make your hangover suck much less. Source
