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Consuming enough water is essential to good human health. Unfortunately, many people do not practice good water consumption habits and therefore do not get as much as they should. Consider these four ways to establish healthy water consumption habits in your home.
Use Reusable Water Bottles
Never drink bottled water unless it is absolutely necessary. The plastic bottles are not only very environmentally unfriendly but the quality of the water varies widely. Much is no different from tap water or even worse. Instead, use reusable water bottles to take to work, school, sports events, outdoor activities and while out exercising.
Your family will get more water and you will reduce your impact on the environment. Using reusable bottles also encourages healthy drinking habits by allowing you to see just how much you drink every day. Taking a large water bottle to work gives you a large visual of exactly how much water you drink at work, and how much more you probably should be.
Having water directly on hand at your desk can also encourage you to idly drink more water as needed, sating your thirst before it has a chance to become worse.
Eat Fruits And Vegetables
You can also improve your water intake by improving your diet. Fruits and vegetables are part of a healthy diet and also contain a lot of water. Most Americans do not eat enough vegetables in particular, which often results in nutrient deficiencies and obesity.
Vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber, green peppers, and bok choy are especially high in water content. Fresh fruits such as raspberries, peaches, and pineapples contain significant amounts of water as well. Eating these foods will increase hydration while making you feel contented until your next meal.
Because water can actually be hard to digest on its own for some people, you can also increase your water intake by getting it mixed with healthy beverages, such as smoothies or herbal teas.
Drink When Thirsty
Although there have been a few guidelines set forth over the years regarding how much water you should consume every day, it’s most important that you simply drink when you are thirsty. Most guidelines are arbitrary and don’t reflect an individual’s need for water.
Everyone has different needs depending on size, occupation, elevation, and other environmental factors. Also, encourage drinking water over sugary drinks such as juices and sodas. Regular water will not only sate thirst better but also reduce the consumption of empty, unhealthy calories.
Ensure Water Is Clean
Many people avoid drinking tap water because the quality of water in their area is poor or they simply don’t like the taste. This is usually quite easy to remedy with water treatment systems. You can get both filtered pitchers and filters that go directly onto your kitchen faucet. All of these methods will result in healthier, better-tasting water right out of your sink.
If you are concerned about the quality of your local water, you can typically find the water reports for your city online. These reports will detail the levels of heavy metals, chlorine, and other toxins found in the water and will also say if these levels are within recognized safe percentages or not.
While there are laws regulating the safety levels of certain chemicals and metals in the water, not every city is actually compliant with these laws.
Therefore, it’s best to check your city’s water report yourself. Not getting enough water results in fatigue, headaches, decreased cognitive function and other unpleasant or even serious ailments.
Good habits start at home. Encourage good water consumption habits to ensure your family’s health and well-being.
